1997 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

ALL FOUR TIRES HAVE A CIRCUMFERENTIAL CRACK WHERE THE TREAD MEETS THE SIDEWALL. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS MAY LEAD TO A TREAD SEPARATION THAT I HAVE READ ABOUT THIS PAST WEEKEND. I ACTUALLY NOTICED THE PROBLEM ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO.( DOT NUMBER: )

I AM SENDING THIS FORM AS I HAVE HAD 2 WILDERNESS TIRES PEEL APART WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. I FEEL THESE TIRES ARE VERY UNSAFE, BUT, THE COST OF TIRES PROHIBIT ME FROM REPLACING. BOTH TIMES THE TIRES RIPPED APART WHILE MY BABY GIRL WAS IN THE CAR AND WE WERE LUCKY THAT OUR SWERVING DID NOT CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT. I HAVE NO DOUBT THESE TIRES ARE UNSAFE AND NEED TO BE REPLACED BY FORD AND FIRESTONE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )

THE TREAD STRIPPED OFF THE TIRE, BUT THE INNERTUBE REMAINED INTACT..IT STILL IT FULL OF AIR WITH NO TREAD ON IT. THE LOOSE TREAD BEAT THE UNDERSIDE OF THE WHEEL WELL, CAUSING SOME VISIBLE DAMAGE. THIS IS OBVIOUSELY A TIRE PROBLEM AND I THINK FIRESTONE SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235 75R15 )

PRE-DRIVE INSPECTION OF TIRE INDICATED MANY CORDS SHOWING THROUGH WHERE TREAD HAD DISINTEGRATED AROUND BOTH EDGES OF TIRE. MIDDLE OF TIRE TREAD APPEARED NORMAL AS DID OTHER REMAINING ORIGINAL TIRE ON OPPOSITE SIDE OF VEHICLE. BELIEVED TO HAVE HAPPENED RATHER SUDDENLY SINCE TIRES ARE CLEANED AND INSPECTED REGULARLY. ALSO BELIEVE TIRE WOULD HAVE FAILED WHILE DRIVING HAD THE CONDITION NOT BEEN NOTICED. APPROXIMATE TIRE LIFE REMAINING ON OTHER ORIGINAL TIRE IS 5,000 TO 10,000 MILES. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS MY VEHICLE WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT AND THE RIDE GOT INCREASINGLY ROUGH. MY HUSBAND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A TIRE STORE AND FOUND THAT THE TREAD WAS SEPARATING AND THERE WAS A BUBBLE IN THE TIRE. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC, THE TIRE WAS ABOUT TO BLOW OUT. WE PURCHASED A REPLACEMENT TIRE (A FIRESTONE ATX) AND LEFT THE OTHER THREE ORIGINAL TIRES ON. I'VE SINCE SEEN REPORTS ON PROBLEMS WITH FIRESTONE WILDERNESS TIRES SO I WANTED TO REPORT THIS. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )

EXPERIENCED A SURPISE BLOWOUT WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE 45 FREEWAY IN HOUSTON - NO ROAD HAZARDS - THE TIRE JUST BLEW UP. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

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

I WAS TRAVELING ON I-75 SOUTHBOUND FROM GA. TO FL. AT 70 MPH WHEN I HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM THE FRONT OF MY FORD EXPLORER. I OBSERVED A PIECE OF TIRE TREAD IN MY REARVIEW MIRROR. NOT HAVING LOST CONTROL OR FEELING LIKE MY TIRE WAS FLAT, I BELEIVED I HAD RUN OVER A PIECE OF OLD TREAD IN THE ROADWAY. I MOTIONED TO A DRIVER NEXT TO ME TO LOOK AT MY TIRE. HE MOTIONED BACK THAT IT LOOKED OK. I CONTINUED DRIVING FROM THE WILDWOOD, FL. AREA TO TAMPA, FL. AT INTERSTATE SPEED AND THROUGH INTERMITANT RAIN. UPON ARRIVING HOME AND AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE AGAIN FOR AN ERRAND, I CHECKED THE TIRE AND OBSERVED THAT THE ENTIRE TREAD OF MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE WAS GONE! I WENT TO THE FIRESTONE STORE @ 9035 N. FLORIDA AVE, TPA AND WAS TOLD THAT I MUST HAVE STRUCK SOMETHING, POSSIBLEY A NAIL, AND THAT MADE THE TREAD SEPARATE. AND, THAT TREAD WILL NOT JUST COME OFF A TIRE. I WAS SOLD ANOTHER ATX. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

I HYDROPLANED IN NOVEMBER 1999 IN A FORD EXPLORER WITH BRAND NEW FIRESTONE WILDERNESS TIRES. I WAS TRAVELING AT 40 MPH (10 MILES BELOW THE SPEED LIMIT) AND THE CONDITIONS WERE RAINY. THERE WERE SEVERAL VERY SERIOUS INJURIES TO ALL PARTIES INVOLVED. I HAVE BEEN READING ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH EXPLORERS AND THESE TIRES AND I'D HOPED TO GET MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTER A COMPLAINT IF APPLICABLE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF I CAN HELP TO PREVENT ANY OTHER ACCIDENTS. THANK YOU!. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235 75R15 )

THE LEFT REAR TIRE OF MY FORD EXPLORER BECAME SEPARATED ON ARIZONA HIGHWAY I-17 AT THE SPEED OF ABOUT 70 MPH. THE TIRE WAS SENT TO THE FIRESTONE/BRIDGESTONE IN NASHVILLE,TN,AND THE COMPANY PAID FOR THE REPAIR EXPENSES CAUSED BY THE TIRE SEPARATION. THIS INCIDENT CHANGED OUR LIVES, BECAUSE WE COULD HAVE GOT SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED HAD IT BEEN ONE OF THE FRONT TIRES... AS VICTIMS, WE STRONGLY SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT'S INVESTIGATION INTO THE SITUATION INVOLVING THE TIRES MANUFACTURED BY FIRESTONE/BRIDGESTONE. BETTER YET, WE HOPE FORD WILL RECALL ALL THE F/B TIRES. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THEM REPLACED ANYWAY, AND FORD OR F/B SHOULD REIMBURSE MY COST.( DOT NUMBER: 8XHLIPY )