1997 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

MIGHT BE IN DIRECT RELATION OF THE TIRE RECALL ON THE FORD SUV'S - WE'VE HAD TO HAVE THE FRONT END ALIGNED TWICE IN LESS THAN 3 YEARS. DEALER SAID IT WAS DEFINITELY A PROBLEM WITH FORD EXPLORER AND THE TIRES THAT IS CAUSING THE ALIGNMENT PROBLEM.

MY VEHICLE DID A 360 ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE WAS NO CAUSE. THE ADJUSTER DETERMINED THERE WAS A DEFECT IN MY TIRE SO I HAD TO REPLACE A TIRE.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235/75/15 )

REGARDING THE FIRESTONE ATX TIRES RECENTLY IN THE NEWS. I DO WANT TO REPORT THAT I DID HAVE A FIRESTONE ATX TIRE THAT CAME APART LAST YEAR (SEPT. 1999-THE TUESDAY AFTER LABOR DAY) AFTER A TRIP FROM CHARLESTON SC TO WILLIAMSBURG VA. I HAPPENED TO LOOK DOWN AT THE REAR LEFT TIRE AND DISCOVERED THAT A LARGE PIECE OF TREAD HAD PEELED OFF THE TIRE. AT THE TIME I THOUGHT THE TIRE SHOULD NOT OF DONE THAT-I CALLED MY HUSAND AND HE ADVISED ME TO CALL AAA AUTOSERVICE, HAVE THE SPARE PUT ON AND GO TO FIRESTONE AND PURCHASE TWO NEW TIRES. THANK GOODNESS I NOTICED THE BAD TIRE WHEN I DID.

WHEN DRIVING OVER 60 MPH MY TIRES EXHIBIT A "HIGH FREQUENCY VIBRATION" SIMILAR TO THAT DESCRIBED IN A 10-11-96 FORD MEMO, PROVIDED TO NHTSA. I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS MATTER WITH A FORD DEALER WHO ADVISED ME THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT, BUT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. HOWEVER, THE SUBJECT MEMO ALSO STATED THAT "THESE TIRES SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH LIKE TIRES". SO, AM I BEING LIED TO ? THESE TIRES SHOULD BE REPLACED BEFORE AND ACCIDENT/INJURY/DEATH OCCUR.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P25570R/16 )

TIRE TREAD LAYER SEPARATED FROM THE STEEL-BELTED LAYER CREATING A 15-BY-5-INCH FLAP. WE WERE LUCKY....WE CAUGHT THE PROBLEM BEFORE THE TIRE BLEW.( DOT NUMBER: )

WE WENT OFF THE ROAD AS A RESULT OF THE TIRE TREAD BREAKING LOOSE FROM THE TIRE. A DOUBLE TRAILER TRUCK BEHIND US ALMOST HIT US AS A RESULT OF OUR VEHICLE VIBRATING AND SLOWING DOWN. LUCKILY WE COULD PULL ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, BUT THE FRONT FENDER WAS DANGLING, AND THE WHEEL COVER WAS TORN AND BENT, RUBBING ON THE TIRE THAT REMAINED WITHOUT THE TREAD. A SCARY SITUATION. OUR INSURANCE COMPANY HAS DETERMINED THAT THE TIRE WAS FAULTY. THEY ARE NOW TAKING LEGAL ACTION TO RECOVER THEIR COST OF REPAIR FROM FIRESTONE. MY HUSBAND HAD SEVERAL TREATMENT TO HIS SHOULDER, AND AN ORTHOSCOPIC OPERATION TO THE SHOULDER AS A RESULT OF THE INCIDENT. I AM STILL FRIGHTENED EACH TIME I DRIVE THE EXPLORER, WORRYING ABOUT THE REMAINING TIRES FOR FEAR THE SAME THING MAY HAPPEN. FIRESTONE HAS NOT BEEN VERY COOPERATIVE IN RESOLVING THE ISSUE. THEY REFUSE TO TAKE RESPONSIBLITY. WE DID NOT KNOW TO REPORT THIS INCIDENT TO NTSA UNTIL THE RECENT NEWS THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER INCIDENTS SIMILAR TO OURS. PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO HAVE OUR TIRES RECALLED, AND TO GET COMPENSATION FROM BRIDGESTONE FIRESTONE.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235 OWL )

TIRE DELAMINATED COMPLETELY BUT BLADDER DID NOT DEFLATE. NO CRASH, BUT LEFT REAR OF VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED BY TREAD AS IT LEFT VEHICLE. TIRE WAS SUBMITTED TO FIRESTONE UNDER CLAIM NUMBER 019721. THEY REPLACED THE TIRE AND PAID INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLE BUT DID NOT ADVISE AS TO CAUSE OF FAILURE. THEY SENT ME A CHECK FOR $397.76 WITH A LETTER DATED DECEMBER 10,1999. THE REMAINDER OF THE CLAIM WAS PAID BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY, USAA.( DOT NUMBER: UDHC1PY516 TIRE SIZE: 23575R15 )

MY 18 YEAR SON IS THE PRIMARY DRIVER OF THIS VEHICLE AND WILL BE LEAVING FOR COLLEGE TEN DAYS. HIS SAFETY IS MY PRIMARY CONCERN AND AFTER SEEING THE AWFUL ACCIDENTS/DEATHS REPORTED IN RECENT WEEKS I WISH TO RECEIVED MORE INFORMATION. ALL THE INFORMATION I CAN GET FROM FIRESTONE IS THAT THE TIRES ARE SAFE. THIS IS EASY FOR THEM TO TELL ME AS THE CONSUMER. WE ARE PLAYING WITH THE LIVES OF MANY HUMAN BEINGS, MY SON INCLUDED. YES, I NEED A MORE INFORMED, CARING ANSWER THAN THE TIRES ARE SAFE. I HAVE DOCUMENTED EACH AND EVERY CONVERSATION I HAVE HAD WITH EITHER FIRESTONE OR FORD MOTOR COMPANY. PLEASE HELP ALL OF US BEFORE MORE LIVES ARE LOST.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: ? )

I'VE HAD THREE WILDERNESS AT TIRE FAILURES. ONE RESULTED IN BLOWOUT AT INTERSTATE SPEED. THE LAST TWO WERE CAUGHT IN THE TREAD BUBBLE UP STAGE BY ME BEFORE A BLOWOUT.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235X15 R75 )

I WAS DRIVING 75 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE RIGHT REAR TIRE HAD THE ENTIRE OUTER TREAD SEPARATE FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE. THE TIRE HAD ABOUT 45,000 MILES OF USE. I THEN PAID TO REPLACE THE REMAINING TIRES AT BIG O TIRES.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )