FIRESTONE STEELTEX A/T TIRES Complaints

AT 30 MPH CONSUMER NOTICED ONE OF THE TIRES WAS MAKING A RUMBLING NOISE. CONSUMER REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES. FIRESTONE, STELLTEX AT, LT265/75R16. *AK

WHILE TOWING MY ENCLOSED CAR HAULER TRAILER, WITH A CLASSIC CAR INSIDE, MY RIGHT REAR TIRE ON MY F250 SUPER DUTY PICKUP EXPLODED. I WAS RUNNING 70 MPH AT THE TIME IN ALABAMA. I DID NOT WRECK BUT I REALLY HAD TO FIGHT TO KEEP IT ON THE ROAD UNTIL I COULD STOP. THE TIRE IS IN TWO PIECES. THE FIRESTONE STORE IN PENSACOLA, FLORIDA SAID THE TIRE IS NOT ONE OF THEIR RECALLS. HOWEVER, I UNDERSTAND THESE SAME TIRES ON THE EXCURSIONS ARE. WHY ARE THE SAME TIRES, WHEN INSTALLED ON F250 PICKUPS, NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL? I WILL SAY, REGARDLESS OF THE OUTCOME OF THIS, I WILL NEVER, NEVER BUY ANOTHER FIRESTONE TIRE OF ANY KIND. IN FACT I HOPE THAT FIRESTONE IS PUT OUT TO PASTURE FOREVER.*AK

MY DAUGHTER DRIVES A 2002 FORD EXCURSION AND WITH VERY LOW MILES THE WEAR OF THE TIRES IS UNACCEPTABLE. THEY ARE WEARING FAST AND UNEVEN AND MAKE NOISE. PLEASE LOOK INTO THESE TIRES BECAUSE SHE TRAVELS WITH MY PRECIOUS GRANDCHILDREN DAILY. SHE HAS TWINS THAT ARE 2 YEARS OLD AND ANOTHER SON THAT IS 3 THAT ALL RIDE IN CAR SEATS. THANK YOU. *AK

FIRESTONE STEELTEX TIRES FOR 2002 FORD EXCURSION RECALLED. CONSUMER HAD ALREADY REPLACED TWO OF THE TIRES WITH MICHELIN. FORD DEALER SAYS REPLACE ALL 5 TIRES INCLUDING MICHELIN WITH PROPOSED B. F. GOODRICH OR NO TIRES REPLACED. CONSUMER PREFERS KEEPING MICHELIN TIRES. NO COMPENSATION OFFERED. CONSUMER EXPERIENCED A BLOW OUT WITH FIRESTONE STEELTEX ON PREVIOUS MODEL EXCURSION (2000) AND FILED COMPLAINT AND DID NOT RECIEVE ANY RESPONSE. FORD SHOULD ALLOW ME TO REPLACE THE 3 DEFECTIVE TIRES, UNDER THE RECALL, AND KEEP THE REPLACED TIRES, IN FACT, CONSUMER SHOULD BE REIMBURSED.

2000 F350 DEVELOPED VIBRATION IN TIRES. LR TIRE HAD SEPERATED TREAD. LT265/75R16 FIRESTONE STEELTEX AT LOAD RANGE E.

I HAVE STEELTEX AT LT245/75 R16 TIRES ON MY 95 SUBURBAN. TIRES PURCHASED IN 2001. PASSENGER FRONT BLEW OUT 2/20/04 WHILE TRAVELING ON HWY 10 TRAVELING ABOUT 65 MPH. I HAVE HEARD ABOUT A RECALL. WHAT FORMS DO I NEED TO COMPLETE TO GET A REFUND/ EXCHANGE OF ALL TIRES?*AK

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH VEHICLE VIBRATED SEVERELY. CONSUMER PULLED OVER TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE, AND NOTICED A HUGE BUBBLE ON TIRE TREAD. FIRESTONE STEELTEX AT LT26575R16. *AK

