1997 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

CRACKING AT TREAD LAYER VERY APPARENT. FIRESTONE LETTER SAYS "THE FIRST INDICATION THAT [SEPARATION IN THE TREAD AREA] IS OCCURRING COULD BE A BULGE IN THE TREAD AREA AND/OR A THUMPING NOISE." THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IS OCCURRING IN THE RIGHT-FRONT TIRE. THE TIRES LIVES SHOULD NOT BE OVER, THERE IS STILL PLENTY OF TREAD LEFT.( DOT NUMBER: VNHL1PY277 TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

I TOOK MY CAR FOR INSPECTION. I WAS TOLD MY TIRES DIDN'T QUALIFY. I POINTED OUT TO THE FIRESTONE MANAGER MY LEFT REAR TIRE. THE TREAD IS SEPARATING AND THERE ARE CRACKS AROUND THE TIRE AND THE OTHERS. I WAS TOLD THEY WOULD COVER MY TIRES UNDER THE RECALL. I AM 400TH IN LINE. I HAVE HAD TO SWITCH LABOR DAY TRAVEL PLANS TO TRAIN TRAVEL. I DO NOT HAVE THE WHOLE DOT CODE FOR MY TIRES BUT IT DID INCLUDE W2. I WANTED TO NOTIFY YOU OF THIS FAILURE AS IT IS A DIFFERENT DOT# THEN THE CURRENT RECALLED TIRES.

PE00 020; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH ON HIGHWAY AND LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. IT VEERED INTO MEDIUM STRIP BARRIER AND ROLLED MORE THAN ONCE. SHE WAS EJECTED FROM VEHICLE AND DIED. REAR TIRE EXPLODED AND DETACHED FROM RIMS. TIRES WERE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS #AT, SIZE P23575 R15. *AK MJS

PE00 020; CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A FIRESTONE STORE, AND THEY INSPECTED THE TIRES. LEFT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. FIRESTONE WILDERNESS #HT,TIRE SIZE P225/70 R15. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. *AK FIRESTONE WILDERNESS 225/70/R15 *MW

PE00 020;; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND HEARD TIRE TREAD HITTING THE BACK OF VEHICLE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. IT WAS HAULING A BOAT. THEN, SHE WAS SUCESSFULLY PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER, AND TIRE WAS STILL INFLATED. DRIVER'S SIDE REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM TIRE . CONSUMER REPLACED TIRE. FIRESTONE WILDERNESS #AT P23575 R15. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, BUT DAMAGE WAS DONE TO VEHICLE. *AK FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT P235/75/R15 *MW

WHILE DRIVING, FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRE P255/70R16 EXPERIENCED BLOWOUT. *SLC

WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH FIRESTONE WILDERNESS/AT LEFT REAR TIRE SEPARATED. WHOLE SIDEWALL CAME OFF. FIRESTONE HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

I LOST PART OF THE TREAD WITH ANOTHER PART PEELED BACK ALONG WITH STEEL BELT WHILE TRAVELLING ON HIGHWAY NEAR MIAMI. I HEARD POPPING SOUND AND THEN A NOISE WITH EACH TIRE ROTATION. I DISCOVERED DAMAGE AFTER PULLING OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD. THE LOST TREAD MEASURES ABOUT 12" LONG BY 3" WIDE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR LOSS OF CONTROL..JUST SEVERAL ANXIOUS HOURS RIDING TO AND FROM OUR VACATION WITH NO SPARE AND 3 OTHER POSSIBLY DEFECTIVE TIRES.( DOT NUMBER: VDHI IPY TIRE SIZE: P23575R15 )

WHILE DRIVING APROX, 20 MPH MY LEFT REAR TIRE ALL OF A SUDDEN BLEW OUT. I DID NOT OR HAD NOT RUN OVER ANYTHING IN THE ROAD. I THINK THE RECALL ON THE WILDERNESS AT TIRE SOULD INCLUDE ALL TIRE OF THE MAKE NOT JUST THOSE OUT OF THE DECATUR, IL PLANT. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING AND IT SEEMS THAT KNOW ONE REALY CARES UNLESS YOU HAVE THE TIRE WITH HAVE THE VD DOT # ON THEM. THE MOST REPORTS HAVE COME FORM THAT PLANT BUT IT IS THE SAME TIRE WETHER IT CAME FORM IL,OR GA OR WHERE EVER THAT TIRE IS MADE. I AM SURE IT WOULD BE APPRECIATED BY ALL WHO OWN THESE TIRE IF U MADE IT A TOTAL RECALL REGARDLESS OF THE PLANT THE TIRE CAME FROM. I HAVE 5 CO-WORKERS WHO HAVE THE SAME ISSUE WE ALL JUST PURCHASED NEW CARS WHICH HAVE THESE TIRES AND WE ARE ALL VERY CONCEREND AND UPSET BECAUSE WE COULD NOT GET OUR TIRES CHANGED.( DOT NUMBER: VNHLIPY097 TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

I HAVE THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES WITH THE CODE VN MADE IN CANADA. I TOOK THE CAR TO FIRESTONE AND THEY SAID THE TIRES ARE SAFE, BUT, THERE IS A HAIR LINE CRACK ALL AROUBD THE TIRES (ALL FOUR) ON THE SIDE NEAR THE TOP OF THE TREAD AREA. THIS LOOKS LIKE ALL THE PICTURES OF THE TIRE SEPERATION THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE NEWSPAPERS AND TV. FIRESTONE SAID THEY ARE SAFE, BUT THE CRACK DOES NOT LOOK SAFE TO ME. *AK( DOT NUMBER: VN TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )