1997 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

TIRES HAVE A STRANGE LOOKING WEAR PATTERN DEVELOPING( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235/75R15 )

TWO OF THE THREE TIRES ON VEHICLE (VN DOT SERIAL #) SHOWING SAME SIGNS OF SEPARATION AS THE VD DOT SERIAL # RECALLED TIRES.( DOT NUMBER: VNHL1PY077 TIRE SIZE: RECALLED )

WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 40 AND SUDDENLY RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEWOUT. WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 60 MPH, AND WAS ABLE TO CONTROL VEHICLE.*AK THE ROAD WAS WET WITH LIGHT RAIN AT THE TIME OF TIRE BLOW OUT. CONSUMER REPLACED ALL TIRES. *YH

CONSUMER HAS A 1997 FORD, EXPLORER. ORIGINAL TIRES HAVE 31,000 MILES ON THEM. TIRES SIZE IS P235/75R15, AND DOT # VNHL. THERE WAS ABOUT 3/4 INCHES OF SEPARATION & CRACKING DOWN ON SIDEWALL TO FLAT TREAD. IN & OUTSIDE OF THE TIRES. *AK FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT P235/75/R15 *MW

AFTER HAVING MY '97 FORD EXPLORER SPORT FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES CHECKED ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 22 AT 5:00 PM, I WAS GIVEN A PRINTOUT FROM BOB DAVIDSON FORD THAT CONFIRMED THAT MY WILDERNESS AT'S WERE NOT PART OF THE FIRESTONE RECALL AS THEY DID NOT HAVE THE NEEDED "VD" DOT CODE. THE DEALER'S REPORT READ, "NOT APPLICABLE TO RECALL. TIRES OF OK DOT (W2HL). I WAS LEARY ABOUT DRIVING THE EXPLORER ON INTERSTATE 95 FROM BALTIMORE TO DELAWARE BUT HAD TO JOIN MY WIFE WHO WAS ASSISTING HER 85 YEAR OLD MOTHER WHO IS RECOVERING FROM A BROKEN PELVIS IN WILMINGTON. RETURNING HOME AT ABOUT 10:15 PM FROM WILMINGTON, DEL. TO BALTIMORE, MD. ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, THE EXPLORER STARTED TO SWIM ON THE ROAD, NOTICEABLY SWERVING. JUST THEN A MAN IN A CAR ON MY RIGHT STARTED YELLING AT ME AND POINTING TO THE REAR OF MY VEHICLE. I REALIZED SOMETHING WAS VERY WRONG AND PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY. THE TIRE WAS FLAT. ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT A "BLOWOUT" AS HAS CAUSED MANY ACCIDENTS IN EXPLORERS OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, THE TIRE WENT FLAT QUICKLY, IN A COUPLE MINUTES AT MOST. WHEN I TOOK OFF THE TIRE AND LOOKED INSIDE, THERE WERE LARGE AIR BUBBLES INSIDE THE TIRE. IN ADDITION, THE TIRE WAS SHREDDED IN SEVERAL SECTIONS INSIDE. THE OUTSIDE OF THE TIRE WAS MUSHY AND SPONGEY. EARLY ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, I TOOK THE TIRE TO THE FIRESTONE TIRE CENTER AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT I HAD HIT SOMETHING ON THE ROAD THAT HAD CAUSED THE TIRE TO LOSE AIR. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO PUNCTURE AND THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE WAS OBVIOUSLY RIPPED APART RATHER EXTENSIVELY. WHEN WE CONSULTED WITH OTHER TIRE DEALERS ABOUT THE CONDITION OF OUR OTHER THREE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE THEY POINTED OUT THE CRACKS ALL ALONG THE EDGE OF THE TREAD, INDICATING THAT THE TREAD IS NOTICEABLY BEGINNING TO SEPARATE FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE. AS THE TIRES ARE IN "MID-LIFE" BUT NOT ON THE FORMAL RECALL LIST, WE ARE STUCK WITH TIRES UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY. WE HOPE THE RECALL WILL BE EXPANDED SOON.

