1993 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

THESE WILDERNESS AT P235/75 TIRES ARE NOT PART OF THE PRESENT FIRESTONE RECALL. THE TIRES HAVE CRACKS THAT RUN AROUND THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE TIRE ON BOTH SIDES WHERE THE TREAD MEETS THE BODY OF THE TIRE. A FIRESTONE SERVICE CENTER EMPLOYEE INSPECTED THE TIRES ON AUGUST 11, AND I WAS TOLD THAT FIRESTONE WOULD REPLACE THE TIRES, AND I WAS PLACED ON A WATING LIST. ON SEPTEMBER 4, I RETURNED TO THE STORE TO DETERMINE THE STATUS OF MY TIRE REPLACEMENT AND WAS TOLD THAT FIRESTONE WOULD NOT REPLACE THE TIRES BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE THE "DL" DOT CODE. I ASKED IF THE TIRES WERE SAFE TO DRIVE ON AND WAS TOLD BY THE FIRESTONE REPRESENTATIVE THAT I SHOULD REPLACE THE TIRES IF I COULD AFFORD TO DO SO. I HAVE REPLACED THE TIRES. THE TIRES WERE ON THE VEHICLE FOR 15 MONTHS, HAVE APPROXIMATELY 22,000 MILES OF SERVICE AND HAVE APPROXIMATELY 9/32" OF TREAD REMAINING. THE TIRES WERE ROTATED FREQUENTLY AND MAINTAINED BETWEEN 30 AND 32 PSIG. I FEEL STRONGLY THAT FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES OTHER THAN THOSE WITH DOT CODE "DL" ARE FAULTY AND WOULD LIKE THESE TIRES INSPECTED BY A REPRESENTATIVE OF NHTSA SO THAT THE RECALL CAN BE BROADENED TO COVER OTHER FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES BEFORE OTHER ACCIDENTS OCCUR. *AK( DOT NUMBER: 8XHL TIRE SIZE: P235/75 )

JUST ONE MOUNTH AFTER PURCHASE AT COSTCO ONE OF THE TIRES SHOWED SIGNS OF THE STEEL BELTS COMING THROUGH THE SIDEWALL BELOW THE TREAD LINE ON BOTH SIDES. WE HAD COSTCO REPLACE THE TIRE. AND THEY DID BUT! THEY SEEMED TO WANT TO BLAME IT ON DRIVING THRU POTHOLES OR HITTING CURBS BUT IT WAS OBVIOUSE THERE WERE NO SCUFF MARKS ON THE TIRES FROM CURBS. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

I HAD TWO EARLY TIRE PROBLEM ONE BUBBLE ON TREAD AREA AND THE OTHER A CHUNK 5X10 INCHES CAME OFF WITH NO DAMAGE. IN EARLY SUMMER A LARGE SEPERATION FLAP CAUSED ABOUT $1500 DAMAGE TO THE LT REAR QUARTER PANEL AREA, WHICH FIRESTONE PAYED WITH NO QUESTIONS. LATER IN AUGUST THE RT. REAR SEPERATED WITH A SMALLER FLAP THAT DID ABOUT $500 DAMAGE. A CLAIM WAS NOT SUBMITTED HERE AS THE FAMILY WAS ON THE WAY TO ROCKY PT AND HAD NO ROOM TO STORE THE OLD TIRE. WE JUST HAD TO BUY ANOTHER ATX FIRESTONE TIRE BECAUSE THE TIRE STORE WASN'T A FIRESTONE STORE. JUST LAST MONTH, JULY 2000 I HAD A NOTICABLE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION AT HIGHER SPEEDS YOU GUESSED IT, THE TREAD WAS STARTING TO BUBBLE. I BOUGHT A USED FIRESTONE ATX FROM THE DEALER THAT USED TO HANDLE MY TIRES. I NEEDED TO MATCH THE WEAR ON THE OTHER TIRE AS 4 WHEEL DRIVES REQUIRE EQUAL ROLLING RADIUS ON ALL WHEELS. I TOOK THE OLD TIRE TO THE FIRSTONE COMPANY STORE AND WAS TOLD BY THE MANAGER THAT THEY COULDN'T WARRANTEE IT BECAUSE THAT TIRE WAS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. THAT I CONCIDER TO BE AN INTENTIONALLY MISS LEADY STATEMENT WHEN A TOTAL RECAL COME OUT TWO WEEKS LATER. I WAS NEVER OFFERED A SUBTITUTE FOR TIRES! I ALSO HAVE A SPARE THAT HASN'T BEEN ON THE GROUND IN YEARS, SINCE THE EARLYEST TIRE PROBLEM. THIS TIRE IS CHECKED, PEALING AND HAS PEA SIZED VOIDS IN THAT HAVE FALLEN FROM THE TREAD AREA. MY GUESS IS THAT THIS IS CAUSED BE THE HIGH RAD HEAT IN THE LOCAL AND IS GUARENTEED NOT FROM OF ROAD USE. I DECIDED TO RIGHT THIS BECAUSE ON THE TV NEWS TONIGHT THERE WAS A SEGMENT WEREIN IT WAS STATED THAT THERE HAVEN'T BEEN THAT MANY COMPLAINTS. WELL--- PHOOEY! NOT EVERYBODY COMPLAINS, IF A SET OF TIRE COST ME A WEEKS TAKE HOME PAY I'D COMPLAIN HARD. I THINK A LOT OF BETTER OFF PEOPLE (OR YUPPIE STAGECOACH DRIVERS) JUST THINK OH WELL BAD LUCK AND BUY MORE TIRES. I DO HATE TO GET SCREWED THOUGH. IV'E BEEN WAITING TWO WEEKS NOW FOR ACCEPTABLE ATX TYPE TIRES THAT WILL RUN ON A LITTLE SNOW OR ICE. LOOK DEEPER.

