1997 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

PE00020; ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 1997 FORD EXPLORER, P23575R15 BM07458-3, CONSUMER HAS NOTICEABLE CRACKS ON ALL FOUR TIRES, HALF INCH SLIT ON OUTSIDE AND INSIDE OF TIRES. CONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE RECALL ON THE OTHER FIRESTONE TIRES HAS INDICATED, AND IS VERY CONCERNED.*AK THE CRACK SLITS RUN THE ENTIRE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE TIRE. THE VNHL IPY 047 TIRES ARE MADE IN CANADA. *YH

PE00020;3 TIRES REPLACED ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 1997 FORD EXPLORER, TIRE SIZE P23575R15. 4 OUT OF 5 TIRES HAVE ABOUT 15000 TO 28000 MILES ON THEM, ONE OF THE FRONTAL TIRES WERE MANUFACTURED AT A DIFFERENT ASSEMBLY PLANT. ONE FRONTAL TIRE AROUND THE SIDEWALL AREA INSIDE AND THE OUTER SIDE OF THE TIRE HAS CRACKS. OTHER TWO TIRES WERE MANUFACTURED AT THE DECATUR ASSEMBLY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT P235/75/R15 *MW

BOTH OF THE PREVIOUSLY SPECIFIED 16-INCH WILDERNESS AT REAR TIRES ON MY EXPLORER ARE CRACKING WHERE THE TREAD MEETS THE SIDEWALL. *AK( DOT NUMBER: W2CU1PX217 TIRE SIZE: P25570R16 )

TIRE COMPLETELY EXPLODED AND WAS IN SCHREDS. WAS TOWING A RACE CAR ON A TRAILER AT NORMAL SPEED AT THE TIME. EXCELLENT DRIVING BY CREW MEMBER AVERTED ACCIDENT. CAR FELT AS IF IT HAD GONE OVER A LAND MINE. TWO WITNESS IN MY EXPLORER AND TWO WITNESS IN CAR DIRECTLY FOLLOWING MY CAR CAN VERIFY THE INCIDENT. THE SPARE TIRE WAS MOUNTED AND THE TIRE WAS REPLACE WITH ANOTHER WILDERNESS AT SHORTLY AFTER THE TIRE FAILURE. THE INCIDENT WAS NEVER REPORTED TO FORD OR FIRESTONE, BUT I FEEL SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE DATA BASE. IT OCCURED ON A WARM DAY IN EARLY MAY IN MASSACHUSETTS. I FEEL THAT THE TIRE FAILURES ARE MORE FAR REACHING THAN CURRENTLY REPORTED SINCE IT HAPPEND ON A TIRE THAT WAS NOT MANUFACTURED AT THE PLANT IN QUESTION. *AK( DOT NUMBER: W2HL1PY117 TIRE SIZE: P235-75-15 )

THE TREAD CAME OFF OF MY REAR LEFT TIRE WHEN I WAS EASTBOUND ON I-10. THE TREAD WRAPPED AROUND MY AXLE AND I LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE CAR SPUN 180 DEGREES AND FINALLY CAME TO A HALT IN THE HIGHWAY MEDIAN. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )

TIRES ARE CRACKING WHERE THE TREAD IS FASTENED TO THE SHOULDER(SIDE WALL). THE TIRES HAVE ABOUT 40,00 MILES ON THEM. FAILURES HAVE BEEN VERIFIED BY A LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALER. SO FAR BOTH FORD AND FIRESTONE DENY PROBLEMS WITH WILDERNESS AT TIRES NOT MADE AT THE DECATUR IL PLANT. THIS COMPLAINT SHOULD HELP PROVE THAT THE PROBLEM IS MORE WIDESPREAD THAN INDICATED BY BOTH COMPANIES.( DOT NUMBER: VNHL TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

CONSUMER IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE WILDERNESS (P235/75R15) AT TIRES BECAUSE THEY ALL HAVE CRACKS ALL THE WAY AROUND THE TIRE WHERE THE TREAD MEETS THE SIDEWALL. NLM

NOTICED ON 8/11 THAT MY LEFT FRONT TIRE HAD GOOD SIZED CUTS/SPLITS IN THE SIDEWALL OF THE LEFT FRONT TIRE. THIS TIRE IS NOT CODED VD AS IN THE RECALL BUT CODED VN WHICH MEANS IT WAS MADE IN THE FIRESTONE CANADIAN PLANT. THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS CHANGED-OUT WITH THE RELATIVELY NEW SPARE TIRE BY MY FORD DEALER IN NEW YORK.*AK( DOT NUMBER: VN-------- TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

TIRE SEPARTION CAUSED A ROLL OVER ACCIDENT. TIRES CHECKED 2/25/2000 BY MECHANIC AND OK'D. MAJOR INJURY WAS SEVERING OF 4 FINGERS ON THE LEFT HAND OF THE DRIVER. TWO CHILDREN AND ANOTHER ADULT PASSENGER WERE INTHE BACK SEAT AND SUSTAINED CUTS AND BRUISING AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAMA EVEN STILL.( DOT NUMBER: )

PE 00 020/TIRE TREAD SEPARATION: VEHICLE EXPERIENCED TWO BLOWOUTS WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH. NO INJURIES REPORTED. ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON THE SAME LEFT SIDE OF 1997 FORD EXPLORER, TIRE SIZE AND DOT # NOT AVAILABLE. *AK THE TIRES ARE WILDERNESS AT P235/75R15.