HAD A TIRE BLOWOUT ON 4/99 AND IT RAN OFF THE ROAD AND RUINED THE WHEEL, NO OTHER DAMAGE BUT TO THE TIRE AND THE WHEEL ITSELF. I PUT THE SPARE ON AND DROVE TO A SHOP TO HAVE THE TIRE AND WHEEL REPLACED. I THOUGHT I HIT SOMETHING IN THE ROAD, BUT I REMEMBER THE GUY TELLING ME THAT THE TIRE HAD SEPARATED. AT THE TIME THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO BUT REPLACE THE TIRE. NO WARRANTY APPLIED AS TO THAT. NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT, IT MAKES ME WONDER IF IT COULD OF BEEN THE TIRES HAVING A DEFECT. IT ANGERS ME KNOWING I COULD OF BEEN HURT OR HAD HURT SOMEONE. I SENT AN E-MAIL TO FIRESTONE AND FORD AND GOT A GENERAL RESPONSE. I KNOW MY TIRES START WITH DOT# (W-2), BUT IF SOMEONE FROM FIRESTONE OR FORD WOULD EXAMINE MY TIRES THEY WOULD SEE THE OTHERS LOOK LIKE THEY ARE SEPARATING OR DRY ROTTING AT THE START OF THE TREADWALL. I HAVE LOOKED AT THEM MANY TIMES OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS, THEY LOOK HORRIBLE. ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED. I REALLY DO NOT WANT TO END UP AS A STATISTIC OF SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN KILLED. I HAVE MOVED TO FLORIDA AND DRIVE ON I-95 OR THE TURNPIKE WHERE THE SPEED IS NOW 70 MILES AN HOUR. THAT WILL IN ITSELF MAKE YOUR NERVOUS NOW. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU CAN HELP.( DOT NUMBER: W2 TIRE SIZE: 235/75R-15 )

TIRE DELAMINATED AT 70 MPH ON HOT DAY ON INTERSTATE I-10. THIS CAUSED SUV TO GO INTO SPIN RESULTING IN CRASH. CAR DID NOT ROLL, TIES HAD BEEN INSPECTED AT FORD DEALERSHIP ONE WEEK EARLIER. FO( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235 15 )

PE 00020: CONSUMER WAS DRIVING 35MPH & TURNED ONTO ANOTHER ROAD, WHEN RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEWOUT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO GO INTO A DITCH. HAD NO PRIOR WARNING. CHECKED THE TIRE & FOUND TREAD HAD COMPLETELY SEPARTATED. STILL HAD THE TIRE FOR THE LAWYER. FIRESTONE WILDERNESS P235/75R15 WITH 25,000 MILES ON IT.*AK

THESE TIRES ARE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT FORD EXPLORER TIRES WITH 31,000 MILES. THESE TIRES ARE NOT LISTED IN THE RECALL. THESE TIRES ALL SHOW VERY OBVIOUS SEPERATION CRACKING AROUND THE CIRCUMFERANCE OF THE TIRE ABOUT 3/4" DOWN FROM THE FLAT OF THE TREAD. THE CRACKS ARE ON BOTH THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE SIDEWALL. I HAVE CONTACTED THE LOCAL FIRESTONE STORE, MANAGER SHANE MCGRANE, WHO AGREED THE TIRES DID NOT LOOK QUITE RIGHT, BUT REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING SAYING THAT HE IS A INDEPENDANT DEALER FOR FIRESTONE AND SINCE THE TIRES ARE NOT LISTED AS RECALL, FIRESTONE WOULD NOT REIMBURSE HIM. I THEN CONTACTED THE DICK WITHAM FORD DEALERSHIP, SHOWED THEM THE TIRES, SERVICE MANAGER, BRANT WALTERS, WHO LOOKED AT THE TIRES, AGREED THEY DID NOT LOOK QUITE RIGHT. WITHAM FORD DECIDED THEY WOULD DO NOTHING, AS THE TIRES WERE NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. THEY SUGGESTED I CONTACT FIRESTONE. I CALLED AND TALKED WITH THE IOWA DISTRICT FIRESTONE REPRESENTATIVE, HAROLD LEE, WHO WAS REALLY TOO BUSY TO TALK TO ME. HE REFERED ME TO HIS EMPLOYEE LARRY DESALVO, 319-388-6017, WHO HAS REFUSED TO RETURN MY PHONE MESSAGE CALLS. IT DOES NOT TAKE A GENIUS TO LOOK AT THE TIRES AND TELL THEY HAVE SEPERATION CRACKS, NOT WEATHER CHECKING, AND DO NOT LOOK RIGHT, HOWEVER BOTH FORD AND FIRESTONE ARE PASSING THE BUCK. THESE TIRE I BELIEVE MAY ALSO HAVE A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE TREAD SEPERATES I AM ASKING YOUR HELP IN RESOLVING THIS MATTER.( DOT NUMBER: VDHL TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

AFTER SEEING THE INFORMATION FOR RECALL, CHECKED THE TIRES AND FOUND OUT THAT THREE OUT OF FOUR TIRES HAD CRACKS AND STARTED SEPARATING, EXCEPT THE LEFT REAR. FIRESTONE WILDERNESS P235/75R15. *AK