1996 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P225/75/15 )

THESE TIRES HAVE SEPARATED FROM THEMSELVES AND I HAVE THEM FOR ANY ONE WHO WOULD LIKE THEM. *AK( DOT NUMBER: W2IPY TIRE SIZE: P23575R15 )

AS REPORTED ON 9/5/00 (BEFORE THE TIRE RECALL HEARINGS ON 9/6/00) TO SENATORS RICHARD SHELBY AND FRANK LAUTENBERG AND HOUSE REPRESENTATVES W.J. "BILLY" TAUZIN AND FRED UPTON: I RECENTLY READ IN THE TIMES THAT THE EXPLORER TIRE THAT BLOWS OUT MOST OFTEN IS THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE, WHICH MAKES ME WONDER IF THERE IS A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE. UPON CLOSELY EXAMINING MY 96 EXPLORER (WHICH DIDN'T COME WITH FIRESTONE TIRES, BY THE WAY), I FOUND THAT THE BODY LEANS TO THE LEFT (DRIVER'S SIDE), RESULTING IN A VERTICAL SAG OF ABOUT HALF AN INCH ON THAT SIDE. I CONFIRMED THAT THE SAG IS NOT RELATED TO VEHICLE LOADING - THE SAG PERSISTS WITH BOTH VEHICLE AND GAS TANK EMPTY; OR TO WEAKENED SPRINGS - THE CHASIS STAYS LEVEL, ONLY THE BODY SAGS. ALSO, THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENTS THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS. SINCE THEN, OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS OR SO, I HAVE BEEN CLOSELY OBSERVING EXPLORERS AND OTHER SUV'S ON THE ROAD AND IN PARKING LOTS. THE RESULTS OF MY ADMITTEDLY NOT-SO-SCIENTIFIC SURVEY ARE AS FOLLOWS: (1) ABOUT 50% OF THE OLDER EXPLORERS ON THE ROAD SHOW A SIMILAR SAG TO THE LEFT. (2) NONE OF THE EXPLORER'S OBSERVED SHOWED A SAG TO THE RIGHT. (3) LESS THAN 5% OF THE OTHER SUV'S OBSERVED SHOWED ANY SAG, WHICH WAS EQUALLY LIKELY TO BE TO THE LEFT OR TO THE RIGHT. I THOUGHT I SHOULD PASS ON THIS INFORMATION TO YOU, FOR WHATEVER IT IS WORTH, BEFORE THE TIRE RECALL HEARINGS IN THE SENATE TOMORROW. SINCERELY, RAMESH DHINGRA. *AK

PE00 020; TIRES WERE CRACKING AROUND SIDEWALL, AND TIRES WERE REPLACED BY FIRESTONE. PROBLEM WAS SOLVED. *AK

PE00 020; WHEN CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY HE HEARD A WASH BOARD SOUND, TIRES WERE FALLING APART. HE TOOK VEHICLE TO A FIRESTONE RETAILER. AND THE ATTENDANT TOLD HIM THAT THE TIRES WERE UNSAFE. FIRESTONE WILDERNESS #AT P25570R16 #DOT NUMBER W2. *AK THE TIRES HAD 65000 MILES ON THEM BUT 25%-30% TREAD WEAR LEFT *YH.

CONSUMER REPLACED BOTH REAR FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES P225/70R15 DOT W2UU DUE TO TREAD PEELING, 15-20 THOUSAND MILES LATER, WHILE DRIVING, REAR TIRE EXPERIENCED BLOWOUT, CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO KEEP CONTROL AND PULL OVER, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT. *SLC

ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 1996 FORD EXPLORER. TREAD SEPARATED FROM LEFT REAR TIRE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, RESULTING IN A ROLLOVER.*AK ONE PERSON WAS INJURED DUE TO THE TREAD SEPARATION, THE VEHICLE IS A TOTAL LOSS. *SLC

THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS TIRES ON THE VEHICLE ARE EXPERIENCING CRACKS AROUND THE TREAD. *MJS

THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS TIRES HAD BIG BULGES IN THEM WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SHAKE BADLY WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER BELIEVES THIS DEFECT IS WHAT CAUSED THE WHEEL BEARINGS TO FAIL. NLM

ALTHOUGH THIS TIRE IS NOT INVOLVED IN THE RECALL, I ENCOUNTERED A PROBLEM SIMILAR TO THOSE DESCRIBED FOR THE RECALLED TIRES. THE TIRE, WHICH WAS THREE YEARS OLD AND STILL IN PRETTY GOOD CONDITION, AS FAR AS TREAD DEPTH, COMPLETLY SEPARATED AT THE SIDEWALLS AND DISINTEGRATED RAPIDLY. THE TIRE WAS ON THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. I WAS DRIVING IN BAJA, MEXICO ON A ROAD THAT WAS PAVED, BUT FAIRLY ROUGH. ALTHOUGH THE TIRE IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL OF FIRESTONE TIRES, THE METHOD OF FAILURE WAS VERY SIMILAR TO THOSE DESCRIBED FOR THE RECALLED TIRES.( DOT NUMBER: W2CU1PX TIRE SIZE: P255/70R16 )