FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES Complaints

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH HEARD A POPPING NOISE AND STARTED TO SLOW DOWN. THEN, HEARD SOMETHING HITTING BASE OF CAR. TREAD CAME OFF TIRE. SIZE 23575R15, DOT# 8XHL1PY3900. HAD TIRES REPLACED ON AUG 16, 2001. *AK

HAVE CONTACTED FORD COUNTRY DEALERSHIP FOR THE RECALL/REPLACEMENT OF TIRES JUN 6,JUL 2,JUL 13, JUL 23 AND ON AUG 16 & 17. IN JUN THE SERVICE MGR LARRY SAID REPLACEMENT TIRES WOULD BE IN ABOUT 2WKS. IN AUG HE WILL NOT ANSWER MY CALLS OR RETURN MY CALLS. I HAD ORGINALLY REQUESTED MICHELIN TIRE AS APPROVED BY THE FORD MOTOR CO. I FEEL LIKE I'M JUST GETTING THE RUN AROUND. MY WIFE AND I ARE SENIORS AND DRIVE THE HI-WAYS FREQUENTLY, SHE IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE FIRESTONE TIRES DRIVING AT THE SPEED LIMIT 75MPH AS WELL AS AT 109 DEGREES TEMP. AND RIGHTFULLY SO. AN ACCIDENT AT OUR AGE COULD WELL BE FATAL. THE TIRE CALLS FOR INFLATED PRESS. TO 40LBS, FORD CO. SAYS 30 IN THE FRONT AND 35 IN THE REAR. WHEN INFLATING AT 30 IN THE FRONT I NOTICE THE STEERING IS HARD (PERHAPS THIS VEHICLE IS DESIGNED TOO TOP HEAVY AND THAT IS WHAY THEY HAVE YOU LOWER THE PRESSURE IN THE FRONT TIRES IN TURN MAKING THE STEERING HARD TO TURN) ANYHOW I SUSPECT THE DEALERSHIP IS NOT REPLACING THE RECALLS BECAUSE THEIR TO BUSY REPLACING THE TIRES ON THEIR CAR LOT FIRST, THERE IN DANGERING OTHER PEOPLES LIFES SO THAT THEY CAN SELL THEIR VEHICLES. I HAVE NOT HAD A BLOWOUT YET, NOR DO I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING ONE AT 75MPH AT 109 TEMP. I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR HELP IN MAKING FORD CO. AND THEIR DEALERSHIP MAKING GOOD ON THEIR RECALL EFFORTS. EVEN THOUGH THESE TIRES ARE RELATIVELY NEW THE TEMPTURES HERE IN VEGAS AND SPEED LIMITS REQUIRED CAN ENDANGER MY WIFE AND FAMILY. WILL NOT ANSWER OR RETURN MY CALLS. IN JUN. *AK (TIRESIZE: P25570R16)

ALL FOUR TIRES ON FORD, F150 STARTED LEAKING AIR WITH LARGE BUBBLES ON SIDEWALLS, CAUSING ONE OF THE TIRES TO HAVE A BLOWOUT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. DOTW2HL1PY367.*AK

TIRE RUBBER SPONTANEOUSLY DETACHED FROM RIM. AUTO BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE. HAD DIFFICULTIES STOPPING. EXPERIENCED DRIVER. NO INJURIES OR FATALITIES.*AK (TIRESIZE: 225R15)

NOT ORIGINAL TIRED ON PONTIAC, BONNEVILLE 1998, DOTEPA6CLH3000, P225/60R166.975 M +S. WHILE DRIVING ON WET PAVEMENT AT ABOUT 35 MPH RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEWOUT. STEERING WHEEL WENT HARD TO THE LEFT TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. TREAD SEPARATED ALL THE WAY AROUND. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

FIRESTONE, WILDERNESS AT, DOTW29V1PK504, P26575R15. NOT ORIGINAL TIRES ON TOYOTA, 4 RUNNER, 1994. WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 30 MPH, VEHECLE BEGINS TO SHAKE AND MAKE A WEIRD NOISE. PASSENGER'S SIDE BACK TIRE HAD SEPARATED FROM RIM.*AK

