1996 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 70 MPH REAR LEFT TIRE HAD A TREAD SEPARATION. BUT, CONSUMER KEPT CONTROL OF VEHICLE. *AK FIRESTONE ATX P235/75/R15 *MW

ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 96 EXPLORER. RIGHT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED AT 65MPH, CAUSING DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. *AK THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE BEFORE THE TREAD OF THE TIRE CAME OFF. *YH

ENGINEERS REPORT BY CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS DETERMINED THAT THE TIRE WAS MANUFACTURED DEFECTIVELY IN THAT THE TREAD WAS NOT PROPERLY BONDED TO THE BELTS, WHICH ALLOWED THE TREAD TO BECOME SEPARATED FROM THE BELTS, ALTERING THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE TIRE. THIS SEPARATION CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO FLIP FIVE TIMES, TOTALING THE VEHICLE AND INJURING THE DRIVER. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN TEXAS, IN HOT WEATHER AND ON A HIGHWAY. THE FAULTY TIRE WAS ONLY 5 MONTHS OLD. *AK( DOT NUMBER: VDHL1PM126 TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

WE WERE DRIVING BACK FROM MAMMOTH THROUGH THE MOJAVE DESERT ON WEEKEND OF JUNE 22, 2000. WE STOPPED FOR LUNCH IN BISHOP CALIFORNIA AND WHEN WE RETURNED TO OUR CAR WE HAD A FLAT TIRE. WE CALLED AAA AND THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER TOOK US TO THE ONLY STATION IN TOWN THAT WAS OPEN OF A SUNDAY AFTERNOON. WHEN THEY LOOKED AT THE TIRE THEY NOTICED THAT INSTEAD OF A PUNCTURE IN THE TIRE THAT CAUSED THE FLAT A TOP LAYER OF THE TIRE HAD PEELED AWAY AND WIRES WERE EXPOSED. I GUESS THIS IS THE DEGLAZING EFFECT THAT IS OCCURING WITH THE FIRESTONE ATX RADIALS. THE STATION DID NOT HAVE THE ATX TIRES WE ORIGINALLY HAD SO WE REPLACED THE FLAT WITH THE WILDERNESS TIRES. WE HAD TO REPLACE BOTH TIRES SO THEY WOULD MATCH. THE TEMPERATURE THAT DAY THAT WE WERE TRAVELING WAS APPROXIMATELY 100 DEGREES. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

TIRE SEPARATED GOING ABOUT 20 MPH ON A GRADED BUT UNPAVED ROAD. TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT 102 DEGREES. THE SEPARATION LOOKED IDENTICAL TO MEDIA PICTURES OF OTHER TIRE SEPARATION PROBLEMS. TIRE HAD APPROXIMATELY 20,000 ON IT. PLENTY OF TREAD WAS LEFT. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235 75R15 )

I HAVE HAD TWO TIRE SEPARATIONS ON MY FIRESTONE ATX II TIRES WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 60 DAYS. THE TIRES WERE REPLACEMENT TIRES PURCHASED IN PAIRS (AT DIFFERENT TIMES). BOTH FAILURES OCCURRED AT SPEEDS LESS THAN 50 MPH, AND AT APPROPRIATE TIRE PRESSURES OF APPROXIMATELY 33PSI.( DOT NUMBER: ? TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAMAGE DONE TO CAR FROM THE RECALLED TIRE? THE TREAD WAS PARTIALLY DETATCHED FROM CASING AND SLAPPED THE REAR QUARTER PANEL AND TAIL GATE. WHO DO WE CONTACT. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

TIRE BLEW CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ROLL 3 TIMES, RESULTING IN MAJOR INJURIES. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )

TIRE FAILED AS TREAD SEPARATED FROM TIRE BODY. ALTHOUGH TIRE WAS REPLACED VIA PRO-RATA VALUE OF TIRE TREAD USED, WE REPLACED THE FIRESTONE TIRES WITH MICHELIN TIRES ON MARCH 24, 1999. WE DID THIS BECAUSE OF LACK OF TRUST IN THE FIRESTONE TIRES, AND EVEN THOUGH THE FIRESTONE TIRES WOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD FOR ANOTHER 20000 MILES OR SO BASED ON TREAD LEFT.. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235/75R15 )

IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY I WAS ON A RETURN TRIP FROM ORLANDO, FLORIDA AND ON MY WAY TO TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA HOME. APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES NORTH OF ORLANDO I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE A VIBRATION IN THE VEHICLE THAT I WAS DRIVING ( 1996 FORD EXPLORER ). I WAS TRAVELING AT 60 MPH AND AS I CONTINUED TO DECREASE IN SPEED THE VIBRATION INCREASED AND BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP I FELT A LARGE BANG IN THE LEFT REAR OF THE VEHICLE AS IF THE TIRE BLEW, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SWERVE BACK AND FORTH TO THE LEFT AND TO THE RIGHT, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL NEARLY MISSING ANOTHER VEHICLE. I REPLACED THE TIRE WITH THE SPARE THAT WAS ON THE VEHICLE AND MADE IT TO TALLAHASSEE. DURING THE DURATION OF THE DRIVE TO TALLAHASSEE I OBSERVED THE PERFORMANCE OF THE REMAINING TIRE ON THE VEHICLE. MY CONCLUSION WHEN I ARRIVED IN TALLAHASSEE WAS THAT I DID NOT FEEL THAT THE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE WERE SAFE AND WOULD NOT BET MY FAMILIES LIFE THEM SO I HAD THEM REPLACED. WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK I HAD FOUR OF THE FIVE TIRES REPLACED ON THE VEHICLE, THE SPARE STILL REMAINS UNDER THE VEHICLE UNTIL SUCH TIME THIS MATTER IS RESOLVED. TO MY SURPRISE ON AUGUST 8, 2000 I HEARD RUMORS THAT THE TIRE OF THE SAME BRAND AND MAKE "FIRESTONE RADIAL ATX" SERIES MAY BE RECALLED. HOWEVER THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE FROM THE STEEL BELTED RADIAL THAT TORE AWAY FROM THE WHEEL ITSELF CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE AND ALMOST MY LIFE FROM THE TIRE IN QUESTION. I FEEL THAT IT WOULD NOT BE UNREASONABLE TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE TIRES THAT I REPLACED AND THE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE. I WOULD APPRECIATE A REPLY TO THE MATTER AT HAND. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235R15 )