1997 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

PE00 020; CONSUMER HAD TIRES INSPECTED BY FIRESTONE. TIRES WERE CRACKED ALL AROUND . THEY WERE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS #AT, SIZE P235/75R15, DOT NUMBER WAS NOT AVAILALE, BUT HAD W2 PRODUCTION CODE WHICH INDICATED THAT THESE TIRES WERE PRODUCED IN WILSON, NORTH CAROLINA. *AK

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING A 1997 FORD EXPLORER. REAR PASSENGER'S TIRE STARTED MAKING A LOUD FLAPPING NOISE. TIRE BLEW OUT AND PULLED VEHICLE HARD TO THE RIGHT, ACROSS A 3- LANE HIGHWAY. NO DAMAGES TO VEHICLE. TIRES WERE THE ORIGINAL ONES, TIRE SIZE P235/75R15, AND DOT# NOT AVAILABLE. APPROXIMATE MILEAGE 107336. FIRESTONE SAID THEY WOULD MAKE NOTE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK FIRESTONE THINKS THE TIRE PROBLEM OCCURE ONLY IN THE SOUTH. *YH

FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRE P235/75R15 DOT VNHL1P1486 WENT FLAT DUE TO SIDEWALL SEPARATION. *SLC

TIRES STAY LOW ON PRESSURE, AND THERE IS EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE INSIDE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

PE00020; TIRE TREAD SEPARATION: WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 70 MPH, TREAD ON PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE CAME OFF. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. ONE OTHER PASSENGER IN THE TRUCK. NO ONE WAS INJURED. TIRE SIZE P23575R15, DOT # W2HL1PY067, ORIGINAL TIRE EQUIPMENT. FIRESTONE WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE TIRE. DRIVER JUST THOUGHT THE TIRE EXPLODED AND CONTACTED AAA.*AK

PE00020, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT 1997 EXPLORER, FIRESTONE WILDERNESS P25570R16, DOT W2CU1PX466, REAR DRIVER'S TIRE TREAD CAME OFF, CAUSING VEHICLE TO HAVE A ROLLOVER. OCCUPANTS SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. *AK *MJS

TIRE FAILED DESPITE NOT BEING MADE IN DECATUR, IL( DOT NUMBER: VNHL1PY TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

I JUST WANT TO INFORM YOU THAT I HAVE A DIFFERENT SIZE OF THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT'S, I HAVE TAKEN THEM TO FIRESTONE. THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT THE "RECALL" SIZE. THE TIRES DO APPEAR TO BE SEPERATING. I AM NOT WAITING FOR YOUR INVESTIGATION. I FEEL MY FAMLIES LIFE IS WORTH MORE THAN $450.00 FOR A NEW SET OF TIRES. I KNOW YOU ARE DOING ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION. IF YOU FIND THAT OTHER SIZES ARE AT FAULT, PLEASE CONSIDER THE PEOPLE THAT HAD THEM SWITCHED UPON ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE ORIGINAL RECALL. I AM GOING TO KEEP MY FIRESTONE'S IN THE GARAGE FOR AWHILE UNTIL YOUR INVESTIGATION IS OVER. ALSO PLEASE CONSIDER THAT THE SIZE THEY RECALLED IS THE MOST POPULAR OF THE FIRESTONE'S INSTALLED ON EXPLORERS, BUT THE 16" WHEEL IS AN OPTION ON THE VEHICLE. SO IF "MOST" OF THE ACCIDENTS OCCURED ON THE 15" THAT WOULD JIVE WITH THE RATIO !! ALSO CONSIDER THAT THE VEHICLES SOLD IN THE SOUTH ARE THE ONES WITH PROBLEMS... MAYBE BECAUSE OF HEAT AS REPORTED. . DOES FORD SHIP VEHICLES FROM SPECIFIC ASSEMBLY PLANTS TO SPECIFIC AREAS OF THE COUNTRY ? IF SO THIS COULD EXPLAIN WHY IT APPEARS TO BE ONLY FROM THE DECATUR PLANT, WHEN IN FACT IT COULD BE THAT JUST THE MAJORITY OF VEHICLES THAT GET SHIPPED TO THE SOUTHERN STATES ARE THE ONES THAT GET TIRES FROM THE DECATUR PLANT ?? JUST A LOGICAL THOUGHT THAT CROSSED MY MIND. I APPRECIATE YOUR ORGANIZATION AND RESPECT THE OUTCOME OF YOUR INVESTIGATION REGARDLESS OF THE CONCLUSION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR READING MY E-MAIL DURING THIS BUSY TIME !!!! V/R, BILL BREEDLOVE [email protected]( DOT NUMBER: WH????? TIRE SIZE: 255/70/16 )

