Car tire blowouts

Hargaad of Omnar

So, I was not witness to the event, but apparently my driver-side front tire exploded. My car was stationary, it was broad-daylight, and there were neighbors outside (not intently looking at my vehicle, but privy enough to their surroundings to know if somebody was doing something to my car).
I've called insurance. I also summoned an officer of my region to come investigate.
I'm sure I'll get a drawn-out ultimate call of shrugs from both as to whether there was foul play or not.

What I'm curious and inquisitive on these here forums are whether any of you (who happen to even click into this topic) are aware of any tires doing this. I understand that, while driving, this is not entirely unheard of. But for my car to be parked and supposedly nobody nearby, what are the odds? Maybe delayed foul-play (somebody did something to it, but it didn't explode immediately)?

Pure Din

Maybe there was a sudden change of temperature? Was it parked somewhere where it gets sun for part of the day but not all of it?

Also you should check out the rest of the tires to make sure something isn't wrong with them. I once had a blowout on the highway with tires that were less than a year old and then soon after one of my other tires went flat just from sitting in the driveway. It turned out all of the tires had some problem with the valves which might cause the tires to lose pressure and get damaged over time. The guy at the shop was able to fix the remaining two tires for only $20 each, and I used them for many more years without a problem.

Donovan Puppyfucker

It sounds like the tyre was previously damaged, and living on borrowed time. Where is the hole?

Hargaad of Omnar

I'm not discounting the temperature idea, but I've lived here long enough that it (in my mind, which isn't always keyed to the facts) could/would have happened earlier than now. Temperatures have been higher during summer, and it was midday-ish, so it wasn't near as cold as it's been at night, and by midday, it wouldn't have been a drastic temperature change.
As it is past 10pm, I won't have much luck inspecting the other tires right now, but first thing in the morning, I will likely check the others carefully. I also don't want to touch or tamper with anything for fear that it could happen to any one of the other tires. o_o
The tires aren't even a year old. I know I have the paperwork from last Thanksgiving when I go new ones, the issue is finding that paperwork.

I'm less inclined to suspect foul play, because any gouges to a tire would simply cause them to deflate. With the big KABOOM and obvious explosion of the tire, I'd suspect it's maybe a manufacturing defect.
But again, the car was stationary for about 15+ hours since I used it last. I've heard of tires exploding while in motion, but I can't seem to dig up anything about situations like mine.

see317

Any chance you could post a photo of the tire?
I'd be inclined to think manufacturer defect combined with an over inflated tire from what you've posted, but I'm not exactly a car guy.

Hargaad of Omnar

I haven't touched or tried moving any affected parts. When the officer examined it, they said that it appeared to be an unusual happening with a rather straight cut (or tear, but with a tear, you'd expect jagged zig-zagging) caused by the blowout of a vehicle that was just sitting idle.

Skeith

Does your insurance cover vandalism? Straight cut does seem a bit strange.

Hargaad of Omnar

The insurance dude (claim officer? I don't know what technical name they have) told me that, based on my report, where their nearest recommended shop is, what they offer to pay for a rental if I need one, and a few other things. I'm pretty much covered, but I'm worried that I could get stuck paying a bill somewhere in here. While advice and assurance is always appreciated, it's not guaranteed to be that way irl. What I figure I might find answers to in here is if there's anybody who has heard of such a thing happening while a car is parked and off.

Edit: I also find myself fortunate. Most all of the people involved with helping me report this incident had an operating sense of humor and wit. I'm obviously stuck in a shitty situation, and their job is to grind out the answers pertinent to the forms they have to fill out.
No joke, at the very end of talking with the insurance dude, he asked if there was anything else he could do for me, and I legit asked for a long-distance high-five over the phone, and told him that if my story ends up being the winner of the week that we'd have a pizza party. He did laugh at that.
Good-humored customer support is a must. If you're stale as bread, it's just miserable for everybody.

Pantshandshake

Was the tire (and I guess, by extension, your other tires) older? Some kind of rot could easily be the culprit here, weakening the sidewall until it let go. Also, how careful are you with tire pressures?

schuss

Overinflation is the only thing I can think of that would do that. If there was a slit on the sidewall, that was a point of weakness that overinflation+daytime heat expansion would exploit.

illig

Yep, another vote for over inflation. Did you keep the tires at the max pressure stated on the sidewall or higher by any chance?

zepherin

Hargaad of Omnar wrote: »

The insurance dude (claim officer? I don't know what technical name they have) told me that, based on my report, where their nearest recommended shop is, what they offer to pay for a rental if I need one, and a few other things. I'm pretty much covered, but I'm worried that I could get stuck paying a bill somewhere in here. While advice and assurance is always appreciated, it's not guaranteed to be that way irl. What I figure I might find answers to in here is if there's anybody who has heard of such a thing happening while a car is parked and off.

Edit: I also find myself fortunate. Most all of the people involved with helping me report this incident had an operating sense of humor and wit. I'm obviously stuck in a shitty situation, and their job is to grind out the answers pertinent to the forms they have to fill out.
No joke, at the very end of talking with the insurance dude, he asked if there was anything else he could do for me, and I legit asked for a long-distance high-five over the phone, and told him that if my story ends up being the winner of the week that we'd have a pizza party. He did laugh at that.
Good-humored customer support is a must. If you're stale as bread, it's just miserable for everybody.

You'll have to pay your deductible which will likely be more than the cost to fix your car. Sorry dude.

Hargaad of Omnar

I'm pretty good with keeping my tires inflated. The standard for the tires is 35psi, which I usually bring it up to, but never over. It may have been less than 35psi since I don't think I've filled them for a couple of months now, but they didn't appear to be saggy in the least last I looked at them.
I understand that I'm going to have to pay my deductible. I'm just not thrilled that I'd also have to pay for a new tire. Compared to my deductible, a new tire isn't going to break me, but money saved is money saved, y'know?

I've had an accident before (where I was not at fault), and, for the most part, things went fairly smooth. With this incident, I have nobody to point a finger at and feel like I'm left to sit here with my thumbs up my ass. All-in-all, this pretty much sucks, but life goes on. *shrug*

see317

Just remember, it could have been much, much worse.
At least you were at home when this happened, if you had been cruising down a highway at 60/70 mph, you might not be here to post.

The tires aren't even a year old. I know I have the paperwork from last Thanksgiving when I go new ones, the issue is finding that paperwork.

You might try contacting the people you bought the tires from. Chances are they've still got records in the system that they could print a copy of for you.

schuss

see317 wrote: »

Just remember, it could have been much, much worse.
At least you were at home when this happened, if you had been cruising down a highway at 60/70 mph, you might not be here to post.

The tires aren't even a year old. I know I have the paperwork from last Thanksgiving when I go new ones, the issue is finding that paperwork.

You might try contacting the people you bought the tires from. Chances are they've still got records in the system that they could print a copy of for you.

Yeah, for less than a year old it's most likely a manufacturer defect if you didn't slice the sidewall somehow. It happens.

Hargaad of Omnar

schuss wrote: »

see317 wrote: »

Just remember, it could have been much, much worse.
At least you were at home when this happened, if you had been cruising down a highway at 60/70 mph, you might not be here to post.

The tires aren't even a year old. I know I have the paperwork from last Thanksgiving when I go new ones, the issue is finding that paperwork.

You might try contacting the people you bought the tires from. Chances are they've still got records in the system that they could print a copy of for you.

Yeah, for less than a year old it's most likely a manufacturer defect if you didn't slice the sidewall somehow. It happens.

Definitely a good point. With most purchases, there's always some form of documentation kept by the seller. I wasn't the one who paid for them, but I'll be sure to mention to that person that it may be worth contacting the seller (WalMart) we bought them from to get a copy of the documents (pending if neither of us can find the paperwork, and pending whether or not insurance calls back saying they need that paperwork to go back to the manufacturer to provide split-coverage).
If it was manufacturer defect (and again, I understand legal counsel is not 'official' here), is there any chance I could have my costs covered by the manufacturer since that would mean I was in no way at fault?

schuss

Hargaad of Omnar wrote: »

schuss wrote: »

see317 wrote: »

Just remember, it could have been much, much worse.
At least you were at home when this happened, if you had been cruising down a highway at 60/70 mph, you might not be here to post.

The tires aren't even a year old. I know I have the paperwork from last Thanksgiving when I go new ones, the issue is finding that paperwork.

You might try contacting the people you bought the tires from. Chances are they've still got records in the system that they could print a copy of for you.

Yeah, for less than a year old it's most likely a manufacturer defect if you didn't slice the sidewall somehow. It happens.

Definitely a good point. With most purchases, there's always some form of documentation kept by the seller. I wasn't the one who paid for them, but I'll be sure to mention to that person that it may be worth contacting the seller (WalMart) we bought them from to get a copy of the documents (pending if neither of us can find the paperwork, and pending whether or not insurance calls back saying they need that paperwork to go back to the manufacturer to provide split-coverage).
If it was manufacturer defect (and again, I understand legal counsel is not 'official' here), is there any chance I could have my costs covered by the manufacturer since that would mean I was in no way at fault?

Yes. I'd send a letter to the manufacturer regardless, as likely your losses are so small it's better to just pay them out than risk anything further. I'd recommend pushing through them vs. Wally world, as Wal-Mart are dicks about litigation/losses.

Hargaad of Omnar

schuss wrote: »

Hargaad of Omnar wrote: »

schuss wrote: »

see317 wrote: »

Just remember, it could have been much, much worse.
At least you were at home when this happened, if you had been cruising down a highway at 60/70 mph, you might not be here to post.

The tires aren't even a year old. I know I have the paperwork from last Thanksgiving when I go new ones, the issue is finding that paperwork.

You might try contacting the people you bought the tires from. Chances are they've still got records in the system that they could print a copy of for you.

Yeah, for less than a year old it's most likely a manufacturer defect if you didn't slice the sidewall somehow. It happens.

Definitely a good point. With most purchases, there's always some form of documentation kept by the seller. I wasn't the one who paid for them, but I'll be sure to mention to that person that it may be worth contacting the seller (WalMart) we bought them from to get a copy of the documents (pending if neither of us can find the paperwork, and pending whether or not insurance calls back saying they need that paperwork to go back to the manufacturer to provide split-coverage).
If it was manufacturer defect (and again, I understand legal counsel is not 'official' here), is there any chance I could have my costs covered by the manufacturer since that would mean I was in no way at fault?

Yes. I'd send a letter to the manufacturer regardless, as likely your losses are so small it's better to just pay them out than risk anything further. I'd recommend pushing through them vs. Wally world, as Wal-Mart are dicks about litigation/losses.

True, but being unemployed makes every penny really count. Having nothing better to do, I may try to hold tight to as many pennies as I can.

Pure Din

schuss wrote: »

Overinflation is the only thing I can think of that would do that. If there was a slit on the sidewall, that was a point of weakness that overinflation+daytime heat expansion would exploit.

Wouldn't under-inflation be more likely to cause the problem in the first place though? Because an under-inflated tire would flex back and forth and eventually split apart.

Also if the tires were bought during a black friday deal or a clearance sale, it's worth checking the manufacture date. If your tires were more than a few years old by the time you bought them you should definitely complain to the store.

schuss

Hargaad of Omnar wrote: »

schuss wrote: »

Hargaad of Omnar wrote: »

schuss wrote: »

see317 wrote: »

Just remember, it could have been much, much worse.
At least you were at home when this happened, if you had been cruising down a highway at 60/70 mph, you might not be here to post.

The tires aren't even a year old. I know I have the paperwork from last Thanksgiving when I go new ones, the issue is finding that paperwork.

You might try contacting the people you bought the tires from. Chances are they've still got records in the system that they could print a copy of for you.

Yeah, for less than a year old it's most likely a manufacturer defect if you didn't slice the sidewall somehow. It happens.

Definitely a good point. With most purchases, there's always some form of documentation kept by the seller. I wasn't the one who paid for them, but I'll be sure to mention to that person that it may be worth contacting the seller (WalMart) we bought them from to get a copy of the documents (pending if neither of us can find the paperwork, and pending whether or not insurance calls back saying they need that paperwork to go back to the manufacturer to provide split-coverage).
If it was manufacturer defect (and again, I understand legal counsel is not 'official' here), is there any chance I could have my costs covered by the manufacturer since that would mean I was in no way at fault?

