1991 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

AFTERM ARKET FIRESTONE ATX TIRE P235/75R15 SIZE. LEFT FRONT AND LEFT REAR TREAD SEPARATED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, CAUSING VEHICLE TO ROLL OVER, EJECTING AND KILLING THE DRIVER.*AK *MJS

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE 00T005, CONSUMER REPLACED FIRESTONE TIRES AND IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT. *SLC

JUST A FEW MORE DATA POINTS FOR THE FIRESTONE INVESTIGATION; TWO OF THE FIRESTONE ATX TIRES THAT CAME AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON MY 1991 FORD EXPLORER EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION IN MID 1995, CAUSING BODY DAMAGE BUT NO ACCIDENT OR INJURY. WE TOOK THE TREAD FROM ONE TO A LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALER, WHO CLAIMED IT WAS "ROAD HAZARD DAMAGE" AND THAT HE COULDN'T HELP US. THE TIRES WERE ALWAYS INFLATED TO THE PSI RECOMMENDED ON THE SIDEWALL; THEY WERE NOT UNDERINFLATED. *AK (DOT NUMBER: UNKNOWN TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)

ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1997, I WAS RETURNING HOME (DALLAS, TX) FROM A CAMPING TRIP IN NORTHERN NEW MEXICO IN MY 1991 FORD EXPLORER. PRIOR TO LEAVING ON THIS TRIP, MY HUSBAND TOOK OUR EXPLORER TO THE FIRESTONE DEALERSHIP IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD TO HAVE ALL 4. *AK (TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. *AK THE BRAKES AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED. MAF SENSOR FAILED. THROTTLE BODY AND GASKET FAILED. RADIATOR IS LEAKING. THERMOSTAT FAILED. *YH

CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER MANY TIMES FOR FRONT END ALIGNMENTS AND A REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSAXLE. *SLC

FIRESTONE ATX TIRES EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE FRONT FENDER. *SLC

WHILE MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURNS VEHICLE MOVES SIDE TO SIDE WHICH MAY CAUSE A LOSS OF CONTROL. TOOK TO DEALER, BUT DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

PE00 020; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 25MPH ON HIGHWAY AND FELT VIBRATION INSIDE OF VEHICLE. FRONT RIGHT TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. FIRESTONE #ATX, P23575R15. *AK

TIRE FAILURE 8-21-91, 302 MILES, 26 PSI, RIGHT REAR, FLAT TIRE IN PARKING LOT. MITCHELL TIRE SERVICE IN ANAHEIM CA PUT AIR IN TIRE & DISCOVER A PIN HOLE LEAK IN SIDEWALL. HE THEN DISMOUNTED TIRE TO LOOK FOR HOLE INSIDE TIRE. NO HOLE FOUND INSIDE TIRE, & TOLD ME THE BELT WAS SEPERATING. HE TOLD ME THAT SINCE IT WAS A SPORT UTE, IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER FIRESTONES WARRANTY, I HAD TO PURCHASE ANOTHER TIRE. I MANAGED TO GET FIRESTONE FACTORY TO PAY ME BACK FOR FAILED TIRE. TIRE FAILURE #2, 1-11-92, 4,000 MILES, 32 PSI, LEFT REAR, TIRE FLAT IN DRIVEWAY. FIRESTONE DEALER IN EL TORO, CA PUT AIR IN THE TIRE & DISCOVERED A PIN HOLE LEAK. HE SAID I HAD TO PURCHASE ANOTHER TIRE SINCE IT WASN'T COVERED BY WARRANTY. I TRIED TO GET FIRESTONE FACTORY TO REPLACE TIRE, BUT THEY REFUSED. SO I PURCHASED A GOODYEAR WRANGLER. TIRE FAILURE #3, 1-25-92, 7,912 MILES, 32 PSI, LEFT REAR, TIRE STARTED TO VIBRATE ON SOUTH BOUND 5 FREEWAY IN IRVINE. MARK C BLOOM, IN EL TORO, CA SPUN THE TIRE UP ON THEIR BALANCING MACHINE, & THEN ADVISED ME THAT THE TIRE WAS SEVERELY OUT OF ROUND, A CONDITION CAUSED BY THE TIRE STARTING TO SEPERATE, SO I PURCHASED A GOODYEAR WRANGLER. I STILL HAVE THE ORIGINAL FR480 SPARE. THE FIRST TWO LETTERS OF THE DOT CODE ARE W2. THE (3) FR480 TIRES THAT FAILED MAY HAVE HAD SAME DESIGNATION, BUT I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE. NOTE: I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH GOODYEAR TIRES ON ANY OF THE (3) SETS I HAVE PURCHASED! NOTE: AS I LISTENED TO JACQUES NASSERS TESTIMONY, SOMETHING WAS MENTIONED WHICH JARRED MY MEMORY. REP BILLY TAUZIN ASKED HIM ABOUT HOTLINE DOCUMENT# 71 PG# 3 DATED 8-19-96, WHICH STATED THAT A FORD DEALER HAD 16 EXPLORERS HE COULDNT BALANCE THE TIRES ON. WELL, I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM! MILLS FORD REBALANCED MY TIRES AT LEAST 3 TIMES IN THE FIRST 3000 MILES. BUT IT DIDNT HELP HOWEVER, AFTER THE FAILED FIRESTONE TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE BALANCING PROBLEM WENT AWAY. *AK( DOT NUMBER: UNKNOWN TIRE SIZE: P225/70R15 )