A FIRESTONE STEELTEX AT (245-75 R16 LR E) MOUNTED ON THE LR OF MY 2002 GMC SIERRA 2500HD FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON HIWAY 58 IN THE VICINITY OF TEHACHEPI CA AT APPROX 1630 HRS. THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE SIDEWALL/BODY OF THE TIRE EXPOSING STEELBELTS. THE TREAD WAS NOT RECOVERABLE. THE FAILED TIRE DID NOT EXPLODE OR DISINTEGRATE AND REMAINED INFLATED. THE TIRE HAD ACCUMULATED 32650 MILES SINCE NEW (OEM TIRE) WITHOUT INCIDENT. ALL FOUR TIRES WERE INFLATED TO 75PSI AT 0630 AM THAT MORNING IN VACAVILLE CA, AND CHECKED IN BAKERFIELD DURING A FUEL STOP. ALL TIRES WERE WITHIN 1 LB OF ANOTHER AND REGISTERED 84 PSI (WARM INFLATION PRESSURE). CONTACT WITH FIRESTONE INDICATED THAT THE TIRE SHOULD BE INSPECTED BY FIRESTONE ENGINEERS TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE TIRE WAS SHIPPED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR INSTRUCTIONS. FIRESTONE ENGINEERS CONCLUDED THAT THE TIRE WAS "OPERATED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AT A PRESSURE INSUFFICIENT FOR THE LOAD BEING CARRIED". THE LOAD ON THE TIRE WAS ESTIMATED NOT TO EXCEED 2500 LBS. THE FAILED TIRE RETAINED NEARLY 70 PSI WHEN CHECKED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE FAILURE DESPITE A SMALL LEAK FROM THE SEPARATION. THE TIRE WAS NOT DAMAGED BY ROAD HAZARDS OR OTHERWISE SUBJECTED TO NEGLECT. ALL TIRES WERE ROUTINELY ROTATED AT 7500 MILES INTERVALS AND MOST RECENTLY ROTATED AT 30000 MILES. FIRESTONE HAS BEEN ASKED TO PROVIDE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THEIR ASSERTION THAT THE TIRE WAS NOT DEFECTIVE BUT HAS FAILED TO DO SO. I HAVE RETAINED ALL FOUR TIRES AND WILL PROVIDE THEM FOR INDEPENDENT INSPECTION. I HAVE MADE ONE FINAL REQUEST FOR INFORMATION REGARDING THE METHOD OF INSPECTION AND THE DOCUMENTATION OF THOSE RESULTS. I HAVE HEARD NOTHING FROMFIRESTONE AS OF 26 FEB 04. THE DEALERSHIP ON RECORD AS SELLING THE VEHICLE/TIRES INSISTED WITHOUT HESITATION THE TIRE FAILED DUE TO A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *AK

TOTAL TREAD PLY SEPARATION ON A FIRESTONE LT 265 R75 16 STEELTEX AT LOAD RANGE E TIRE. TIRE CAME AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON MY 2002 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 2500 4X4, WITH A 12,000 LB TOW PACKAGE. WHEN I TOOK DELVIERY OF THIS VEHICLE IN 2001, FIRESTONE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF RECALLING OTHER TIRES THAT WERE FAILING THE SAME WAY, I WAS ASSURED BY BOTH CHEVROLET AND FIRESTONE THAT THIS PRODUCT FAR EXCEEDED THE SPECS FOR THE PURPOSE I SELECTED THIS VEHICLE, AND THESE WERE NOT PART OF THE RECALL. NOW I SEE THAT THIS TIRE HAS HAD A LIMITED PRODUCTION DATE RECALL. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF FILING A CLAIM WITH FIRESTONE TO RE-COUP $1600.00 OF BODY DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE, BUT I THOUGHT I SHOULD MAKE MY VOICE HEARD TO YOU. AS A SIDE NOTE I WAS TOWING MY TRAVEL TRAILER AT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 55 TO 60 MPH ON AN OVERCAST 60 DEGREE DAY IN FLORIDA, WHEN I FELT WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A TRAILER TIRE GOING DOWN. AS I WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC IN THE RIGHT LANE WITH LIMITED GUARD RAILED EMERGENCY SHOULDER SPACE TO PULL OFF, I IMMEDIATELY BEGAIN TO SLOW EVEN MORE AND PUT ON MY EMERGENCY FLASHERS TO WARN FOLLOWING MOTORISTS OF MY FUTURE INTENTIONS. AS MY SPEED DROPPED TO AROUND 45 MPH IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO FIND ENOUGH SHOULDER TO STOP ON, THE TREAD GRENADED OFF. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ESPECIALLY AWARE OF PROPER INFATIONS OF TIRES, CHECKING BY GAUGE BOTH THE TOW VEHICLE AND THE TRAILER EACH DAY BEFORE HOOKING UP AND PULLING, AS I DID THIS DAY BEFORE LEAVING THE CAMPSITE. SO UNDER OR OVER INFLATION IS NOT AN ISSUE HERE. THE TRAILER WAS BALANCED SO PERFECTLY THAT BY THE TIME I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY GET OFF THE ROAD, THE TIRE CASING WAS STILL INFLATED AND THE TRAILER WAS HOLDING THE TRUCK UP IN THE REAR. THIS AND THE LACK OF SPEED WERE PROBABLY THE ONLY REASON I DID NOT LOSE CONTROL, BECAUSE I AM SURE THAT UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS THE CASING WOULD HAVE BLOWN.*AK

FIRESTONE STEELTEX, 265X75X16 FRONT LEFT TIRE NEARLY SEPERATED ON FREEWAY. *AK