FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES Complaints

WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 55 MPH, BOTH FRONT TIRES EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION. THE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER. FIRESTONE, WILDERNESS AT, P255/70R16. THE CONSUMER FELT THE TIRES SHOULD BE RECALLED. *AK. THERE WERE SEVERAL SMALL BREAKS AROUND THE TIRE. *CB *JB

THE RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. IT WAS DISCOVERED THE TIRE CONTAINED A 3 INCH GASH WITHOUT BEING PUNCTURE. *JB *TS *JB

WHILE DRIVING DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE OUTTER TREAD FLEW OFF AND IMPACTED THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE.*AK

CUPPING PROBLEMS ON 2002 TAHOE BEGAN AT 12K MILES, 2 TIRES REPLACED AT 30K DUE TO 2ND LAYER OF TIRE EXPOSED. TOLD BY TIRE RETAILER THAT THIS IS TYPICAL FOR THIS TIRE: FIRESTONE WILLDERNESS AT P265/70R16. *JB

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE RIGHT REAR TIRE EXPLODING ON 6/5/2003. FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT P265/75R16. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE DRIVERS REAR TIRE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO LEAVE THE ROAD AND RUN INTO A DITCH. *NLM

WHEN THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES WERE RECALLED AND FORD SPONSORED THEIR VOLUNTARY RECALL PROGRAM, WE TRIED TO HAVE OUR TIRES REPLACED. AT THE TIME, THERE WAS A TREMENDOUS BACKLOG AND WE WERE TOLD TO WAIT; THAT THE PROBLEM WOULDN'T AFFECT US UNTIL THE TIRES WERE 3 OR MORE YEARS OLD. AFTER WAITING FOR 2 YEARS, WE TRIED AGAIN TO GET THE TIRES REPLACED, BUT WERE INFORMED THAT FORD WOULD NOT HELP US IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER--WE HAD MISSED THEIR DEADLINE (WHICH WAS NEVER MENTIONED IN THE ORIGINAL MATERIALS AND WHICH IS NOT MENTIONED IN ANY WEB-SITE OR NHTSA ANNOUNCEMENT WE COULD FIND). DURING A RECENT TRIP FROM ATLANTA TO FLORIDA, WE WERE FLAGGED TO PULL OVER BY ANOTHER MOTORIST WHO NOTICED THAT OUR LEFT-REAR TIRE WAS SMOKING. WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OFF IN TIME TO REPLACE IT WITH THE SPARE WITHOUT ROLLING THE VEHICLE OR OTHERWISE ENDING UP DEAD. NOW WE ARE TRYING TO FIND OUT HOW TO GET THE REMAINING TIRES REPLACED. PLEASE HELP. *NLM

ON APRIL 25, 2003, I WAS DRIVING TO KANSAS CITY, MO. FROM TULSA, OK. ON I-44. PURSUANT TO THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT, I WAS TRAVELLING AT OR NEAR 75 M.P.H. THERE WAS ONLY MYSELF AND MY DOG IN THE CAR. SUDDENLY, THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE FROM THE BACK OF MY CAR, A 1993 FORD BRONCO. ACTUALLY, IT SOUNDED MORE LIKE AN EXPLOSION. THE CAR IMMEDEATLY WENT UP ON TWO WHEELS TOWARDS A BARRICADE. I TRIED TO CORRECT IT AND LOST CONTROL THE OTHER DIRECTION. THE DOG, A ONE HUNDRED POUND LAB, WAS THROWN INTO THE FRONT SEAT. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GET KILLED AND SHUT MY EYES. WHEN I OPENED THEM, I WAS PERPINDICULAR TO TRAFFIC ON THE INTERSTATE. I REGAINED MY COMPOSURE AND PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I GOT OUT TO INVESTIGATE THE ANAMOLY AND FOUND A FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT, SIZE: 31X10.5, DOT #VD60 AW3 497. WITH THE TREAD 3/4 DETACHED. THE MUFFLER WAS SMASHED, THE WHEEL WELL WAS SHOVED INTO THE BACK SEAT WELL PAST THE POINT WHERE IT WAS WHEN I HAD LAST OBSERVED IT. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (I.E. BRAKE LIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS) WAS INOPERABLE. I PUT A SPARE ON THE CAR AND HAD IT CHANGED A FEW HARROWING HOURS LATER AFTER DRIVING ON THE SHOULDER FOR SOME TIME AT 25 M.P.H. AS I HAD NO IDEA WHAT TYPE OF STRUCTURAL DAMAGE MAY HAVE OCCURED. I DID WAIT FOR A STATE TROOPER FOR SOME TIME BUT NONE SHOWED. I STILL MAINTAIN POSSESSION OF THE TIRE.

TO WHOM EVER I AM SPEAKING TOO, I RECENTLY PURCHASED A VEHICLE AT A LOCAL PUBLIC AUCTION. IT HAS THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS R15 TIRES THAT WERE ON THE RECALL. I WAS WONDERING IF I CAN STILL GET THE RECALL, AND GET NEW TIRES. THESE TIRES ARE NOT SAFE, AND I ENCOUNTER A BUMPY RIDE. THE VEHICLE I BOUGHT IS A JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE, AND THE CAR WAS A THEFT RECOVERY, SO THE FIRESTONE TIRES WERE ON THE CAR, SO NO RECALL COULD OF BEEN DONE. THE TIRES MAY STILL BE DANGEROUS, AND I WAS WONDERING WHAT TO DO TO GET NEW ONES. THANKS, I WOULD BE THANKFUL TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU. *JB

THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM FORD 10/01 ABOUT A DEFECT WITH THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES. THE DEALER SAID THE TIRE PROGRAM HAD BEEN DISCONTINUED (MANUFACTURER RECALL # 0NP01B77; NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 01X001000). *NLM *TS