TIRE SEPARATED, BUT, DID NOT BLOWOUT, BECAUSE I HEARD THE NOISE AND IT STARTED SHIMMYING, SO I SLOWED WAY DOWN AND MADE IT TO THE TIRE STORE (15 MILES). AFTER I HEARD ABOUT THIS TIRE BEING IN THE RECALL, I TOOK IT TO A FIRESTONE STORE IN SAN ANTONIO, TX, WHERE THEY DENIED IT BEING IN THE RECALL, AND SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY OTHER TIRES. (SAME TIRES, EXCEPT OTHER 3 ARE DOT W2HL) I REPLACED THEM ALL ANYWAY, SINCE THIS VEHICLE IS MY 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTERS PRIMARY VEHICLE, BUT I NO LONGER ALLOW HER TO DRIVE IT OVER 55MPH. I BELIEVE THIS VEHICLE AND TIRES WERE DESIGNED WHEN THE SPEED LIMITS WERE LOWER, WHICH IS CONTRIBUTING TO THE TIRE FAILURES. MY QUESTION NOW IS HOW CAN I GET FIRESTONE TO HONOR THE RECALLED TIRE, AND ARE MY OTHER 3 IN THE RECALL, YET?*AK( DOT NUMBER: VDHLIPY147 TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

FIRESTONE TIRE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SPIN ENDING UP UPSIDE DOWN IN A DITCH, THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *SLC

WHILE DRIVING, FIRESTONE ATX TIRE'S (NO TIRE SIZE MENTIONED) TREAD SEPARATED, FIRESTONE REPLACED TIRE, NO CLAIM NUMBER GIVEN. *TT

RT REAR TIRE TREAD CAME OFF AND CAUSED ACCIDENT CR CALLED TO ADVISED TIRE IS A FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT. (CLAIM# 59-V511-654) *MW

THREE TIRES BLEW..N/I WONDERING IF DEFECT IN EXPLORER CAN CAUSE. THE INSURED HAS FIRESTONE ATX TIRES ON THE VEHICLE-APPARENTLY THE TREAD PEELED BACK WHILE HE WAS DRIVING. (CLAIM# 53-C597-904) *MW

FIRESTONE 235/75/R15. 3 BLOW OUTS IN LESS THAN 2 MONTHS. VEH1 N/B ON I-57; REAR LEFT TIRE BLEW, VEERED TO LEFT AND HIT GUARD RAIL SPUN AROUND AND HIT GUARD RAIL AGAIN. (CLAIM# 13-9897-782) *MW

V1 SB ON RANDALL RD WHEN TIRE BLEW OUT DAMAGING FRONT BUMPER AND GROUND EFFECTS. PLEASE ADVISE IF WE HAVE PLANS TO PURSUE SUB FROM FIRESTONE ON RECALL TIRES. NI IS SENDING RECEIPTS TO SUPPORT THIS LOSS WAS CAUSD BE BLOWOUT OF P235/ ATX FIRESTONE AXT II P235/75R15. (CLAIM# 13-9099-897) *MW