Table 1 shows one common tire related problems of the 1999 Mercedes Benz S Class.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Tire Sidewall problems |
I had 4 kumho solus kh16 tires installed on a 1999 mercedes s500 on 1/17/07. These tires have been driven approximately 15,000 miles. The tire on the right rear failed on Feb. 10, 2008 and was sudden and unexpected. My wife had just stopped for a traffic light and was accelerating to the posted speed limit of 45 mph. The car was traveling at approximately 35 mph when the failure occurred. She immediately pulled on to the grass median when she heard "clunk, clunk" from the rear of the vehicle. I periodically check tire pressures on our cars and checked the tire pressures the previous day and all four tires had approximately 30 lbs. Of air pressure. The tires had been holding this pressure for several months. On the day of the failure the car was driven approximately 12 miles when the tire suddenly failed. I closely inspected this tire and there was no indication of puncture. However, I noticed that the sidewall of the tire had separated. The separation is so severe that the tire will not hold any air pressure. I am very concerned about this incident, since I still have three more of these tires on the vehicle and we frequently travel on interstate highways and toll roads at speeds of 65 to 70 mph. A tire failure at this speed could be catastrophic.