ON MAY 10TH, 2000 WHILE DRIVING ON US41 AT A SPEED OF APPROX. 58 MPH, THE TREAD ON THE RIGHT REAR TIRE OF THE VEHICLE CAME OFF OF THE TIRE CASING WHICH CAUSED ME TO ALMOST LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER INSTALLING THE SPARE TIRE, I WENT TO MY LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALER AND QUESTIONED IF THERE WAS ANY TYPE OF WARRANTY ON THE TIRE. THE DEALER SAID THERE WAS NOT. HE INDICATED THAT THE TIRE MIGHT HAVE BEEN RUN ON LOW AIR PRESSURE. NATURALLY I COULD NOT DISPROVE HIS THEORY. I PURCHASED TWO NEW TIRES BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID OF THE SAME THING HAPPENING AGAIN. I TOLD THE DEALER THAT I WOULD BE BACK TO REPLACE THE OTHER TWO WHEN I HAD THE MONEY TO DO SO. IN THE LAST FEW DAYS, IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT OUT THAT THERE IS A DEFECT IN SOME FIRESTONE 15 INCH TIRES OF THE SAME TYPE. I WOULD LIKE TO NOTIFY THE NHTSA THAT THERE IS ALSO A GOOD CHANCE THAT THE 16 INCH VERSION OF THIS TIRE MAY BE DEFECTIVE ALSO.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P255/70R16 )

I WAS DRIVING TO AN AMUSEMENT PARK ON SUNDAY, 8/6/00 AFTERNOON. I WAS THE ONLY ADULT IN THE VEHICLE. MY OLDEST DAUGHTER, MY YOUNGER BROTHER, AND MY NEPHEW WERE ALL IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE VEHICLE. I NOTICED THE VEHICLE VIBRATING QUITE A LOT AS I INCREASED MY SPEED TO 60 MPH. MY DAUGHTER EVEN REMARKED AT HOW BADLY THE CAR WAS SHAKING. I SLOWED THE SPEED TO 55 MPH. AS I DROVE SOUTH ON I-45 , TOWARDS THE PIERCE ST. EXIT, IN THE INSIDE LANE, I HEARD A LOUD POP, AND SAW A BLACK PIECE OF RUBBER, AND SOMETHING SHINY RIP AWAY FROM THE LEFT, REAR OF MY VEHICLE. MY VEHICLE BEGAN TO GO OUT OF CONTROL, BUT I MANAGED TO STEER IT TO THE INSIDE SHOULDER OF THE FREEWAY. MY SISTER WHO WAS FOLLOWING ME STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME AND GOT OUT OF HER CAR. WE BOTH TOOK A LOOK AT WHAT SHE TOLD ME WAS THAT MY LEFT, REAR TIRE HAD COME APART. SURE ENOUGH, THE REAR, LEFT TIRE TREAD HAD TORN COMPLETELY AWAY FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE. AFTER I CONTACTED MY HUSBAND, AND MANAGED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE OFF THE FREEWAY, WE NOTICED THAT THE TREAD HAD CUT THE HOSES TO THE GAS TANK, EXPOSING THE MAIN LINE TO THE GAS TANK. NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE COULD NO LONGER DRIVE THE CAR, AND HAD TO HAVE A WRECKER TAKE THE VEHICLE TO LOCAL FORD DEALER IN TOWN. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )