1997 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

ON JULY 21 2000, WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR FIRESTONE WILDERNESS TIRE P23575R15 BLEWOUT, AND WHOLE SIDEWALL HAD COME OFF. CONSUMER MAINTAINED CONTROL OF VEHICLE. *AK THE BLOWOUT CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. *SLC

VEHICLE HAD FIRESTONE WILDERNESS/ATX TIRES ON AT TIME IT WAS STRUCK FROM THE REAR. AFTER BEING STRUCK, TIRES BUSTED IMMEDIATELY, CAUSING A LOSS OF CONTROL, MAKING THE VEHICLE SPIN AND STRIKE ANOTHER VEHICLE. *AK ONE PERSON WAS INJURED IN ACCIDENT, CONSUMER DID NOT GIVE SIZE OR DOT NUMBER FOR TIRE. *SLC

AFTER STARTING MY TRIP TO NORTH DAKOTA, SOMEWHERE IN GEORGIA, MY SUV STARTED TO TRAVEL TO THE RIGHT AS IF THE CAR WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT. I DROVE TO NORTH DAKOTA AND THEN BACK. WHEN I ARRIVED BACK IN JACKSONVILLE, ON THE 24TH OF JULY, I READ AN ARTICLE IN THE PAPER ABOUT MY TIRES. I TRIED TO FIND OUT SOME INFORMATION ABOUT HAVING THEM REPLACED, BUT COULD NOT FIND ANY. I WENT TO A TIRE DEALER AND HAD ALL FOUR REPLACED. THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE HAD A SIX-INCH OPENING AND WEAR SHOWING TREAD PEELING OFF. THE OTHER 3 TIRES HAD A CRACK THAT WENT ALL THE WAY AROUND THE TIRE WHERE THE TREAD MEETS THE SIDEWALL. AS THERE HAS BEEN NO OFFICIAL WORD, THAT I CAN FIND, ABOUT HOW TO BE REIMBURSED FOR MY HAVING TO REPLACE THE TIRES, I AM PATIENTLY WAITING FOR SUCH INFORMATION. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR STILL SITTING IN SOME DITCH IN ONE OF THE MORE UNINHABITED AREAS THAT I DROVE THROUGH ON MY TRIP. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! I CHECKED MY AIR PRESSURE RELIGIOUSLY AS IT MAKES FOR BETTER TIRE WEAR AND GAS MILEAGE. I CAN'T IMAGINE THE NUMBER OF THOSE TIRES THAT WERE RESOLD WHEN TURNED IN FOR NEW TIRES. THANK YOU. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75/15 )

TIRE FAILED ON GARDEN STATE PARKWAY @65 MPH, VEHICLE VEERED WILDLY BUT WAS BROUGHT TO STOP WITHOUT CRASHING. TEMPERATURES WERE MID TO UPPER 80'S, ON A CLEAR DRY SURFACE. NEW TIRE OF SAME MAKE PURCHASED AT GW TIRE, COOKSTOWN RD, COOKSTOWN, NJ. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R16 )

THE TIRE BLEW ON INTERSTATE I-69 ON CLEAR ROADS, OVERCAST DAY. THE DRIVER REAR TIRE LOST ITS TREAD WHICH FLIPPED UP BEHIND THE SUV CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. I BEGAN A RIGHT HAND SPIN WHICH I GOT OUT OF AND THEN SPUN 180 DEGREES AND ENTERED THE MEDIAN BACKWARDS TRAVELLING APPROXIMATELY 300 YARDS BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. SEVERAL WITNESSES GAVE STATEMENTS TO THE EATON COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT INDICATING WHAT OCCURED AFTER THE TIRE BLEW OUT. I SUSTAINED NECK AND BACK INJURIES. *AK( DOT NUMBER: ? TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

NOTED HAIRLINE FISSURE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AT EXACT LEVEL OF TREAD SEPARATION DEPICTED IN CBS NEWS REPORT OF AUG. 8,2000. TOLD BY LOCAL FIRESTONE STORE MANAGER THIS WAS "NORMAL". OFFERRED ME A NEW SET OF TIRES AT A DISCOUNT. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A SAFETY DEFECT WHICH ACCORDING TO LAW REQUIRES FREE REPLACEMENT. I HAVE PHOTOS OF DEFECT.( DOT NUMBER: ? TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

ORGINAL EQUIPMENT WITH 1997 EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE MOVED FROM SIDE TO SIDE WHICH CAUSED A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. HOWEVER, PROBLEM HAS BECOME WORSE. FORD SAID NO PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE. *AK THE DEALER INDICATED THAT 55 PSI ON THE TIRES WAS TOO MUCH AND SHOULD BE 3O PSI. HOWEVER, THE CUSTOMER SAYS THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE TIRES. *YH

WHILE DRIVING OVER A SET OF RAIL ROAD TRACKS FRONT RIGHT FIRESTONE TIRE BLEWOUT CAUSING A LOSS OF CONTROL, AND VEHICLE ROLLED OVER, AND WAS LOST. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

WILDERNESS AT ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 97 EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 70MPH THE LEFT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPAREATED, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE FINDER AND BRAKE HOUSING.*AK THE CUSTOMER STATES THE PROBLEM THAT HAS CAUSED THE RECALL IS THE SAME WITH THAT THE CUSTOMER IS EXPERIENCING AND SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *YH

I HAVE HAD TWO DIFFERENT "THREAD PEELS" ON THESE TIRES. IN ONE CASE, THE TIRE BLEW AND I ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. DAMAGE THAT TIME WAS $924 BECAUSE THE THREAD CAUSED DAMAGE TO MY LEFT REAR PANEL. FIRESTONE REPLACED THE TIRE AND PAID FOR THE DAMAGE. THIS WAS AROUND JAN OF 1999. THIS JANUARY, 2000, I LOST ANOTHER TIRE BUT THIS TIME THE TIRE WENT DOWN MORE SLOWLY AND DID NOT CAUSE ANY DAMAGE. FIRESTONE AGAIN REPLACED MY TIRE AND I WAS PAID THIS APRIL 2000. IN BOTH CASES, I WAS DRIVING AT 70MPH AND THE TIRES WENT OUT AFTER I WAS DRIVING OVER 350 MILES. I HAVE ASKED FIRESTONE TO REMOVE THESE TIRES AND REPLACE THEM WITH ANOTHER BRAND. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH FIRESTONE WED. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )