1997 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 60 MPH, WHEN THE I HEARD A POP, I LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND ROLLED OVER ONCE AND I LANDED UPSIDED DOWN. THERE WAS 2 OTHER PEOPLE BESIDES ME IN THE VEHICLE. WE WERE ALL WEARING ARE SEATBELTS AND NOTHING HAPPEN TO US. EVERYDAY I THANK GOD I DID NOT HAVE MY TWO GIRLS WITH ME AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. WE WERE NOT HURT, BUT WE WERE SURE TERRIFIED. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )

PE00 920; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD A POPPING NOISE, TREAD CAME OFF OF TIRES.

FIRESTONE ATX TIRES WERE ON THIS VEHICLE. LEFT REAR TIRE HAD A BLOWOUT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO ROLLOVER. IT WAS TOTALED. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED.*AK

OUTER TREAD IS PEELING AWAY FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

I HAVE HAD ONE BLOWOUT TRAVELING APPROX. 65 MPH ON AN EXPRESSWAY AND HAVE REPLACE TWO OTHER OEM TIRES (AT DIFFERENT TIMES) BECAUSE OF BROKEN BELTS IN THE TIRES... BOTH MECHANICS TOLD ME THAT IT APPEARED AS THOUGH I HAD A DEFECTIVE TIRE. THAT IS WAS NOTHING I WAS DOING WRONG, OR THAT THE TRUCK WAS DOING TO THE TIRES. THE TIRES BASICALLY STARTED GIVING ME TROUBLE AT ABOUT THE 50,000 MILE MARK - I THOUGHT TIRES SHOULD LAST A BIT LONGER THAN THAT. BEFORE AL THE REPORTS I WAS FEELING AS THOUGH THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH JUST MY SET OF OEM TIRES, BUT I SEE THAT A LOT OF OTHERS ARE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 16 )

I WAS TRAVELING BACK TO COLLEGE ON I-75 IN MY EXPLORER. I WAS GOING ABOUT 65 MPH. WITHOUT WARNING THE TREAD OF THE PASSENGER REAR TIRE SEPARATED AND STARTING FLYING OFF. I KNEW AT THE RATE OF SPEED THAT I WAS GOING I WOULD FLIP MY CAR OVER IS I BRAKED. INSTEAD I TRIED TO STEER THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I WAS LUCKY THAT THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF TRAFFIC. I WENT FROM THE THIRD LAND TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD ON THE FIRST LANE AND ENDED UP IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. THE TIRE WAS STILL INFLATED BUT THE TREAD WAS ALMOST ALL GONE. WHEN THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED THE DRIVER TOOK A LOOK AT THE TIRE AND SAID THIS HAD TO BE A DEFECTIVE TIRE. THE BACK OF MY EXPLORER BY THE TAILLIGHT WAS DAMAGED DUE TO THE FLYING RUBBER. I HAVE SINCE REPLACED ALL 4 TIRES ON MY EXPLORER. WHEN I SHOWED THE FIRESTONE DEALER THE TIRE HE TOLD ME THAT THIS HAPPENED DUE TO WEAR AND TEAR. I BELIEVED THEM AT THE TIME. I AM NOT QUITE SURE THAT THIS WAS THE CASE. AFTER READING THE STORIES ABOUT EXPLORERS AND THE FIRESTONE TIRES I FELT COMPELLED TO NOTIFY YOU. I FEEL THAT FROM OTHER ACCOUNTS OF THE FIRESTONE TIRE AND THE EXPLORER THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. MY VEHICLE WOULD HAVE FLIPPED OVER IF I HAD BRAKED. I WAS QUITE LUCKY. THE DAMAGED TO THE TAILLIGHT IS STILL NOT FIXED ON MY CAR BUT AS I MENTIONED I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED ALL THE TIRES. THE TIRES ON THE EXPLORER WERE ATXS.( DOT NUMBER: )

THE SIDEWALL FAILED ON THIS TIRE. TO DATE TWO OTHER TIRES ARE SHOWING SIMILAR DAMAGE. I AM A PRETTY GOOD DRIVER AND DO NOT RUB MY TIRES ON CURBS, ETC. IT IS ALMOST LIKE THE SIDEWALL IS PEELING AWAY EXPOSING A WHITE LAYER BENEATH. NATURALLY THE RECENT NEWS PROMPTED THIS RESPONSE, BUT MY CONCERNS ARE VERY REAL. THANK YOU AND KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK - I SLEEP BETTER AT NIGHT KNOWING YOU ARE PROTECTING MY FAMILY'S INTERESTS. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 23575R15 )

PE00-020; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND DRIVER'S SIDE LEFT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED AND EXPLODED. VEHICLE STARTED TO GO OUT OF CONTROL, AND VEHICLE ROLLED OVER THREE TIMES. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THERE WERE THREE PEOPLE INJURED. *AK

VEHICLE HAS THE WILDERNESS/ATX TIRES. WHILE PULLING INTO DRIVEWAY REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE COMPLETELY SEPARATED. *AK

PE00020; TIRE TREAD SEPARATION: WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 70, TREAD ON THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE CAME OFF. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO CONTROL VEHICLE. TWO PASSENGERS WERE IN THE VEHICLE. NO ONE WAS INJURED. THIS WAS A FIRESTONE WILDERNESS TIRE, SIZE P23575R15, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT. FIRESTONE WAS CALLED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. OWNER WAS TOLD TO TAKE TIRE TO A FIRESTONE DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK FIRESTONE WILDERNESS P235/75/R15 *MW