FIRESTONE FIREHAWK GTA-02 TIRES Complaints

TREAD SEPARATION ON FIRESTONE FIREHAWK GTA P205-50R16 TIRE. I WAS TOLD BY FIRESTONE DEALER # 591289 (JOHNSTOWN, PA) THAT THE TIRE WAS "CUT" ON THE SIDEWALL DUE TO ABUSE. THIS TREAD SEPARATION IS CLEARLY DUE TO A DEFECT AS IF IT WERE A "RE-CAP" IN MY OPINION. I ALSO HAD THE TIRES LOOKED OVER BY AN INDEPENDENT TIRE RETAILER WHO CONCURRED WITH MY SUSPICIONS. *JB

VISIBLE TIRE SEPARATION ON FIREHAWK GTA 02 P195/55R16 86H M+S. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED WITH MICHELIN ALL WEATHER HERE AT DR. TIRE, HWY 21, BEAUFORT, SC,29906. THESE TIRES WOULD NOT HAVE MADE THE TRIP TO CHARLESTON 80 MILES AWAY AT THE FIRESTONE DEALER. WE DID NOT KEEP THE TIRES. I AM ONLY OFFERING THIS INFO AS A COURTESY TO THE REST OF THE PLANET, WHO MAY HAVE THE SAME TIRES. FORTUNATELY FOR MY SON AND HIS FAMILY, HE ARRIVED FOR NEW YEAR'S WITHOUT INCIDENT. I HAVE PHOTOS OF THE FAULTY TIRE. ALL TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE TIRE WAS SPLIT ABOUT 12 INCHES AROUND WHERE THE TREAD INTERFACED WITH THE SIDEWALL AND WAS SEPARATING. I DID COMMUNICATE WITH FIRESTONE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, BUT SINCE I DIDN'T TAKE IT BACK TO A FIRESTONE DEALER, THERE WAS NOT MUCH THEY COULD DO FOR ME. MY HUSBAND FOLLOWED HIM TO THE DR. TIRE IN THE EVENT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. WE COULD NOT HAVE DRIVEN THE 80 MILES TO THE FIRESTONE DEALER. TS

REAR TIRES HAD "CUPPING" WEAR AROUND THE TREAD. FORD DEALER SAID IT WAS BECAUSE I DID NOT ROTATE THE TIRES (FRONT TIRES ARE OK). FIRESTONE DEALER USED ALIGNMENT INSTRUMENTS THAT SHOWED THE REAR WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT. FIRESTONE, AS DO I, BELIEVE THE CAR WAS NOT PROPERLY ALIGNED COMING OFF THE ASSEMBLY LINE. FIRESTONE SAID THAT THEY HAD SEEN MANY FOCUS MODELS WITH PREMATURE REAR TIRE WEAR PROBLEMS.*AK (TIRESIZE: P195/60TR1)

FIRESTONE, FIREHAWK, P205/55R16, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 2000 NISSAN ALTIMA. CONSUMER NOTICED FRONT PASSENGER TIRE HAD A BUBBLE ON SIDEWALL, REPLACED TIRE AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. *AK