1997 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

AFTER INSPECTION OF VEHICLE IT WAS FOUND THAT TWO OF THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES HAD CRACKS AROUND THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE TIRE (DOT CODE W2HL), CONSUMER PURCHASED FOUR NEW NON-FIRESTONE TIRES AND REQUEST REIMBURSEMWNT. NLM

ENGINE STOPPED. NEVER STARTED AGAIN. PLASTIC "CASSETTE GUIDE" FAILURE IN ENGINE?? SAID DEALER. TIMING / VALVES ALL WENT.

AN UNUSUAL NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE LOCAL FORD DEALER STATED THAT ALL FOUR FIRESTONE TIRES WERE SEPARATING FROM THE RIM AT THE BEAD!!!! THEY ALSO STATED THAT I WAS FORTUNATE TO NOT HAVE HAD A CATISTROPHIC FAILURE AT INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SPEEDS ON MY 360 MILE TRIP BACK TO MY HOME. THE FORD DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THEY HAD NOT SEEN THIS TYPE OF FAILURE BEFORE. FIRESTONE WILL ALSO BE NOTIFIED OF THESE FAILURES.( DOT NUMBER: VNHLIPM276 TIRE SIZE: 235R15 )

THE TREAD CAME OFF THE TIRE AND HIT THE WHEEL WELL. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO THE EDGE OF THE ROAD AND NO OTHER DAMAGE OCCURED. THE TIRE WAS ON THE REAR AND FIRESTONE WOULD NOT EVEN PRORATE THE TREAD WEAR ON THE TIRE AND CLAIMED THAT THERE WAS NO MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT AND THE TIRE WAS THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRE AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE.( DOT NUMBER: VD______ TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

TIRE TREAD PARTIALLY SEPARATED AT SPEED (NOT ALL THE WAY ACROSS--A STRIP ABOUT 1/3 THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE TIRE AND ABOUT 3 INCHES WIDE CAME OFF). TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT 85 DEGREES.( DOT NUMBER: VDHLIPY346 TIRE SIZE: P23575SR15 )

PE00 020 SHE HAD A BLOW OUT THE FRONT TIRE. THEN HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A FIRESTONE AND ATTENDANT FROM THE FIRESTONE TOLD HIM THAT THE OTHER THREE TIRE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED THE TIRE HAD STRETCH MARK ALL AROUND THE INNER SIDE WALL OF THE TIRES. THE TIRE OF FIRESTONE WILDERNESS #AT P25570R 16 THE TIRES WERE REPLACED. FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT P255/70/R16 *MW

PE00020; ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 1997 FORD, EXPLORER, SIZE 15 235. CONSUMER HAD TIRES ROTATED AT 21951 MILES. WENT ON THE EXPRESSWAY AT 60MPH AND VEHICLE FISHTAILED ABOUT 3 TIMES. ALSO, BACK SEAT BROKE. CONSUMER HAD TROUBLE DRIVING ON THE DRIVERS SIDE RIGHT AFTER INCIDENT. DIDN'T THINK TO LOOK AT TIRES AT THE TIME, BUT BELIEVED IT MAY HAVE BEEN THE TIRES. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING DOWN A GRAVELED ROAD IN A REMOTE LOCATION IN NORTHWESTERN COLORADO THE LEFT REAR TIRE SUDDENLY WENT FLAT . SOME PICTURES OF THE TIRE BEING CHANGED WERE TAKEN BUT MAY NOT SHOW THE DAMAGED TIRE. I MANAGE A FLEET OF GOVERNMENT VEHICLES AND THOUGHT THE TIRES LOOKED AS IF THERE WAS A BREAK DOWN OF THE MATERIALS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF THE TIRE GOING FLAT, IT JUST BLEW AND ALMOST CAME OFF THE RIM IN A DISTANCE OF LESS THAN 10 FEET.( DOT NUMBER: VD TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

PLEASE ACCEPT THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION REGARDING THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT (P235/75R15) DOT SERIES "VNHL". I HAVE A SERIES OF SPLIT SIDEWALL CRACKS THAT IS APPROXIMATELY 1/2-INCH DOWN FROM THE TOP OF THE SIDEWALL THAT RUN THE ENTIRE CIRCUMFRANCE OF THE TIRE ON BOTH THE "INSIDE" AND "OUTSIDE" ON ALL FOUR (4) TIRE'S. I HAVE NEVER DRIVEN THIS VEHICLE OFF-ROAD OR ABOVE 70-75MPH. THE TIRES HAVE BEEN MAINTAINED AT 32PSI COLD AND HAVE 28,000 MILES. THE TIRE TREAD IS IN VERY GOOD SHAPE AND STILL HAS OVER 10/32" (5/16") OF TREAD REMAINING. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN MAINTAINED BY FORD AS A LEASED VEHICLE AND IS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE. THIS IS NOT A DAILY DRIVER AND HAS NEVER BEEN DRIVEN FOR MORE THAN 450 MILES ONE WAY, OR FOR MORE THAN 5-HOURS AT ANYONE TIME. THE SERIES OF CRACKS WERE NOT PRESENT WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND HAS OCCURED OVER THE LAST YEAR. I FIRST NOTICED THESE CRACKS AFTER RETURNING FROM A TRIP TO COLUMBUS, OHIO LAST JUNE. THEY APPEAR TO HAVE LENGTHENED AND HAVE OPENNED UP SLIGHTLY OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER. I HAD 32PSI IN THE TIRES PRIOR TO THIS TRIP. AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THE DOT SERIES NUMBER IS "VNHL" AND THESE TIRES WERE MANUFACTURED IN CANADA. I URGE "ALL" CONCERNED TO PLEASE CONSIDER THE FACT THAT THESE TIRES ARE NOT FROM THE DECANTUR, ILLINOIS PLANT, BUT FROM CANADA. THE CHANCE OF ONE INJURY OR FATALITY PER MILLION IS ONE TOO MANY AND THIS TIRE PROBLEM MAY BE RELATED TO SOMETHING OTHER THAN USING AN AWL TO PUNCTURE THE AIR BUBBLES OR JUST THE ILLINIOS PLANT. THIS IS A MAJOR DEFECT SOMEWHERE IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS AND "ALL" FIRESTONE TIRES REGARLESS OF THE DOT SERIES NEEDS TO BE THOROUGHLY INSPECTED AND BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF ALL THE PARTIES INVOLVED AND THAT INCLUDES ALL CURRENT OWNERS OF VEHICLES WITH FIRESTONE TIRES. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK INTO THIS VERY SERIOUS SITUATION. FAMILIES ARE AT RISK HERE, NOT JUST A TIRE MANUFACTURE, BUT ACTUAL LIVES.

TIRE NOISE AND VIBRATION AT HIGHWAY SPEED, REPLACED TIRES BEFORE FAILURE OCCURED.( DOT NUMBER: WZUU1PO446 TIRE SIZE: P225/70R15 )