1993 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

WAS DRIVING 75MPH WHEN VEHICLE MADE A LOUD NOISE. VEHICLE SHOOK & VIBRATED. LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. IT CAME TO A STOP. CHECKED VEHICLE & NOTICED LEFT REAR TIRE WAS STILL INFLATED, BUT TREAD HAD PEELED COMPLETELY OFF. VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED. POLICE OFFICER HAS INCIDENT REPORT. HAD CONTACTED FIRESTONE & MAILED TIRE TO MANUFACTURER. FIRESTONE WILDERNESS ATX P23575R15 *AK DOT#VNHL1M0033. *SLC

WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED I HAD THE ORIGINAL FIRESTONE TIRES PUT ON THE EXPLORER BY FORD, ALTHOUGH I DON'T HAVE THE MODEL NUMBER AVAILABLE ANYMORE. I WAS TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65-70 MPH ON A WARM SUMMER EVENING, GOING FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO MY THEN-HOME IN WOODLAND, CA (A HIGH TEMPERATURE AREA) WHEN I EXPERIENCED A TIRE BLOW-OUT. I WAS ABLE TO AVOID HITTING ANY OTHER CARS, AND THUS THERE WERE NO INJURIES. I SPECIFICALLY REMEMBER BEING TOLD BY THE PERSON WHO HELPED ME CHANGE THE TIRE THAT THE TREAD HAD SHREDDED OFF THE TIRE, AND THERE DIDN'T SEEM TO BE ANY SIGN OF A NAIL PUNCTURE, ETC. I IMMEDIATELY HAD ALL FOUR TIRES REPLACED WITH BRIDGESTONE TIRES, AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $400. I HAVE THE RECEIPT FROM TEH REPLACEMENT TIRES, BUT HAVE NO RECORD OF THE ACCIDENT, ALTHOUGH FRIENDS REMEMBER ME DESCRIBING THE BLOW-OUT AND WOULD SIGN A DECLARATION ABOUT IT. I HAVE ASKED FORD TO CHECK THEIR RECORDS FOR WHAT SPECIFIC TYPE OF TIRE WAS ON MY VEHICLE.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 15 )

TREAD ON REAR LEFT ATX TIRE STRIPPED OFF ON TEXAS HIGHWAY AT APPROX. 75 MPH IN JULY, 1999, CAUSING '93 FORD EXPLORER TO FISHTAIL VIOLENTLY AND ALMOST FLIP OVER--STRIPPED TIRE TREAD LASHED SUV BODY, CAUSING APPROX. $4,000 IN DAMAGE.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P23575R15 )

CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE, THE CAR VIBRATED AND UPON INSPECTION CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE TREAD HAD SEPARATED FROM THE LEFT REAR TIRE THIS INCIDENT CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL WELL, BUMPER, LEFT QUARTER PANEL AND THE REAR TAIL LIGHT (FIRESTONE ATX). NLM

TIRE FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON OK TURNPIKE AT POSTED SPEED LIMIT OF 75 MPH. TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS APPX 100 DEG. TIRE INFLATION WAS 35 PSI IN ACCORDANCE WITH LABELING ON TIRE SIDEWALL. *AK( DOT NUMBER: W2HL1M0113 TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

I HAD BEEN TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE FOR APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES WHEN I NOTICED A VIBRATION. I SLOWED FROM 65 MPH TO 60 MPH. WITHIN THE NEXT MILE OR SO, THERE WAS A LOUD BANG AND I WAS INSTANTLY GOING SIDEWAYS. WHEN I GOT THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL AND STOPPED, I INITALLY THOUGHT I HAD STRUCK SOMETHING ON THE ROAD BECAUSE ALL OF MY TIRES WERE STILL INFLATED. THEN SOMEONE WHO STOPPED TO HELP ME POINTED OUT THAT I HAD LOST ALL OF THE TREAD ON THE REAR DRIVER'S TIRE. I BELIEVE IT IS SIGNIFICANT TO NOTE THAT I HAD JUST HAD MY TIRES ROTATED ABOUT A MONTH PRIOR AT A TIRES PLUS STORE AND THEY DID NOT INFORM ME OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH MY TIRES.*AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

MY WIFE, TWO CHILDREN AND MYSELF EXPERIENCE TREAD SEPARATION ON OUR FORD EXPLORER. THE TIRE SEVERED THE FUEL LINE AND REAR QUARTER PANEL CAUSING APPROXIMATELY $3K IN BODY DAMAGE. MY MECHANIC INSPECTED THE TIRE AND CONTACTED FORD AND FIRESTONE AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO DOCUMENTED PROBLEMS WITH THE TIRES. WE DID NOT PURSUE IT. I HAVE THE TIRE AND PICTURES OF THE DAMAGE. THE POLICE WERE CONTACTED AND I HAVE THE INSURANCE CLAIM. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE TOW OTHER TIRES SINCE.*AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P23575R15 )

