1996 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

MY FAMILY & I WERE DRIVING TO CA. FROM LAS VEGAS DOWN I-15, ABOUT 25 MILES OUT OF LAS VEGAS. THE TREAD COMPLETELY BLEW OFF OUR RIGHT, REAR TIRE, DRIVING ABOUT 70 MPH. MY HUSBAND FOUGHT TO KEEP CONTROL OF THE CAR, IT SWAYED & ROCKED VIOLENTLY. WE HAD HEARD A LOUD "BANG" BUT DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS & DIDN'T SUSPECT A FLAT TIRE, THOUGHT SOMETHING HAD HIT US.THE ROAD WAS CLEAR AT THE TIME; HAD USUAL TRAFFIC BEEN PRESENT WE WOULD'VE HIT ANTHING IN THE LANE NEXT TO US, DUE TO SEVERE SWERVING. HAD WE TURNED OVER AND ROLLED, MOST DEFINITELY WOULDN'VE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED IF NOT KILLED. PULLED OVER, SAW THAT TREAD WAS COMPLETELY GONE. REAR LIGHT WAS BROKEN, QUARTER PANEL DENTED, REAR BUMPER DISENGAGED FROM CAR. AFTER GETTING TIRE CHANGED BY AAA CLUB, IMMEDIATELY RETURN TO LV. AT GOODYEAR SHOP, TOLD THEM TO TAKE OFF ALL TIRES & BOUGHT NEW ONES FOR TOTAL OF $500. THE PREVIOUS WEEK HAD HAD CAR SERVICED FOR TRIP TO CALIF. & NO PROBLEMS NOTED WITH TIRES (HAD SPECIFIC CONVERSATION). NO CLUE THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN. AM CURRENTLY WORRIED ABOUT GOODYEAR STEEL BELTED TIRES THAT HAVE BEEN ON SINCE 7/99 SINCE I LIVE IN DESERT & IT'S FREQUENTLY OVER 100 DEGREES. I HAVE THEM CHECKED FREQUENTLY TOO BUT NOW I HAVE NO PEACE OF MIND AFTER HARROWING EXPERIENCE OF LAST SUMMER.( DOT NUMBER: ??? TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, A REAR TIRE SUFFERED A TREAD SEPARATION THAT CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL WELL AND NEARLY CAUSED ACCIDENTS. AFTER THE SECOND ONE, I REMOVED THE REMAINING FIRESTONE TIRES AND REPLACED ALL FOUR WITH MICHELINS.( DOT NUMBER: ? TIRE SIZE: ? )

FOLLOW A LONG WEEKEND TRIP, I NOTICED A LARGE SECTION OF THE OUTSIDE TREAD WAS MISSING FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE REVEALING THE STEEL BELT. IT IS WAS THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRE, THE FIRESTONE ATX, THAT CAME WITH THE EXPLORER WHICH WE PURCHASE NEW IN '96. THE MISSING PIECE WAS AT LEAST FIVE INCHES IN LENGTH AND TWO INCHES WIDE. I IMMEDIATELY REPLACED THE DAMAGED TIRE WITH THE MATCHING SPARE. IN EARLY JUNE I REPLACE THE ENTIRE SET OF FIRESTONE TIRES WITH ANOTHER BRAND. AT THAT TIME I WAS TOLD BY A DISCOUNT TIRE EMPLOYEE THE DAMAGE WAS PROBABLY CAUSED BY HITTING A LARGE POTHOLE (WHICH I DIDN'T BELIEVE.) PLEASE ADD OUR COMPLAINT TO YOUR FILE SURROUNDING THE FIRESTONE TIRES. WE HAVE A TWO-YEAR OLD SON WHO WE DROVE AROUND EXCLUSIVELY IN THE EXPLORER. THANK GOD NOTHING HAPPEN, BUT I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THE DELAY FORD AND FIRESTONE DISPLAYED WITH THIS RECALL.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235 )

RIGHT REAR TIRE THREAD CAME OFF AND ALMOST CAUSED WRECK. I KNOW THAT YOU KEEP STATISTICS ON DEFECTS SO I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW I ALMOST HIT A CAR BUT MANAGED TO SWIRVE INTO A DITCH.

