1991 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

WE WAS ON A TRIP TO KENTUCY,( 9/24/99) WE GOT RIGHT PAST THE ST. JOE MISSOURI EXIT AND THE FRONT END OF MY TRUCK STARTED SHAKING THEN I HAD A BLOW OUT. I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD. I CALLED A STATE PATROL, WHO INTURN CALLED A WRECKER, (RANDY'S REPAIR 169 HWY, GOWER, MO, 424-6232). HE TOWED US BACK TO HIS GARAGE AND REPLACED MY TIRE.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

TWENTY MINUTES INTO A 65 MPH SPEED THE RIGHT REAR TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE BODY CAUSING A LOUD NOISE. THE TIRE DID NOT LOSE ANY AIR. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AT MID-DAY ON A PLEASENT SUNNY DAY IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. THERE WERE NO INJURIES ONLY FRIGHT. THE TIRE WAS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON MY 1991 FORD EXPLORER. THE FIRESTONE MANAGER TOLD ME THE TREAD SEPARATION WAS DUE TO THE TIRES AGE SINCE IT WAS MANUFACTURED IN MARCH 1991. I BOUGHT A NEW SET OF FOUR ATX REPLACEMENT TIRES AFTER HEARING THE FIRESTONES' MANAGER'S COMMENTS. IF THEY STAY IN ONE PIECE THEY GIVE MILEAGE OVER 90,000 MILES WHICH NO OTHER TIRE CAN MATCH, MAYBE THAT'S WHY THE TREAD COMES OFF -- IT'S TOO HEAVY WITH TREAD. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )

THE TREAD WAS COMPLETELY TORN FROM THE TIRE. I THOUGHT THIS WAS STRANGE AS DID THE TIRE SHOP, BUT SINCE I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO ESCAPE WITHOUT AND ACCIDENT I DIDN'T REPORT IT AT THE TIME. I WAS DRIVING THROUGH SOUTHERN ARIZONA DURING THE EARLY SUMMER AT ABOUT 70 MPH,S O WHEN I SAW THE RECALL IT HAD ALL THE CLASSIC SYMPTOMS. I HAVE SINCE TRADED THE VEHICLE IN FOR ANOTHER EXPLORER AND WILL HAVE THOSE TIRES REPLACED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.*AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 15 INCH )

FORD EXPLORER WAS INVOLVED IN A SOLO COLLISION, WHERE THE RIGHT REAR TIRE SUSTAINED A LOSS OF IT'S TREAD, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING SOUTHBOUND STATE ROUTE 99, CA. THIS TREAD SEPAREATION CAUSED VEHICLE TO ROLL OVER AND KILLED ONE PERSON,AND FOUR INJURIES. *AK( DOT NUMBER: VNHLIMO171 TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

FIRESTONE FR480 TIRE P235/75R15 EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, CAUSING $4130 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO VEHICLE, DEALER TOLD CONSUMER THAT 2 REAR TIRES WERE IN GREAT SHAPE AND DID NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED, 40 DAYS LATER THE SEPARATION OCCURRED. *SLC

TREAD SEPARATED WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY APPROX 65MPH. DID NOT BLOW OUT. WAS ABLE TO DRIVE APPROX 10 MILES ON DAMAGED TIRE. BENT EXHAUST PIPE AND DENTED RIGHT REAR QUARTER PANEL AND BUMPER. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235 75R15 )

WHILE TRAVELING NORTHBOUND ON I-10 NEAR BLACK CANYON CITY, AZ, THE TREAD ON THE RIGHT REAR TIRE SEPARATED, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE ROLLED. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR, TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT, AND THERE WERE NO "UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES". NO CITATIONS WERE ISSUED FOR ANY FAULT ON THE DRIVER'S PART. THE DRIVER WAS THROWN FREE OF THE VEHICLE. I REMAINED PARTIALLY IN THE VEHICLE AND PARTIALLY PINNED UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER SUFFERED A FRACTURED PELVIS. MY INJURIES WERE EXTENSIVE; THE MOST SERIOUS AND DEBILITATING WAS A CLOSED HEAD INJURY. PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR ADDITIONAL DETAIL. I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE INVESTIGATION AND ANY ACTION THAT IS TAKEN TO RECTIFY THIS LONG STANDING PRODUCT DEFECT. THE TIRE WAS INSPECTED BY AN EXPERT AND DETERMINED TO BE DEFECTIVE.( DOT NUMBER: )

WHILE AWAY ON VACATION, THE TIRE ON MY TRUCK ACTUALLY EXPLODED WHILE IT WAS SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY AT HOME. THE HOLE IS ABOUT 1/4 AROUND THE CIRCUMFRENCE OF THE TIRE, WITH THE STEEL BELTS FRAYED AT THE ENDS. I SAVED THE TIRE BECAUSE IT LOOKS SO ODD.( DOT NUMBER: )

I PURCHASED THIS VECHICLE MARCH 2000. THE VEHICLE HAS A VIBRATION IN THE REAR END AT SPEEDS GREATER THAN 60 MPH. TIRES HAVE BEEN COMPUTER BALANCED THEREFORE ILIMINATING THIS AS A CAUSE. THIS VEHICLES DOES HAVE THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES AND I HAVE BEEN READING AND KEEPING UP WITH THE POSSIBLE RECALL. TO FIND THE POSSIBLE CAUSE OF THIS VIBRATION I DID SOME RESEARCH OVER THE WEB TO FIND THAT THOUSANDS OF EXPLORER OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SOME PROBLEM. MANY OF THEM HAVE WRITTEN OFF THE CAUSE AS "INHERANT TO THE VEHICLE". I HAVE A THEORY THAT THE PROBLEM WITH THE FIRESTONE TIRES ARE NOT JUST THE TIRES BUT ALSO STEM FROM THIS VIBRATION IN THE REAR END OF THE FORD EXPLORER. THE INFORMATION I HAVE BEEN READING SEEMS TO POINT TO THE FORD EXPLORER BEING THE MOST FREQUENT VEHICLE WITH FIRESTONE TIRE PROBLEM. IT SEEMS TO ME THERE MUST BE A LINK. AUTOMOTIVE CHAT ROOMS ARE FILLED WITH EXPLORER OWNERS HAVING THIS VIBRATION PROBLEM.

THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM 2 OF THE ORIGINAL TIRES. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75/15 )