FIRESTONE, WILDERNESS, 31X10.5R15LT1090 VD60LW3178; WHILE TRAVELING AT 55 MPH NOTICED VIBRATION WITHOUT ANY INDICATION. LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEWOUT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

I HAVE TRIED TO RECEIVE REIMBURSEMENT FROM FORD AND FIRESTONE EVER SINCE AUGUST 2000 FOR FOUR FAILED FIRESTONE WILDERNESS ATX'S. FROM THE BEGINNING WE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THESE TIRES ON MY FORD EXPLORER. WHEN WE TRAVELED AT 60MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE VIOLENTLY. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE FORD AND FIRESTONE DEALERS WHO TOLD US THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. SO FOR THE NEXT 2 1/2 YEARS, WE DID NOT DARE DRIVE ABOVE 60MPH. WHILE THESE TIRES WERE ON THE EXPLORER, I MADE SURE TO HAVE THEM ROTATED AND PROPERLY INFLATED PER THE DIRECTIONS ON THE TIRES. ABOUT TWO YEARS LATER, WE NOTICED EXTREME WEAR ON THE OUTER PERIMETERS OF ALL FOUR TIRES, AS WAS NOTICED BY THE PLACE WHERE WE GOT THE TIRES ROTATED, AS WELL AS STRANGERS AT GAS STATIONS. I TOOK IT AGAIN TO FIRESTONE AND DEMANDED REPLACEMENT. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO MILEAGE WARRANTY, AND BECAUSE THEY WERE SO WORN OUT (STEEL BELTS VISIBLE) ON THE PERIMETER (BUT NOT THE MIDDLE TREAD AREA) THERE WAS NO WEAR CREDIT. I WAS TOLD THAT ALL I COULD DO WAS PURCHASE NEW TIRES AT MY COST. NOT WANTING TO PUT MY FAMILY'S LIFE IN JEOPARDY, IN EARLY 1999, I REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES AT MY COST ($367.29) WITH MICHELINS. SINCE THEN, NOT ONLY IS THE CAR RUNNING SMOOTHLY ABOVE 60MPH, WITH 20,000 MILES ON THEM, THEY STILL HAVE PLENTY OF TREAD FOR ANOTHER 20-30,000 MILES. WHEN THE RECALL WAS ANNOUNCED IN AUGUST 2000, I REJOICED BECAUSE I KNEW SOMETHING WAS INHERENTLY WRONG WITH THE TIRES, AND BECAUSE I THOUGHT (MISTAKINGLY) I WOULD BE REIMBURSED. BUT...BECAUSE I HAD REPLACED MY TIRES BEFORE THE OFFICIAL RECALL, I AM NOT ELIGIBLE FOR REIMBURSEMENT. IRONICALLY, WHEN I WENT TO THE FORD DEALER RECENTLY FOR A DIFFERENT RECALL, HE NOTICED THAT I STILL HAD A WILDERNESS ATX AS A SPARE, SO I AM IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGING THAT ONE. IT IS HIGHLY UNETHICAL AND INSULTING TO BE REIMBURSED FOR A NEVER-USED SPARE AND NOT FOR THE OTHER FOUR, (DOT NUMBER: VDHL 1PM 4 TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)

DRIVER EXPERIENCED A TIRE BLOWOUT. DRIVER MANAGED TO REGAINED CONTROL OF VEHICLE. TIRE SIZE P23575R15.

TIRES ARE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 1997, FORD, EXPLORER, TIRE SIZE P25570R16, TIRES HAVE LESS THEN TEN THOUSAND MILES ON THEM, DOT NUMBER NOT AVAILABLE. WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH CONSUMER NOTICED A POPPING NOTICE COMING FROM FRONT END WHEN T PASSENGER SIDE RIGHT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK