1997 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

I WAS DRIVING FROM L.A. TO PHOENIX ON 6/13/98. PRIOR TO MY DEPARTURE FROM L.A., ALL OF THE TIRES WERE CHECKED FOR THE DRIVE. THEY WERE ALL IN GOOD CONDITION. AT 9:30AM I WAS DRIVING EAST ON I-10 @ 75MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON. THE ROAD BECAME BUMPY AND I SWITCHED LANES. MY VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY LUNGED TO THE LEFT AND I REALIZED THAT MY LEFT REAR TIRE HAD BLOWN, AND THE RIM HAD CAUGHT THE PAVEMENT. I WRESTLED TO KEEP THE VEHICLE STRAIGHT WHILE HEADING FOR AN OFF-RAMP TO AVOID TRAFFIC & AN UPCOMING OVERPASS. IT FISH-TAILED BACK AND FORTH UNTIL AND BEGAN TO SLIDE SIDEWAYS. IT SLID THROUGH A ROAD SIGN AND THEN ROLLED OVER ENDING UPSIDE DOWN BESIDE THE ROAD, FACING TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AND I SUFFERED MANY CUTS TO MY HEAD (ALONG WITH MANY STRAINED MUSCLES.) I WAS LUCKY. THE CHP REPORT HELD ME RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CRASH. I CONTENDED AT THE TIME THAT THE BLOW-OUT WAS MORE ABRUPT AND SEVER THAN ANY I HAD EVER EXPERIENCED, AND THAT CONTROLLING THE VEHICLE WITH SUCH AN ABRUPT BLOW AT THAT SPEED WAS IMPOSSIBLE. I DISPUTED THE REPORT. I ALSO COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER, THE DMV AND THE INSURANCE AGENCY. ALL HELD ME RESPONSIBLE AND THE DEALER OFFERED THAT I COULD TRY AND SUE THE TIRE COMPANY. I DIDN'T. AS A RESULT, I LOST A NEW CAR, AND SPENT MANY WEEKS RECUPERATING. MY INSURANCE RATES ALSO INCREASED AS WELL AS RECEIVING A POINT ON MY DRIVERS LICENSE. I DID MANAGE TO HAVE SOME PICTURES TAKEN OF THE FORD & THE BLOWN TIRE FOLLOWING THE CRASH. THE POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN BY CHP OFFICER L. QUATTLEBAUM #12917, REPORT # 98060056. (THE REPORT MISTAKENLY LISTS THE TIRES AS GOODYEAR, BUT THEY WERE THE ORIGINAL WILDERNESS AT'S AS MY PICTURES SHOW.) THANK YOU.( DOT NUMBER: ??? TIRE SIZE: 225/70R15S )

I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE INTERSTATE DOING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH WHEN MY BACK DRIVER SIDE TIRE EXPLODED. I COULD HAVE BEEN GOING A LITTLE OVER 80 HOWEVER. I DO NOT RECALL HITTING ANYTHING BUT JUST HEARING THE LOUD EXPLOSION AND SUDDENLY TRYING TO STEER ACROSS FOUR LANES OF TRAFFIC AS I SLOWED DOWN. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALER WHERE IT WAS REPLACED. THEY SAID THE TIRE LOOKED TORN APART WITH A HOLE AROUND 9 INCHES OR SO. I DID NOT THINK MUCH ABOUT IT AT THE TIME OTHER THAN HAVING TO PAY TO REPLACE IT. I DID NOT INQUIRE ABOUT WHETHER THERE WAS A DEFECT WITH THE TIRE OR IF IT SEEMED STRANGE. I WAS JUST GLAD TO HAVE NOT WRECKED AND JUST QUICKLY REPLACED IT. I SIMPLY WANTED TO REPORT THAT I DID HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS TIRE EVEN THOUGH I DON'T PERSONALLY KNOW IF THERE WAS A DEFECT WITH THE TIRE MADE BY FIRESTONE. AS I SAID, I JUST WANTED TO GO ON RECORD SAYING I DID HAVE AN INCIDENT WITH IT.( DOT NUMBER: )

TIRE SEPARATED WITH STEEL BELTING CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO QUARTER PANEL. DRIVER IS MILITARY AND IS TRAINED TO INSPECT TIRES BEFORE DRIVING VEHICLE AS HE DRIVES ON U.S. AIR FORCE RUNWAYS ON A REGULAR BASIS. HE HAD INSPECTED TIRES APPROXIMATELY 35 MILES PRIOR TO INCIDENT. DRIVER MAINTAINED CONTROL OF VEHICLE THUS PREVENTING WORSE DAMAGE TO VEHICLE AND BODILY INJURY TO HIMSELF AND PASSENGER. THIRTEEN DAYS PRIOR, TO INCIDENT, CAR WAS SERVICED WITH NO VERBAL MENTION OF TIRE PROBLEM. SERVICE REPORT READS LEFT AND RIGHT REAR TIRES EACH HAD 7/32 TIRE TREAD AND WEAR PATTERN GOOD. TIRES PRESSURE AT 26 PSI. IN REVIEWING PURCHASE CONTRACT DETERMINED STANDARD EQUIPMENT WOULD HAVE BEEN P225/7OR155L BSW A/S TIRES.( DOT NUMBER: VDHLIPY436 TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

THE TIRES (FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT) ON THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED EXCESSIVE WEAR AND CUPPING, VEHICLE ALSO PULLS HARD TO THE RIGHT AND APPEARED TO BE VERY UNSTABLE AND UNSAFE. NLM

WHILE APPROACHING A BRIDGE CONSUMER HEARD A "POP" NOISE, SECONDS LATER THE TIRE WENT DOWN (FIRESTONE WILDNESS AT 235-75-R15). NLM

CONSUMER HAD SEEN LEFT FRONT TIRE SHOW INITIAL SEPARATION. CONSUMER BELIEVED IT WAS THE AXLE. *AK

PE00 020; CONSUMER HEARD THAT THE FIRESTONE #ATX TIRES WERE ON RECALL. CONSUMER TOOK TIRES TO FIRESTONE, AND NOTICED CRACKS ALL THE WAY AROUND THE TIRES. *AK TIRES WERE REPLACED BY FIRESTONE DEALER PRIOR TO RECALL. *YH

PE00020; WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE TREAD ON REAR DRIVER FIRESTONE WILDERNESS TIRE (P235 75 R15) SEPARATED. THESE WERE THE ORIGINAL TIRES PURCHASED ON A 1997 FORD EXPLORER. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT TIRE SIZE, DOT NUMBER FROM TIRE, AND VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER. *AK THE TIRES DOT # IS VDHL1PY137.

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 35MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD A POPPING NOISE. RIGHT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM WHEEL. TIRES WERE FIRSTONE WILDERNESS HT. *AK *SLC

WHILE DRIVING, RIGHT REAR TIRE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, STEEL BELT WAS SHOWING WHILE THE TIRE STAYED INFLATED, FIRESTONE PRO-RATED TIRE, HOWEVER THE DOT WAS VDHL AND CONSUMER HEARD ABOUT RECALL00T005 AND HAD ALL TIRES REPLACED, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE TIRE THAT WAS REPLACED PRIOR TO RECALL 00T005. TIRES WERE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT P235/75R15 DOT VDHLIPY137. *SLC