1996 FORD E-350 Complaints

FIRESTONE STEELTEX R4S TIRE (P225/75R16) EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE HOLDING TANK. *SLC

UPON STARTING VEHICLE EXHAUST MANIFOLD BLEWOUT. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MECHANIC. PARTS COULD NOT BE ORDERED LOCALLY BECAUSE THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH FORD. IT TOOK TWELVE DAYS BEFORE PARTS ARRIVED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

THE REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY WAS EXPERIENCING TREAD SEPARATION OF FIRESTONE TIRES (STEELTEX R4S 225-75R16) USED ON THEIR BUSES. (E-350 SUPER DUTY CHASSIS 1996,1997 AND 1999) *YH

TREAD PEALED AWAY FROM CASING AND THEN CASING BLEW OUT. *AK (DOT NUMBER: LD16 TIRESIZE: LT 225/75)

DURING THE PAST 3 YEARS WE HAVE HAD 5 TIRES FAIL ON OUR 24 FT. MOTORHOME WHILE TRAVELING AT 60 MPH ON THE OPEN ROAD. IN ALL 5 CASES THE BELTS APPEARED TO SEPRATE FROM THE TIRE AND CAUSE THE TREAD TO COME OFF. THREE TIMES THE TIRES BLEW OUT WHILE GOING 60 MPH. I TOOK THE TIRES TO FIRESTONE DEALERS IN PALM SPRINGS AND LANCASTER, CA TO BE REPLACED, ON EACH OCCASION I ASKED IF THIS WAS A PROBLEM WITH THESE TIRES AND WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT. IN IN APRIL 2000 I REPLACED THE 2 FRONT TIRES WITH LOAD RATE E(ALL ORIGINAL TIRES HAD LOAD D. I WAS TOLD BY THE FIRESTONE DEALER THIS WOULD HELP THE PROBLEM.) IN PALM SPRINGS AFTER I HAD A BLOW OUT ON THE FRONT. IN AUGUST I REPLACED THE OTHER 5 TIRES WITH LOAD RATE E AFTER HAVING 2 BLOW OUTS IN ONE DAY, BOTH ON THE REAR..*AK (DOT NUMBER: VDIL 1XB 4 TIRESIZE: LT22575R16)

RIGHT REAR DUAL TIRE AN EXTREMELY LOUD FLAPPING SOUND STARTED AND CONTINUED FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS, THEN IT BANGGED AND STOPPED, THE TREAD PICKED OFF AND WAS MISSING

RIGHT FRONT FIRESTONE STEELTEX R4S TIRE P225/75R16 EXPRIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGE. *SLC

AS WE WERE ENROUTE TO DISNEY WORLD WITH 2 ADULTS AND 2 CHILDREN IN THE MOTORHOME, WE NOTICED A VIBRATION THAT GREW IN INTENSITY AS WE APPROACHED DATONA BEACH LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. WITHIN 5 MILES OF FIRST NOTICING THE VIBRATION, WE PULLED OFF INTERSTATE 95 AND I LOOKED AT ALL OF THE TIRES. AS A FORMER FACTORY SERVICE REP FOR FORD AND A FULLY CERTIFIED ASE MECHANIC FROM MANY YEARS AGO, I SCRUTINIZED THE TIRES INTENSELY WITH MY EYES AND HANDS FINDING NOTHING ABNORMAL. WE DECIDED TO PRESS ON TO DAYTONA BEACH TO FIND A TIRE STORE AND HAVE THE VIBRATION CHECKED OUT. WITHIN 1 MILE OF PULLING ONTO THE FREEWAY AGAIN, THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE SHREDDED AND DAMAGED THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND FENDER PAINT ON THE VEHICLE. WE SUMMONSED A SERVICE TRUCK AND HAD THE SPARE TIRE REPLACED. WHILE IN ORLANDO, WE ORDERED A NEW TIRE AND HAD IT REPLACED. RETURNING HOME WE STOPPED AT A WEIGH STATION TO SEE JUST HOW HEAVY THE VEHICLE WAS WITH JUST THE FOUR OF US IN IT AND FOUND THAT WE WERE WITHIN 300# OF THE MAX GROSS WEIGHT ALLOWED FOR THE FRONT TIRES. THE TIRE PRESSURES HAVE BEEN MAINTAINED CLOSELY AND THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN ALIGNED REGULARLY. THERE WAS NOW ABNORMAL WEAR PATTERNS ON THE TIRE. LAST FALL, THE FRONT TIRES WERE ROTATED WITH THE INSIDE REAR TIRES TO MAINTAIN THE ROTATION PATTERN. *AK( DOT NUMBER: VD1L1XA086 TIRE SIZE: LT22575R16 )

VEHICLES TAKEN TO PA INSPECTION STATION FOR YEARLY REQUIRED INSPECTION. TECHNICIAN FOUND CRACKS IN BOTH FRONT DISC BRAKE ROTORS AND SEVER DRAGGING OF THE CALIPERS. VEHICLE WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION AND REPAIR FACILITY RECOMMENDED REPLACING ROTORS AND CALIPERS. ALL PARTS ARE ORDERED AND EXPECT REPLACEMENT IN SEVERAL DAYS. CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY TO FIND OUT ABOUT RECALLS; NONE LISTED. ASK ABOUT REPLACEMENT OR REPAIR IN OUT-OF-WARRANTY SITUATION BECAUSE OF SAFETY ITEM; THEY SAID NO BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. MY CONCERN IS THAT POSSIBLY MORE THAN JUST MY VEHICLE HAS DEVELOPED THE CRACKS IN THE ROTORS BECAUSE OF A DEFECT IN THE PART. I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE OF THE WEIGHT AND SIZE OF THE UNIT. AS A MOTORHOME OVER 10,000 LBS AND 32 FEET IN LENGTH ANY BRAKING PROBLEM AT HIGHWAY SPEED COULD LEAD TO MAJOR ACCIDENT POTENTIAL. WHETHER FORD ASSISTS OR THE NHTSA INVESTIGATES TO DETERMINE IF A RECALL IS NECESSARY, THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED BECAUSE I PERSONALLY WILL NOT USE IT WITH DEFECTIVE BRAKES. *AK

WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER HAS INSPECTED AND REPAIRED VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK