Claims the design of a kit-set trailer caused it to disintegrate on Dunedin's Southern Motorway have prompted a compensation payment and a national withdrawal by Mitre 10 New Zealand.
The company last night confirmed about 40 tandem trailers had been withdrawn from sale, following an accident on the Dunedin Southern Motorway, near Lookout Point, on December 11 last year.
Donald Sutherland, of Dunedin, said last night his son-in-law, Isaia Piho (27), had been using the Avon tandem-axle trailer to carry gravel when one axle collapsed.
The trailer skidded out of control and sprayed gravel across the motorway, he said.
Both wheels on the back axle snapped - one wheel striking another car - before the trailer struck a lamppost.
A police investigation led to Mr Piho being charged with careless driving, he said.
Mr Sutherland sought a second opinion from Dunedin heavy vehicle specialist certifier Richard Wilson, concerned because the front axle had broken a week earlier, while in use.
The trailer was a $2800 kit-set design, made in China, bought by Mr Sutherland from the Mitre 10 Mega store in Dunedin and assembled early last year.
It was certified for loads of up to 1500kg, and had not been overloaded on either occasion, he said.
The specialist report supported his claims the trailer's axles were too small and made of brittle steel prone to cracking, he said.
The specialist report had been forwarded to police, Mitre 10 and Mr Sutherland's insurers.
Mr Sutherland and his son-and-law were preparing to argue their case in the Dunedin District Court on June 17.
He also told his story to TV3's Campbell Live last night.
Mitre 10 New Zealand board chairman Martin Dippie said in a statement last night the company took customer safety "very seriously".
He confirmed some of an initial batch of 15 trailers bought by the chain in 2006 had "experienced issues", later resolved with customers, while others bought since then had been trouble-free.
Mr Sutherland's trailer was from the 2006 batch.
The company had been unable to obtain copies of the police incident report or weight report, but had nevertheless reimbursed Mr Sutherland for costs of $4712.
All other trailers of that type had also been withdrawn from stores, pending the results of the company's engineering tests, due shortly.
