1996 FORD ECONOLINE Complaints

A REOCCURRING FAILURE OF A TIMING GEAR AT 64,000 MILES. FIRST, OCCURRED AT 55,000 MILES. REPAIRED AT AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WITH DEALER'S PART. BELIEVED NHTSA SHOULD LOOK INTO AT THIS AS A DEFECTIVE PARTS. *AK

1ST TIRE FAILURE / BLOWOUT/ I-580 E; 2ND TIRE FAILURE / TIRE SEPARATION/I-10 W (DOT NUMBER: VD1L1XE408 TIRESIZE: 22575R16)

PE00020, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON 1996, FORD SUPER DUTY, TIRE SIZE LT22575R16, DOT VD1L1XA475,STEEL TEX RS4. ON APRIL 17, 1999, WHILE DRIVING REAR PASSENGER'S TIRE TREAD CAME OFF WHICH ALMOST CAUSED A CRASH. ON JULY 24, 2000 WITH 22 MILES, WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS A FLAPPING NOISE DUE TO DRIVER'S REAR TIRE TREAD COMING OFF WHICH CAUSED DAMAGE TO WHEELWELL. FIRESTONE UNWILLING TO HELP. *AK *SLC

REAR RIGHT INSIDE TIRE BLEWOUT WHILE GOING 60 MPH.*AK (TIRESIZE: R16 M/S)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: R16 M/S )

3 FIRESTONE STEEL RADIAL R4S TIRES P225/75R16 TIRES EXPERIENCED FAILURE, 2 TIRES PEELED AND 1 TIRE SPLIT, EVEN THOUGH CONSUMER WAS ROTATING TIRES, WEAR STILL OCCURRED, CONSUMER SWITCHED BRANDS OF TIRES AND HAS HAD NO OTHER PROBLEMS, DOT VD1L. *SLC

I HAVE SUFFERED TWO COMPLETE TREAD SEPARATIONS ON TWO FIRESTONE FR480 TIRES, SIZE 235/75R15XL. THESE WERE REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT ON MY 1996 FORD ECONOLINE 150 CUSTOM VAN. BOTH WERE REAR MOUNTED AT THE TIME OF FAILURE AND HAD APPROPRIATE INFLATION PRESUURE (AROUND 38 PSI). BOTH FAILURES OCCURED ON INTERSTATE AT MODERATE SPEEDS (60 - 65 MPH) IN THE EVENING AFTER THE HEAT OF THE DAY. FIRST FAILURE OCCURED 10/21/1999. THE SECOND FAILURE OCCURED 7/25/00. THESE TIRES ARE THE SAME SIZE AND WERE MANUFACTURED AT THE SAME FACTORY AS THE RECALLED FIRESTONE ATX AND WILDERNESS TIRES. MY DATA SUGGESTS THAT OTHER TIRE MODELS OF THIS SIZE PRODUCED AT THIS ILLINOIS PLANT MAY HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE ALSO. *AK( DOT NUMBER: VDHL TIRE SIZE: 235/75R15X )

