CLEVELAND -- A major automaker is turning over records of a potential safety defect to the federal government, reported 5 On Your Side Investigator Ron Regan.

A 5 On Your Side investigation first reported the story three months ago, exposing a serious safety risk with the Pontiac GTO.

The investigation uncovered tires completely worn down to the steel belts. GTO's front struts have the potential to peel away the inside tire walls like a can opener, officials said.

Since 5 On Your Side's report, owners across the country in at least 13 states have filed complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Those complaints include the mother of a teenage boy who died when his GTO crashed.

Government investigators sent a letter to General Motors asking for all information relating to tires that may fail suddenly.

GM has now turned over thousands of documents, including:

• Service histories
• Warranty claims
• Consumer complaints

For 40,000 GTOs manufactured between 2004 and 2006 from late February to today, owners continue to come forward.

Jason Sable is one of the first GTO owners to see the 5 On Your Side report. He remembered the day he nearly crashed after the struts carved into his tires.

"It scared me. If I had not caught that, it could have been that trip home that the tire could have blown out and put me into the sidewall," Sable said.

Dave Horst is another driver who also came forward as a result of the investigation.

"It was wearing toward where you would get the steel belts coming through in a short time," Horst said.

And Russ Motz is even having the struts on his GTO replaced entirely. He suspects three problems are contributing to the strut-tire failure. They include premature failure of suspension components, incorrect size tires and GM's lack of response to complaints.

After buying his GTO, he immediately knew something was wrong.

"I wasn't getting the normal vibration on the steering wheel," Russ said. "It was violently shaking in my hands. It's definitely a big safety issue. I mean, GM needs to step up and say, 'Yes, there's a problem' and come up with a fix for it."