FIRESTONE STEELTEX A/T TIRES Complaints

I WAS DRIVING ON A 2-LANE STATE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 65MPH. MY PICKUP IS A 2001 FORD SUPERDUTY DIESEL SUPERCAB 4X4. THE WEATHER WAS OVERCAST, TEMPERATURE ABOUT 75 DEGREES. I WAS PULLING AN 18' FLATBED "CAR HAULER" TYPE TRAILER, TOTAL WEIGHT (TRAILER & LOAD) APPROXIMATELY 1,000LBS. I HAD DRIVEN 60 MILES WITH NO INDICATION OF VIBRATION OR PROBLEMS. I STOPPED FOR AN HOUR THEN RESUMED DRIVING. I NOTICED SOME VIBRATION, SO STOPPED AND CHECKED BOTH PICKUP AND TRAILER TIRES. INFLATION WAS GOOD AND THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF PROBLEMS WITH ANY TIRES. I CONTINUED MY TRIP. WITHIN THE NEXT 5 MILES THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE LEFT FRONT (DRIVERS SIDE) TIRE ON MY PICKUP. THE PICKUP IMMEDIATELY LURCHED TO THE LEFT ACROSS THE CENTERLINE. I REGAINED CONTROL AND WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE SHOULDER WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE TREAD SEPARATION DAMAGED THE FENDER, RUNNING BOARD, INNER FENDER, INSULATION LINER, AND FRONT BUMPER. THERE WERE NO PERSONS INJURED. I WAS ABLE TO "TIE-WRAP" THE INNER FENDER PANEL BACK IN PLACE AND INSTALL THE SPARE TIRE TO CONTINUE THE TRIP. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500 HD. THE VEHICLE HAS FIRESTONE STEELTEX A/T TIRES. WHILE DRIVING FROM FLORIDA TO OHIO AT 65 MPH, THE ENTIRE TREAD ON ONE OF HIS TIRES SEPARATED, EXPOSING THE STEEL BELTS IN THE TIRE. HE CONSULTED THE TIRE MANUFACTURER AND THEY INFORMED HIM TO SEND THEM THE TIRE FOR INSPECTION. THE CURRENT VEHICLE MILEAGE IS 92,326 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,652. THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. UPDATED 6/16/08 *CN

AT ABOUT 80MILES INTO A 1,000 MILE TRIP AFTER A SLIGHT VIBRATION THE LEFT REAR TIRE (FIRESTONE STEELE TEX A/T 265 75 R 16 LR-E TIRE VIOLENTLY LOST ITS TREAD CAUSING FENDER AND LIGHT DAMAGE TO VEHICLE AND WRAPPING THE LOOSE TREAD AROUND VEHICLE REAR AXLE HOUSING. NOTE TIRE STILL REMAINED INFLATED. *TR

I HAVE 4 FIRESTONE WHICH I BELIEVE TO BE DEFECTIVE. THEY ARE ABOUT 6 YEARS OLD BUT IN THE LAST 3 YEARS I HAVE ONLY DRIVEN THEM ABOUT 3,000 MILES. I RECENTLY DISCOVERED A SIDEWALL SEPARATION ON ALL 4 OF THESE TIRES ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE TIRES. I HAVE REMOVED THE TIRES AND REPLACED THEM WITH GOODYEAR TIRES. I HAVE SAVED THE OLD TIRES FOR FURTHER EVALUATION. *TR

I JUST NOTICED THE SIDEWALLS OF FIRESTONE STEELTEX TIRES ( SIZE LT245/75R16 AT LOAD RANGE E) CRACKING IN A UNIFORM CIRCLE ABOUT 2 INCHES IN FROM THE EDGE OF THE TREAD. IT LOOKS LIKE THEY ARE CRACKING ALONG A SEAM IN THE SIDEWALL OF SOME SORT. I REVIEWED THE WARRANTY AND IT STATES THAT DRY ROT CRACKS ARE COVERED FOR 4 YEARS FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE OR IF NO PROOF OF PURCHASE EXISTS, 4 YEARS FROM THE MANUFACTURED DATE THE TIRES CAME AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A BRAND NEW 2003 SILVERADO 2500 PICK UP TRUCK THAT I PURCHASED ON APRIL 5, 2003. I AM ASSUMING THAT DATE QUALIFIES AS THE DATE OF MY PURCHASE OF THE TIRES. I HAD THE LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALER IN HAYSVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA LOOK AT THEM AND HIS POSITION IS THAT SINCE THE TIRES WERE MANUFACTURED BETWEEN 20000 AND 2002, THE WARRANTY NO LONGER APPLIES. THESE PEOPLE ARE SELLING TIRES THAT ARE UNSAFE AND PRONE TO SIDEWALL FAILURE AND THEN WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH A NOISE WAS HEARD WHEN THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED OFF THE ROAD WHERE THE TIRE WAS CHANGED. THE VEHICLE INCURRED MINOR DAMAGES. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ALERTED. UPDATED *JB

I HAVE A 2001 GMC YUKON AND IT CAME WITH FIRESTONE STEELTEX AT TIRES LT 245/75R 16. THE TIRE'S DOT # IS VN11 BAC 4700. I WAS GOING SOUTH ON HWY 101 AND THE FRONT END BEGAN TO VIBRATE. BEFORE, I COULD PULL OVER THE TREAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE CORE AND WAS FLYING ALL OVER THE HIGHWAY. THE CORE STILL HELD AIR AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER WITH OUT ANY INCIDENTS. I DROVE THE VEHICLE ABOUT 1 MILE TO THE NEXT EXIT WHERE I WAS ABLE TO CHANGE THE TIRE AND EXAMINE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED MINOR BODY DAMAGE WHERE THE TREAD HIT THE INSIDE OF THE WHEEL WELL (DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT). I HAVE SENT THE CORE TO FIRESTONE AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY SUSTAINED HIGH PRESSURE IN THE TIRE. I DISAGREE WITH THIS BECAUSE ALL 4 TIRES HAD EVEN TREADS WITH OUT ANY BALD AREAS IN THE MIDDLE AND THE TIRE PRESS WAS CHECKED RIGHT BEFORE MY TRIP. WHEN I REPLACED THE 4 TIRES, THE SALESMAN LOOK AT THE OTHER 3 AND HE SAID THAT THEY WASN'T ANYTHING WRONG WITH THEM. THEY STILL HAVE THE CORE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO EXAMINE IT. *NM

TREAD SEPARATION OF FIRESTONE STEELTEX A/T TIRE 265/75R16 LOAD RANGE E TIRE CAUSING DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. *NM

RIGHT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM TIRE AT HIGHWAY SPEED (APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH). CREATED SIDE DAMAGE TO MY CHEVROLET. 3500 VAN. TIRE DID NOT BLOW OUT. WAS FLAT NEXT MORNING. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE BLEW OUT IN THE SIDEWALL. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN OFF THE ROAD AND THE TIRE WAS LATER TAKEN TO THE TIRE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE CONTACT DROVE OVER A SHARP OBJECT, ALTHOUGH THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING IN THE ROAD. THE AUTO DEALER HAS BEEN ALERTED. UPDATED 7/13/2006 - *NM