ON JUNE 28, 2000, MY WIFE MADE A LEFT HAND TURN. AS SHE WAS TURNING THE ENGINE WENT COMPLETLY DEAD, POWER STEERING GOES OUT AND A YELLOW LIQUID SHOOTS OUT FROM THE STEERING COLUMN ON TO THE DASHBOARD AND ON MY WIFE'S LEGS CAUSING THE SKIN TO BURN. THIS WAS ACCOMPANIED WITH NOXIOUS FUMES CAUSING MY WIFE AND TWO OTHER PASSENGERS TO COUGH AND TO EVACUATE THE VAN. THE VAN STARTED BACK UP AFTER THIS INCIDENT. ON JULY 2 & 3, 2000 WE TOOK THE VAN TO A1 AUTO CARE IN HOBE SOUND, FL. THEY CHECKED FOR POTIENTIAL ANTIFREEZE LINE LEAKS, CHECKED THE AIR BAG COMPONENTS AND DISCOVERED SOME OF THE YELLOW LIQUID ON THE STEERING COLUMN. THEY WERE UNABLE TO SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE AIR BAG ITSELF. THEY CALLED THE FORD TECH. SUPPORT LINE AND COULD NOT COME UP WITH ANYTHING SIMILAR TO THIS SITUATION. ON JULY 6, I CALLED THE FORD CORP. THEY DOCUMENTED THE EVENT AND DID SOME RESEARCH TO SEE IF SIMILAR INCIDENTS HAVE HAPPENED. THEY CLAIM TO HAVE NOTHING ON RECORD. THEY SUGGESTED THAT I CONTACT NHTSA. ON AUGUST 7, 2000, THE SAME INCIDENT HAPPENED TO THE VAN AGAIN. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION. THE YELLOW LIQUID CAUSES BURNING OF THE SKIN AND THE FUMES CAUSES ONE TO CHOKE. THERE IS DEFINITELY A DEFECTIVE PART RELATING THE AIR BAG SYSTEM. I KNOW INDIVIDUALS TO REPORT ABOUT THE YELLOW NOXIOUS LIQUID AFTER THEIR AIRBAG DEPLOYED IN AN ACCIDENT.

INCIDENT 1- OCCURRED ON MAY 20,2000. THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE STIPPED AND PEELED OFF WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE WAS A BIG BLOW OUT SOUND AND THE CAR SWAYED BUT WAS SAFELY PULLED OVER. IT CAUSED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO THE LEFT FRONT SIDE. FIRESTONE WAS NOTIFIED. THEY PROCESSED THE CLAIM AND PAID FOR THE REPAIRS. THE TIRE WAS SENT BACK TO THEM. INCIDENT 2-- OCCURED RECENTLY ON JUL 31 2000. THE BACK TIRE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE STRIPPED AND BLEW OUT IN A SIMILAR PATTERN WHILE DRIVING ON A LOCAL STEET. FIRESTONE WAS AGAIN NOTIFIED. THEY ASKED THE TIRE BE TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER. WE REQUESTED THAT THEY REPLACE ALL THE REMAINING TIRES US WE FEARED DRIVING WITH THE REMAINING TIRES. FIRESTONE DECLINED TO REPLACE IT BUT SAID WOULD PRORATE IT TO THE TREAD WEAR. WE DID NOT ACCEPT THAT US WE FEEL THAT THE TIRES WERE ORIGINALLY DEFECTIVE. PLEASE INFORM US ABOUT ANY PREVIOUS INCIDENTS SIMILAR TO THIS IF IT EXSISIT. WE STILL HAVE TWO OF THOSE TIRES ON THE VAN. PLEASE LET US KNOW OF ANY EXSISTING PROBLEM SO THAT WE CAN TAKE PRECAUTIONS. THANKING YOU . SINCERELY. NAIRS. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: LT225/75R1 )

VEHICLE STALLS DUE TO A DEFECTIVE ENGINEERING PART. DEALER HAS TOLD CONSUMER THE PART AT FAULT IS CALLED A 3-WAY TEE. IT REGULATES FUEL FUMES FROM THE GAS TANK. IT CAUSES THE MIXTURE TO BECOME TOO RICH WHICH SLOWS THE ENGINE DOWN. DEALER HAS REPAIRED THE VEHICLE.*AK VEHICLE STOPS RUNNING SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING AND CUSTOMER BELIEVES IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS PROBLE. *YH

REPORTED TO FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT THE OIL PAN IN THE VANS AND TRUCKS ARE STARTING TO RUST OUT FROM THE INSIDE. FORD WILL DO NOTHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THEY ADMITTED ON THE PHONE (GREG TREDWELL) IN VESTAL, NY THAT IN 96 AND 97 THEY WERE MADE OUT OF RECYCLED MATERIAL AND THAT IS WHY THEY ARE RUSTING OUT AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM? *AK