FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES Complaints

I WAS ONE OF THE FORTUNATE FORMER OWNERS OF FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES. ON JANUARY 28,2000 I VISITED A LOCAL TIRE KINGDOM INC TIRE DEALERSHIP IN CLEARWATER FLORIDA FOR A POSSIBLE FRONT END ALIGNMENT AND TIRE BALANCING BECAUSE I WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT A VIBRATION IN MY FRONT END OF MY 97 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. I DO MOSTLY HIGHWAY DRIVING @ 60-70MPH AT THE TIME I HAD 34K MILES ON THE ODOMETER. WHEN THE MECHANIC STARTED WORKING ON MY CAR HE BEGAN REMOVING THE TIRES FROM MY SUV TO ROTATE AND BALANCE MY TIRES. HE NOTICED THAT TWO OF MY TIRES HAD SIGNS OF BELT SEPARATION AND THE TIRES WERE NO LONGER USABLE. I ACTUALLY WITNESS THE CONDITION OF THESE TIRES . IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT THE TIRES BE REPLACED. WHICH I IMMEDIATELY APPROVED THEM TO DO. I ACTUALLY REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES. AT A COST OF APPROX. $400.00. AS WE ALL KNOW FIRESTONE BEGAN THE RECALL OF WILDERNESS AT TIRES PRODUCED AT THE DECATUR PLANT EXPERIENCED AN INCREASED RATE OF TREAD SEPARATION CLAIMS.*AK (DOT NUMBER: W2 TIRESIZE: P235X15)

THIS IS THE CURRENT RECALL TIRE. I HAVE A SLICE IN THE TIRE THAT WAS POINTED OUT AT THE TIME I BOUGHT THE TRUCK. AT THAT TIME, THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THIS WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM. SINCE THAT TIME THERE HAS BEEN MUCH TALKED ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH THESE TIRES. SOME TALK ABOUT THE SLICES IN THE TIRES, AS WELL AS THE SEPERATION PROBLEMS. NOW I HAVE A SLOW LEEK IN THE REAR LEFT TIRE, (THE ONE WITH THE SLICE IN IT). IT IS A RECALL TIRE BUT THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT WOULD BE AT LEAST 2-3 MONTHS BEFORE THE REPLACEMENTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN OUR AREA. SO I TOOK THE TRUCK TO A TIRE REPAIR SHOP TO FIX IT, THEY REFUSED TO REPAIR THE TIRE DUE TO THIS SLICE IN THE SIDEWALL. IN THE MEANTIME I AM ADDING AIR TO THIS TIRE EVERY DAY TO MAINTAIN IT UNTILL I CAN GET MY REPLACEMENT TIRES. MY QUESTION IS, DO I HAVE ANY OTHER OPTIONS OR RECOURSE. NO SAFETY DEFECT. *AK (DOT NUMBER: VD70 TIRESIZE: P24575R16)

AT LOW SPEEDS OF 20-35MPH WHEN BRAKING VEHICLE SLIDES & SWERVES, BRAKES SHAKES. *AK

AT 20-35MPH WHEN BRAKING VEHICLE SLOWLY, BRAKES GRIND EXCESSIVELY, VEHICLE SLIDES AND SWERVES.*AK

I STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH FORD'S ACTIONS ON BLAMEING FIRESTONE FOR THE ROLLING OVER OF THE FORD EXPLORER. I KNOW ON MY TRUCK IF YOU HIT A BUMP OR ARE ON A ROUGH ROAD THE TRUCK IS SO BOUNCEY THAT IF FILLS LIKE THE REAR WHEELS ARE COMEING OFF OF THE GROUND. THE WILDERNESS TIRES MAY HAVE SOME KIND OF DEFECT BUT I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEMS WITH MY FIRESTONE TIRES. I HAVE HAD MY FIRESTONE TIRES FOR A YEAR AND THE ONLY PROBLEM I HAVE EXPERIENCED HAS BEEN KEEPING THE WEIGHTS ON THE WHEELS. THE SUSPENSION ON THE 2 DOOR EXPLORER IS SO STIFF THAT I COULD SEE WHY THE TRUCK WOULD ROLL OVER WHEN THE TIRE LOST AIR PRESSURE. FORD HAS BEEN BLAMEING FIRESTONE AND VIS VERSA AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM EXCEPT TO REPLACE THE TIRES WHICH I DONT BELIEVE CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO ROLL OVER. IF I HAVE A CD PLAYING IN MY CD PLAYER AND I DRIVE DOWN A RUFF ROAD OR HIT A BUMP OVER 50 MILES PER HOUR THE CD WILL COME OUT OF THE CD PLAYER AND THE TRUCK WILL BOUNCE, IT FILLS LIKE THE BACK WHEELS COME OFF THE GROUND. *AK (TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)

UPON RETURNING TO THE ROAD FROM A SERVICE STATION, THE TRUCK DEVELOPED A SHIMMY. AS I PROCEEDED DOWN THE ROAD, THE VIBRATING GOT WORSE. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BUT COULD NOT SEE A PROBLEM. UPON RETURNING BACK TO THE ROAD, THE VIBRATING BECAME MORE SEVERE. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT ONTO AN ACCESS ROAD AND INTO A SERVICE STATION PARKING LOT. ONCE I ENTERED THE PARKING LOT, I HEARD A VERY LOUD POP. IT WAS THEN THAT I DISCOVERED THAT MY FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE HAD BLOWN OUT. THE BLOW OUT CAUSED A 6-8 INCH GASH IN THE BLACKWALL OF MY TIRE. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS HAS OCCURED. THIS SAME PROBLEM HAPPENED ROUGHLY 7-8 MONTHS AGO ON THE PASSENGER'S FRONT SIDE TIRE. WE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE A THIRD TIRE BECAUSE IT DEVELOPED A VERY LARGE BUBBLE NEAR THE OUTER EDGE OF THE BLACKWALL. I AM GETTING TO WHERE I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AS LONG AS THOSE TIRES ARE ON IT. SO FAR WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 2 TIRES WHICH WE HAD TO PURCHASE NEW AT A PRO-RATED COST. THIS NUMBER WILL NOW INCREASE TO 3 BECAUSE OF THE INCIDENT THAT OCCURED TODAY. I AM JUST THANKFULL THAT NO-ONE GOT INJURED IN EITHER BLOW OUT. BUT I AM FEARFUL THAT MAY CHANGE IF THE LAST WILDNERNESS TIRE FROM THE ORIGINAL SET PURCHASED DETERIORATES LIKE THE OTHERS.*AK (DOT NUMBER: VD66AW2300 TIRESIZE: 30X9.50R15)

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK (DOT NUMBER: 8XLH TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)

DEALER/MANUFACTURER WILL NOT REIMBURSE COST OF TIRES SINCE THEY WERE REPLACED PRIOR TO 8/1/2000. IF THEY HAD NOT BLOWNOUT THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED. UNFAIR ARBITRARY CUTOFF DATE OF 8/1/2000. ALL TIRES ARE COVERED IF STILL ON VEHICLE YET NOT COVERED IF OFF THE VEHICLE. *AK (TIRESIZE: P245R75X16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P245R75X16 )

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY REAR DRIVER'S SIDE ORGINAL EQUPIMENT FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRE, #P26575R16, DOT# W273WMB HAD A BLOWOUT THAT CAUSED TIRE TREAD TO BUBBLE AND REMAIN INFLATED. CONSUMER HAS YET TO CONTACT DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHUR DETAILS. *AK

I HAD A BLOW OUT WITH THE FIRESTONE RECALLED TIRES. THE RIM CRACKED. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT I MUST OF HIT SOMETHING TO CRACK THE RIM AND CAUSE THE FLAT BECAUSE THER WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TIRE. I DID NOT! I SAID THE THE RIMS MAY BE DEFECTIVE OR IT WAS CAUSED BY THE UNSAFE TIRES. THEY DISMISSED IT RIGHT AWAY. I CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND GOT TANGLED UP IN ALOT OF RED TAPE. I'M WRITING SO THESE POSSIBLE RIM DEFECTS MAY BE INVESTIGATED, SO OTHER PEOPLE THAT DRIVE THESE SUV'S DON'T RUN THE RISK OF GETTING INJURED IF THEY ARE DEFECTIVE. *AK (TIRESIZE: 15 INCH)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 15 INCH )