Yes. I'd send a letter to the manufacturer regardless, as likely your losses are so small it's better to just pay them out than risk anything further. I'd recommend pushing through them vs. Wally world, as Wal-Mart are dicks about litigation/losses.

True, but being unemployed makes every penny really count. Having nothing better to do, I may try to hold tight to as many pennies as I can.

No, I meant they're small for the company, so they'll likely pay out without much question. Tire explodes, only minor body damage on a cheap car? easy.

Donovan Puppyfucker

What brand of tyres are they? Firestone?

Hawkstone

I would say vandalism is very unlikely, the kind of effort it would take to blow up a tire in the manner your describing would either be really obvious or way to much work to go through for something so petty.

I would bet strongly on a manufacturing defect that just gave way at a very random time or some damage you didn't detect that caused it to give way later. Sometimes you can really dig a gouge in the side wall when you curb a tire for example, my wife has done this bad enough that I had the tire replaced....it had a good quarter inch gouge. it's a good thing it didn't happen on the road. If it was that violent at a stand still, it could have caused a serious accident at speed.

Hargaad of Omnar

Hawkstone wrote: »

I would say vandalism is very unlikely, the kind of effort it would take to blow up a tire in the manner your describing would either be really obvious or way to much work to go through for something so petty.

I would bet strongly on a manufacturing defect that just gave way at a very random time or some damage you didn't detect that caused it to give way later. Sometimes you can really dig a gouge in the side wall when you curb a tire for example, my wife has done this bad enough that I had the tire replaced....it had a good quarter inch gouge. it's a good thing it didn't happen on the road. If it was that violent at a stand still, it could have caused a serious accident at speed.

Definitely agree with you on the effort behind vandalism.

schuss

Seriously, follow up with the tire company. Your insurance isn't going to do shit regarding them, as it's more work than it's worth.

zagdrob

I personally wouldn't make an insurance claim just for a tire, since between the deductible and increase in rates, you're likely to see very little benefit or even pay more in the long run. Since the blow-out caused body damage, it's probably a lot more likely to be worthwhile. If you're already making a claim and insurance is covering everything, there isn't much point in bothering with contacting the manufacturer / Walmart.

I would lean towards either undetected damage or manufacturers defect as well, probably in combination with temperature cycles. Normally vandalism doesn't make a tire blow-out, it just makes it go flat. It seems like it would be a one-in-a-million thing for someone to cut a slit in the sidewall that would compromise your tire bad enough for it to blow out like this...without cutting it badly enough for it to lose too much pressure to blow out. Vandalism would almost certainly need to be in combination with another defect.

Also, consider getting road hazard insurance on your tires. It adds a few bucks to the purchase price, but makes almost any issue like this a simple matter of taking it in and getting the tire replaced. You'll pay a few bucks to get a new road hazard certificate on the new tire, and off you go. I personally use Discount Tire for everything, and it's always been a 'no questions asked' policy, even once because I drove on a badly under-inflated tire and ruined the sidewall.

Jasconius

This doesn't sound like vandalism. And insurance companies will charge you a deductible and jack your premium.

Your #1 first course should be to the people who sold you the tire... tire places pretty much always have crazy warranties that they hope people will never actually use against them

so do that

Hargaad of Omnar

I greatly appreciate everybody's assistive advice.

Kipling

First, take pictures of the bulging tire from as many angles as possible. Then deflate the bulging tire sitting in your trunk. One of them already exploded - don't let it happen again in your trunk.

Second, call the tire manufacturer. They'll be paying for it if you get the money from Walmart. It is just as easy to start with them.

If it is the Walmart brand, you have to start with the store.

schuss

Yeah, go to the tire manufacturer. Wal-Mart are sort of dicks about admitting fault on things, but it may be worth a try.

Donovan Puppyfucker

The indentation/bulging bubble on the side of the tyre?

Very strongly indicative of impact damage to the sidewall construction of the tyre. Have you mounted any kerbs at speed lately? Do people other than you drive the vehicle?

heckler001

This just happened to me also . just sitting with a friend and boom on my trailer