FIRESTONE STEELTEX A/T TIRES Complaints

TIRE TREAD SEPARATION  FIRESTONE STEELTEX RADIAL A/T 265-75-R16 LOAD RANGE E DOT NUMBER VNW81XL4600. WHILE DRIVING EASTBOUND ON US-60 JUST PAST THE FLORENCE JUNCTION INTERCHANGE WITH MY SPOUSE AND INFANT CHILD IN THE VEHICLE, THE LEFT FRONT TIRE SUFFERED A TREAD SEPARATION CAUSING THE TIRE TO EXPLODE AND GO FLAT. NOISE FROM THE TREAD DEPARTING THE TIRE WAS HEARD SECONDS BEFORE THE TIRE RUPTURED. HANDLING WAS DIFFICULT WHILE THE TREAD WAS SEPARATING AND BECAME MORE DIFFICULT AFTER THE TIRE LOST AIR PRESSURE. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED FROM THE RIGHT LANE INTO THE LEFT LANE AND NEARLY DEPARTED THE ROADWAY. SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE VEHICLE. REPAIRS ARE AT $3700 AND RISING NOT INCLUDING TIRE REPLACEMENT. THE TIRES ARE ROTATED REGULARLY ACCORDING TO THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS 5-TIRE ROTATION SCHEDULE AND A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE TIRES MINUTES BEFORE THE FAILURE REVEALED THAT NO TIRES WERE UNDER-INFLATED. THE FORD DEALER REPLACED ONE OF THE TIRES WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY A FEW MONTHS OLD BECAUSE OF PULLING. AFTER THE FIRST TIRE ROTATION, THE VEHICLE PULLED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION INDICATING THAT AT LEAST ONE OF THE NEW TIRES WAS DEFECTIVE. *AK TREAD WEAR IS VERY MILD ON THE TIRES WITH APPROXIMATELY INCH OF TREAD REMAINING. SIDEWALLS ON THE TIRES SHOW DRYNESS BUT A FAILURE DID NOT APPEAR IMMINENT. MILEAGE IS JUST OVER 32,000. IT SEEMS OBVIOUS THAT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT CAUSED THESE TIRES TO FAIL WELL BEFORE TREAD WEAR WAS AT A HAZARDOUS LEVEL. IT IS SURPRISING AND DISAPPOINTING THE NHTSA HAS NOT ORDERED A RECALL OF THESE TIRES WHEN RESEARCH ON THE NHTSA WEB-SITE INDICATES SEVERAL FAILURES SIMILAR TO TIRES THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY RECALLED. IF THESE TIRES WERE COMMON ON SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES INSTEAD OF LONG WHEEL BASE PICK-UP TRUCKS AND EXCURSIONS, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN PULLED FROM THE ROADWAYS LONG AGO AS OTHER FIRESTONE PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN. AT THIS TIME, FIRESTONE HAS NOT WARRANTED ANY OF THE TIRES AS THE VEHICLE IS STILL IN THE REPAIR SHOP.

ALL 4 TIRES HAD VERY POOR TRACTION WHICH RESULTED IN THE TRUCK SKIDDING ON WET ROADS. A TIRE SHOP INDICATED THE PROBLEM OCCURRED BECAUSE THE OUTSIDE RIBS OF THE TIRES HAD NO GROOVES IN THEM, SO THE RAIN, ETC., COULD DRAIN. THE LIQUID WAS TRAPPED, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO HYDRO-PLANE. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT IS NOT PROVIDING ANY ASSISTANCE. THESE ARE LOAD RANGE E TIRES. *JB *NM

REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT FOR RECALLED TIRES THE CONSUMER REPLACED. *PH CONSUMER REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPLACING TIRE EQUIPMENT ON HER 2001 FORD EXCURSION. THE TIRES FAILED PRIOR TO THE CONSUMER RECEIVING THE RECALL NOTICE. *MR *NM

CONSUMER RECEIVED A VOLUNTARY RECALL NOTICE AND QUESTIONED WHAT LOAD RANGE TIRES SHOULD BE ON HIS 2003 FORD EXCURSION 4X4 LIMITED DIESEL. *PH *JB

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH T DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRES TREAD SEPARATED. AS A RESULT, DRIVER LOST CONTROL, BUT IMMEDIATELY REGAINED CONTROL. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. THIS CAUSED THE DRIVER TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. THE DRIVER CHANGED THE TIRE. FIRESTONE STEELTEX A/T, SIZE 265/75/R16. *AK THE CONSUMER PURCHASED FOUR NEW TIRES. *SC *JB

ALL 4 TIRES DEVELOPED CRACKS IN THE SIDEWALL. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THESE TIRES, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.*AK *LA

TREAD SEPARATION ON FIRESTONE STEELTEX RADIAL A/T, LT245/75/R16, DOT VN11 BAC1301. WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON I80, OUTER BELT APPARENTLY BROKE, CAUSING A STRIP OF TREAD 1 1/2 " WIDE X 33" LONG TO SEPARATE FROM THE TIRE. TREAD SEPARATION WAS DIAGONAL ACROSS THE TIRE FROM OUTSIDE TO IN. TIRE WAS MOUNTED ON THE LEFT REAR OF A 2001 GMC 2500HD PICKUP TRUCK. TIRE HAD 47,600 MILES ON IT, APPROXIMATELY 30,000 ON THE REAR. TIRE DID NOT BLOW OUT OR DEFLATE, AND WAS STILL INFLATED TO 80PSI WHEN REMOVED FROM THE TRUCK. TIRE REPLACED. OLD TIRE IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION.

CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER ABOUT A MONTH AGO REGARDING FIRESTONE SATELLITES A/T TIRES, LT265/75R16 LOAD RANGE, DEALER HAD NOT RECEIVED THE FORMS AUTHORIZING THE REPLACEMENT OF RECALLED TIRES. *AK

OUR 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500HD TRUCK, WHICH IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, WAS PRESENTED TO FIRESTONE ON SATURDAY APRIL 10, 2004 AT 10AM TO SHOW THEM EXCESSIVE CRACKS SURROUNDING SIDEWALLS CONSISTENTLY ON ALL FOUR ORIGINAL TIRES. THEY GAVE US A REPORT OF THE TREAD WEAR ON THE BOTTOMS WHICH WAS NOT THE CONCERN WE HAD AND OFFERED US A PRO-RATED RATE OF 45% OFF OF THE MANUFACTURES SUGGESTED RETAIL WHICH WOULD COME TO $489 WITH COSTS. WE EXPLAINED THAT THE TIRES WERE DRY ROTTING AND DAVE, THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE GREENSBURG, PA FIRESTONE TIRE & SERVICE CENTER EXPLAINED THAT CLIFF FROM FIRESTONE'S ENGINEERING DEPT, THE REGIONAL MANAGER HAD TOLD HIM THAT THERE ARE THREE STAGES OF DRY ROT AND IF THE TIRES WERE DRY ROT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO FIT A PENNY INTO THE CRACKS. THIS IS WHERE WE LEFT OFF AS OF TODAY AND WILL BE COMMUNICATING FURTHER WITH THEM.