NHTSA complaint #11479687

Owner complaint summary

A Honda 2019 CR-V EX 2WD was purchased in March of 2019 and came with OE Hankook Kinergy GT 235/60R18 H436 tires. The DOT# 5M3V1BH5018 (One tire) and 5M3V1BH5118 (Three tires). The vehicle was garage kept and most of the mileage driven was within the state of Tennessee. All four tires were rotated every 5,000 miles and balanced every 10,000 miles by the Honda dealership that sold the vehicle. A multi-point inspection was performed every 5,000 miles that included steering, braking, struts, and suspension components with no issues found. Tire pressure was monitored by both the owner and dealer during routine maintenance. Road noise began after the 12,000-mileage maintenance and could be seen as uneven tire treadwear. At 15,000 miles the dealership performed a four-wheel alignment to correct the problem, but the noise continued and became more pronounced at higher speeds. It became difficult to hold a conversation or listen to the radio without turning up the volume. By 23,000 miles it became apparent that the inside and outside tread on all four tires had become scalloped. The dealership confirmed the diagnosis and recommended new tires. They stated that continuing to drive with the cupped tire tread was not a safety issue. In contrary, most retail tire or automobile repair websites universally agree that driving with scalloped tires is dangerous. The decreased amount of tire tread to road contact causes reduced traction and increased braking distances, on wet driving surfaces and in emergency situations. The dealership service advisor also shared information that Hankook uses substandard material in the manufacturing of their OE tires leading to premature wear and possible failure. How does this tire justify a treadwear rating of 540 and mileage warranty of 70,000 miles when an entire set of four tires became useless and unsafe at 15,000 miles?