Table 1 shows one common wheel related problems of the 2013 Buick Lacrosse.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Wheel problems |
A 5 inch piece of metal broke off the wheel resulting in damaging the tire and causing serious safety concern. This piece of metal broke off from the inside section of the wheel, which faces the engine bay, ruling out the fact that it was caused by debris or impact from a curb or road. There was no other damage to the wheel, such as warped tires or dents or dings on the wheel, which should have been there if the damage was caused due to road hazard. As can be seen from the pictures the damage could only have been caused by structural issues with the wheel.
A four to six inch piece if metal broke off from the left front wheel (rim) of the car, without any external impact (pot hole or curb). This resulted in the rim piercing the tire and blowing its side walls. This collapse (damage) occurred from the inside section of the wheel (the side facing the engine bay) further indicating that it could not have been caused due to the car hitting a curb. Further there was no damage (bent rim or something similar) to the rest of wheel and rim which would have indicated a collapse due to the wheel hitting an object on the pavement. The large piece of metal broke off from the rim due to structural deficiency in the rim, which then resulted in the tire blowing up and causing a serious safety concern.