Left to right: Dick Gratz, Quality & Field Performance; Dave Cowger, Tire Development;
and Jim Gutting, Director of Tire-Wheel Systems Engineering & Labs
Welcome to GM's Tire Safety Site at Corporate Responsibility. I am Jim Gutting, Director of Tire-Wheel Systems at the General Motors Proving Ground in Milford, Michigan.
Your tires are among the most important features on your vehicle, and you've undoubtedly heard a lot about tire safety during the last couple of years. However, tire safety is not a new concept at General Motors. We opened this laboratory back in 1968 to oversee the design, development, validation and engineering release of all tires used on GM North American vehicles.
GM was the first automaker to include original equipment tires in its bumper-to-bumper new vehicle limited warranty. This means customers with vehicles still under warranty can bring their tire concerns directly to GM dealers. Not only is this more convenient for you, it allows us to maintain our own data base for tire warranty and wear data and utilize this information to further improve our vehicles from year-to-year. We also regularly review tire company warranty data.
Another GM tire safety innovation is our Tire Performance Criteria, or TPC system that we developed over 30 years ago. The TPC system makes it easier for our customers to purchase replacement tires that meet the same critical performance specifications as our original equipment tires. When it comes to tires and tire safety, one size does not fit all.
You'll learn more about our tire practices elsewhere on this web site. You'll also find out what you can do to help ensure the safety of your tires, through regularly scheduled maintenance (including pressure checks), tips on how to safely load your vehicle and other safety recommendations.
Your safety is important to all of us in the Tire-Wheel Systems Laboratory. After browsing this site, I encourage you to re-read your vehicle owner's manual for even more information about your tires and the critical role they play in helping to keep you safe.
Drive Safely!
Content Owner: Richard J. Gratz, Engineering Group Manager, GM Tire-Wheel Systems.