THIS IS ACTUALLY THE SECOND TREAD SEPARATION INCIDENT I HAVE HAD WITH THESE TIRES. FIRST ONE OCCURED NEARLY SIX MONTHS AGO. I LOST CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE AND TOOK OFF THE RUNNING BOARD ON THE RIGHT SIDE TRYING TO GET IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, DANGEROUS TIRES.( DOT NUMBER: )

TRAVELING OFF SANIBEL ISLAND AND ACCELERATING TO 50 MPH, I HEARD A LOUD THUD AND SLAPPING AT THE REAR OF THE CAR AS IF I HAD RUN OVER SOMETHING. I PULLED TO THE SIDE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE HAD SHREADED. THE TIRE WAS STILL INFLATED BUT THE TREAD HAD SEPARATED, TEARING OFF THE REAR WHEEL GUARD AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE RUNNING BOARD. THE DRIVER'S REAR SIDE WAS ALSO DENTED. SINCE I HAD JUST ACCELERATED TO 50, I DID NOT LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR AND NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE HIT BY THE FLYING DEBRIS. WE CHANGED THE TIRE AND DROVE TO THE NEAREST FIRESTONE DEALER TO REPLACE THAT TIRE AND THE OTHER REAR TIRE. THEY DID NOT INFORM US OF EXISTING PROBLEMS WITH THE ATX AND SOLD US TWO NEW ATX TIRES. AFTER WE ARRIVED AT OUR DESTINATION -- WHICH WAS A FAMILY REUNION OUT OF TOWN -- WE DISCOVERED THE PROBLEMS WITH ACCIDENTS RELATED TO FIRESTONE TIRE TREAD SEPARATION WHICH HAD RESULTED IN ACCIDENTS AND EVEN FATALITIES. UPON RETURN HOME WE WENT TO THE FIRESTONE STORE AND THEY TOOK THE TWO ATX TIRES BACK AND REPLACED THEM WITH BRIDGESTONES. THE BODY DAMAGE ESTIMATE IS $1,100. WE STILL HAVE TWO FRONT ATX TIRES AND A SPARE AND ARE WAITING TO SEE IF A RECALL IS PUT IN PLACE FOR THOSE.( DOT NUMBER: )

THE TREAD OF THE PASSENGER-SIDE FRONT TIRE CAME DETACHED FROM THE TIRE WHILE I WAS DRIVING SOUTH ON I-5 IN SAN DIEGO. MY CAR NEARLY FLIPPED OVER AND SOME DAMAGE WAS DONE TO MY FRONT QUARTER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. I DID NOT KNOW THERE HAD BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THESE TIRES DOING THE SAME THING TO OTHER PEOPLE, SO I REPLACED THE TIRES MYSELF AT A COST OF $546 OUT OF FEAR FOR SAFETY WITH THOSE TIRES. I'M CONCERNED THAT FIRESTONE WILL TRY TO IGNORE PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALREADY PURCHASED NEW TIRES ON THEIR OWN, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS FIRESTONE'S DEFECTIVE TIRES THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE HELP US MAKE SURE THAT FIRESTONE OWNS UP TO THEIR MISTAKE AND COMPENSATES PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF WHO COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED AS A RESULT OF THEIR DEFECTIVE PRODUCT.( DOT NUMBER: )

THE TIRE FAILED CONSISTENT WITH REPORTS THAT ARE CAUSING THE RECALL OF THE FIRESTONE ATX TIRES. THE TREAD PEELED OFF, THE TIRE BLEW, AND MY WIFE LOST CONTROL INTO A CONCRETE MEDIAN BARRICADE.( DOT NUMBER: )

TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. 95 DEGREES OUTSIDE. ALMOST FLIPPED SUV. ONE WEEK LATER, I WITNESSED THE SAME PROBLEM (FIRESTONE WIDERNESS ON AN EXPLORER) CAUSE A GRUESOME DEATH BECAUSE THE VEHICLE FLIPPED.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P255/70R16 )

MY SON WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 75 GOING APPROX. 75MPH AND THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE JUST PEELED AWAY AND CAUGHT THE REAR PANEL AND PULLED IT OFF. NOTHING WAS IN THE ROADWAY TO CAUSE SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN. THANK GOD TIRE DIDN'T BLOW. AT TIME ROADSIDE REPAIR HELP ADVISED IT WAS A DEFECTIVE TIRE -- SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. SINCE LEASE WAS UP THE NEXT MONTH, WE TURNED EXPLORER IN TIRE AND ALL PAID DEDUTIBLE TO HAVE REPAIRED AND INS. CO. COULDN'T PERSUE BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KEEP THE TIRE.( DOT NUMBER: )