PE 00 020/TIRE TREAD SEPARATION: WHILE TRAVELING IN A 1993 FORD EXPLORER, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT/, DOT# AND TIRE SIZE UNAVAILABLE AT HIGHWAY SPEED 0F 65 MPH, REAR TIRE COMMENCED TO SEPARATE. CONSUMER LOST OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED A ROLLOVER COLLISION. DRIVER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. *AK

THE PROBLEM STARTED CLOSE TO 6 MONTHS AGO. I NOTICED ANYTIME I REACHED SPEEDS ABOUVE 60 MPH MY EXPLORER WOULD BEGIN TO VIBRATE VIOLENTLY. I DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT AT THE TIME. I ALWAYS KEEP MY TIRES ROATATED AND INFLATED PROPERLY, SO I DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. I RECENTLY WAS GOING DOWN A BACK ROAD AND HIT A BUMP. I FELT MY CAR JERK AND THEN FELT MY TIRE WAS FLAT. UPON EXAIMING THE FLAT TIRE I OBSERVED THAT THE TREAD HAD PEELED PARTLY OFF. AT THE TIME I WAS UNAWARE THAT MY TIRE WAS PRONE TO THIS TYPE OF FAILURE. I HAD THE TIRE REPLACED WITH A UNIROYAL. UP TO THIS POINT I HAD BEEN TOTALLY UNSATISFIED WITH MY TIRES. THEY HANDLE POORLY IN WET CONDITIONS AND ARE NOISEY. RECENTLY THE SHAKING BECAME MORE FREQUENT. I HAD THE SHOCKS REPLACED THINKING THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. THE SHAKING CONTINUED. AND LAST WEEK I STARTED READING THE FIRST STORIES ABOUT MY TIRES. UPON EXAIMING MY TIRES, IT WAS QUITE APPARENT THAT TREAD FAILURE WAS THE PROBLEM. I OBSERVED A LARGE CRACK ALL THE WAY AROUND THE TIRE TREAD ON ALL THE OF MY FIRESTONE TIRES AND THE SPARE. I DOCUMENTED THIS ALL WITH PHOTOGRAPHS. I WAS IN A BIND ABOUT WHAT TO DO. I GO BACK TO COLLEGE THIS COMING FRIDAY, THE 18TH. THIS WILL INVOLVE A LONG DRIVE AT HIGH SPEEDS AND CARRYING HEAVY LOADS. I REALIZED I NEED TO HAVE MY TIRES REPLACED ASAP. I BEGAN LOOKING AT TIRES AND BECAME CONCERNED THAT I, A CASH-STRAPPED COLLEGE STUDENT, WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE RELATIVLY NEW TIRES BECAUSE OF A MANUFACTURE'S DEFECT. LUCKY A RECALL WAS ISSUED, BUT THIS HAS DONE LITTLE TO RESOLVE MY PROBLEM. WITH MY MOVE-IN DAY RAPIDLY APPROACHING I HAVE BEEN PLACED ON A WAITING LIST FOR TIRES. I FELT THE NHTSA SHOULD BE AWARE OF MY STORY AND THE FACT THAT I'M A RESIDENT OF SOUTH CAROLINA, WHICH HAS BEEN GIVEN A LOW PRIORITY IN THE RECALL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND I HOPE THIS HELPS YOU IN INVESTIGATING THE SITUATION.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

WHILE ON VACATION TO MONTANA IN AUGUST 1998, WE HAD A FLAT TIRE, WHICH WE DISCOVERED IN THE MORNING AFTER PARKING THE CAR IN A BOZEMAN, MT, MOTEL LOT OVERNIGHT. WE REPLACED IT WITH A SPARE. WHEN WE TOOK THE FLAT TIRE TO OUR MECHANIC AFTER WE GOT HOME TO WISCONSIN, TO HAVE IT FIXED, HE SAID IT COULD NOT BE REPAIRED BECAUSE THE TREAD HAD SEPARATED. WE HAD TO BUY A NEW TIRE. IT WAS HOT (IN THE 80S) IN MONTANA DURING OUR TRIP THERE AND, PRIOR TO THE FLAT, WE HAD DRIVEN SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES AT SPEEDS OF 70-75 MPH, INCLUDING DRIVING OVER A HIGH PASS ON THE IDAHO BORDER AND DRIVING FOR MANY MILES ON UNPAVED ROADS. WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY FURTHER PROBLEMS, THOUGH WE DO HAVE 4 OF THE RECALLED TIRES CURRENTLY ON OUR EXPLORER. PLEASE NOTE, WE BOUGHT THE EXPLORER USED (4 YEARS OLD), CONTAINING FOUR NEW TIRES (THE RECALLED MODELS) INSTALLED BY THE DEALER. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )