1996 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

THE 1ST INCIDENT REPORTED WAS A CATASTROPHIC BLOWOUT OF A FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT LT235/75R15 DOT VDHK AWZ. IT OCCURRED LATE AT NIGHT ON A COLD FEBRUARY NIGHT (2/21/99) ON A WISCONSIN INTERSTATE. THERE WAS NO WARNING, NO SIGN OF ANYTHING ON THE ROAD, AN( DOT NUMBER: VDHK AWZ TIRE SIZE: 235/75R15 )

SEAT BACK FAILURE DRIVERS BUCKET SEAT, BOLT FRACTURED, SEAT BACK FELL TO RECLINE, LOSS OF CONTROL POSSIBLE IF AT DRIVING SPEED

I PURCHASED 4 ATX TIRES 04-28-1997 FROM THE FIRESTONE TIRE CENTER,6783 W. CANYON AVE, LITTLETON CO 80123. ON JULY 17TH, 1997 THE RIGHT REAR TIRE THREW ITS TREAD WHILE I WAS GOING AROUN A CURVE ON THE HIGHWAY. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO OTHER TRAFFIC AND I WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM ROLLING. THE FIRESTONE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THE TIRE BLAMES THE TREAD SEPARATION ON A ROAD HAZARD BUT THEY DID REPLACE THE TIRE UNDER WARRANTY.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235 75 15 )

FIRESTONE WILDERNESS 16" TIRES ARE STARTING TO EXPERIENCE TREAD SEPARATION, CONSUMER REQUESTS FIRESTONE REPLACE FAULTY TIRES. *SLC

WHILE HAVING TIRE SERVICED NOTICE A BUBLE ON THE OUTER SIDEWALL OF TIRE. *AK IN ADDITION, ALL FOUR TIRES HAD CRACKS ON THE OUTER TREAD. *YH

ON A VERY WARM DAY IN MAY, I HAD A TIRE BLOW OUT. I THOUGHT IT WAS A UNIQUE PROBLEM, HOWEVER WITH ALL THE FIRESTONE INVESTIGATION AND REPORTS ABOUT DEFECTIVE TIRES, I BELIEVE THAT MY TIRE WAS DEFECTIVE. AFTER CONTACTING BOTH FORD AND FIRESTONE DEALERS WITH MY CONCERN, I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT EVEN THOUGH THE NHTSA HAS ISSUED WARNINGS AGAINST MY TIRES,THEY ARE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO REPLACE MY TIRES. ACCORDING TO PRESS STATEMENTS MADE BY JASON VINES FROM FORD AND CHRISTINE KARBOWIAK FROM FIRESTONE, IF A CUSTOMER HAS A CONCERN ABOUT THEIR TIRES, THEY WILL BE REPLACED AT NO COST. OBVIOUSLY, THE FORD AND FIRESTONE DEALERS ARE NOT HONORING THESE COMMENTS AND HAVE BEEN INFORMED NOT TO REPLACE THE TIRES UNTIL THEY HAVE BEEN RECALLED. I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED WITH MY TIRES AND WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP AND SUGGESTIONS YOU HAVE REGARDING MY CONCERN. PLEASE CONTACT ME AND INFORM ME OF HOW I SHOULD PROCEED.( DOT NUMBER: W2UU TIRE SIZE: 235/70/15 )

TIRES TURNED "LUMPY" IN 1998. GOODYEAR DEALER SAID IT WAS DUE TO TIRE SEPARATION AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO. I CONTINUED TO DRIVE ON THEM AND HAVE JUST RECENTLY ORDERED NEW TIRES. .( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 255 70 R16 )

WHILE TRAVELLING I-20 WESTBOUND SUN OCT 3, 1999. (3 OCCUPANTS WERE IN THE EXPLORER) THE LEFT FRONT TIRE HAD AN UNCONTROLLABLE VIBRATION. I THOUGHT THE TIRE WAS OUT OF BALANCE. THE FASTER I DROVE THE SMOOTHER THE RIDE WAS.. AFTER RETURNING HOME (20MILES). MY HUSBAND (WAS NOT IN THE EXPLORER AT THE TIME) INSPECTED THE TIRE. THE TREAD HAD SEPARATED FROM THE INSIDE SIDEWALL. HE COULD LITERALLY PUT HIS HAND BETWEEN THE TREAD AND THE TIRE. THE LENGTH OF THIS SPLIT WAS APPROX 5 INCHES. WE REPLACED THESE TIRES ON OCT 6, 1999 WITH A NEW SET OF FIRESTONE ATX TIRES. THE OLD TIRES WERE STILL IN VERY GOOD SHAPE AND DID NOT NEED REPLACING. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WE THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A "FLUKE". IF I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW. THANKS, PENNY GARNER( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235/75SR15 )

THE AUTO WAS PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND THANKFULLY DID NOT CRASH OR OVERTURN AS OUR 20 YR OLD DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING AND HAD 3 PASSENGERS.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

THESE TIRES DISPLAY THE WARNING SIGNS OF THE PUBLISHED REPORTS OF THE FIRESTONE TIRE FAILURES. I REPLACED THE TIRES TODAY WITH GOODYEAR TIRES. THE GOODYEAR EXPERTS INSPECTED THE TIRES AND ADVISED ME THAT THE TIRES LOOKED LIKE THEY MEET THE PHYSICAL CHARACTERSTICS OF THE RECALL TIRES. THE TIRES ARE SEPERATING AROUND THE SIDE WALL AND TREAD. I LEFT THE GOODYEAR STORE AND PROCEEDED TO THE FIRESTONE STORE FOR THEM TO INSPECT THE TIRES. THE MANAGER AT THE FIRESTONE STORE TOLD ME THAT ALL THE INFORMATION THAT HE HAD WAS WHAT I COULD GET ON THE FIRESTONE WEB SITE. HE DID NOT INSPECT THE TIRES BECAUSE HE HAS NOT BEEN TOLD WHAT TO INSPECT FOR FROM FIRESTONE. I HAVE THE TIREES IN MY GARAGE AT THIS TIME AND WOULD LIKE FOR AN INVESTIGATOR TO TAKE A LOOK AT THEM. IF WHAT THE GOODYEAR EXPERTS REPORT IS TRUE THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL ME FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK( DOT NUMBER: VNCU1PL TIRE SIZE: P255/70R16 )