1999 FORD F-350 Complaints

FIRESTONE STEELTEX R45 TIRES 265 75 R16 EXPERIENCED CRACKING ON THE INSIDE WALL AND A BROKEN WIRE ON THE SIDE. *SLC

I HAVE HAD THREE TIRE BLOWOUTS WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE FIRST OCCURED ONE WEEK AFTER PURCHASE. THEY HAVE ALL BEEN SIDEWALL BLOWOUTS WITH COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE TIRE (UNABLE TO REPAIR) ALL OCCURED AT LESS THAN 40 MPH ON GRADED GRAVELED ROADS. IT APPEARED AS IF THE TIRES HAD BEEN CUT. (TIRESIZE: LT26575R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: LT26575R16 )

TIRE BLOWOUT OCCURED AT 55 MPH ON STRAIGHT SECTION OF DRY SMOOTH GRAVEL COVERED HIGHWAY DURING DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS WITH OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE OF APPROXIMATELY 75 DEGREES F. TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO FAILURE VEHICLE HAD TIRES INSPECTED, INFLATED (60 LBS PSI), AND ROTATED BY FIRESTONE TIRE CENTER DEALER. AFTER INCIDENT THE DESTROYED TIRE WAS TAKEN TO SAME FIRESTONE TIRE CENTER DEALER WHERE I REPORTED THE INCIDENT. DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THIS TIRE WAS NOT PART OF OTHER FIRESTONE TIRE RECALLS. DEALER REPLACED TIRE UNDER PROVISIONS OF FIRESTONE ROAD HAZARD INSURANCE PROTECTION WHICH I HAD PERVIOUSLY PURCHASED. I AM SUBMITTING THIS REPORT DUE TO LATER INFORMATION IN THE NEWS REPORTED ON 9/29/2000 THAT NHTSA HAD BEGUN AN INVESTIGATION OF THE SAME TYPE OF FIRESTONE STEELTEX AT TIRES AS USED ON MY FORD F350 PICKUP TRUCK BECAUSE OF A SERIES OF COMPLAINTS NTHSA HAS RECEIVED IN RECENT MONTHS CONCERNING TIRE FAILURE SITUATIONS WHICH SEEMED TO BE THE SAME TYPE AS I HAD EXPERIENCED. (NOTE - THIS TIRE FAILURE IS THE SECOND I HAVE EXPERIENCED SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE NEW IN SEPTEMBER 1999. THE FIRST OCCURED WITHIN THE FIRST 500 MILES OF VEHICLE OWNERSHIP BUT DID NOT RESULT IN A BLOWOUT, BUT WITH A SIDEWALL FAILURE ABOVE THE TREADLINE. THIS FAILURE WAS ALSO RETURNED TO THE SAME FIRESTONE TIRE CENTER DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT.) (TIRESIZE: 26575R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 26575R16 )

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK (TIRESIZE: P265X75R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P265X75R16 )

BRAKE ROTORS KEEP WARPING CAUSING CYCLIC LOADING AND POSSIBLE FATIGUE FAILURE TO STEERING AND BRAKING COMPONENTS. DESIGN CHANGE HAS BEEN MADE TO RECENT PRODUCTION, OLD UNITS ARE STILL DEFECTIVE IN DESIGN AND/OR MANUFACTURE.*AK

WHILE DRIVEING AT BETWEEN 60-65 MPH ON TWO CONSECTIVE DAYS I HAD MASSIVE TIRE FAILURES ON THE REAR OF MY TRUCK. IN BOTH CASES I WAS TRAVING ALONG AT THE LEGAL SPEED LEVEL WITH MY TRUCK EMPTY, ON A DRY ROADWAY, TEMPERATURE AROUND 100 DEGREES F. IN BOTH CASES THE TRUCK STARTED TO SHAKE REAL BAD AND THEN IMMEDIATELY THE TIRES EXPLODED. IN NEITHE CASE DID THE TIRES LOOSE AIR. THE TREAD CAME COMPLETELY OFF THE CASING. I DID NOT LOOSE CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE BECAUSE IT HAS DUAL REAR WHEELS. BOTH TIMES IT DID DAMAGE THE FENDERS, FENDER WELLS, FENDER LINERS AND FENDER BRACES. THE TIRES HAD ABOUT 4,000 MILES ON THEM AND WERE INFLATED TO 65 PSI. I HAVE CONTACTED KUMHO TIRE COMPANY AND THEY WANT ME TO SEND IN THE BLOWN TIRES AND THEY MAY REPLACE THEM AND MAY REPAIR MY VEHICLE DAMSGE. I STILL HAVE THE TWO DAMAGED TIRES AND THE TWO THAT DID NOT SEPERATE. I WILL HOLD ALL FOUR TIRES UNTIL I HEAR FROM YOU.*AK (DOT NUMBER: HZIOYCIS40 TIRESIZE: LT255/8516)

WHEN DRIVING & STARTING TO BRAKE, BRAKES WOULD PULSATE & VIBRATE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER & MECHANIC INDICATED BRAKE ROTORS & SHOES WERE INADEQUATE FOR VEHICLE. THE ROTORS WERE WARPING, AND WERE TURNED. CALIPERS & SHOES WERE REPLACED. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. ROTORS/CALIPERS & SHOES WERE REPLACED AGAIN FOR THE 4TH TIME. HEAT FROM SIZE OF TRUCK WOULD WARP ROTORS. DEALER WAS ORDING HEAVY DUTY BRAKE ROTORS/ CALIPERS & SHOES.*AK

SPARE TIRE ASEMBLY CABLE SNAPPED - TIRE FLEW OFF TRUCK AND ALMOST STRUCK 2 OTHER CARS

THESE FIRESTONE STEEL TEX AT, P26575R16 WERE (OE) ON THIS FORD TRUCK. SEPERATION OF TREAD WAS NOTICED WHILE VEHICLE WAS SITTING. FIRESTONE REPLACED THE TIRE.*AK THE TIRE WAS MADE IN CANADA. FIRESTONE PRORATED THE TIRE AND REPLACED IT AS A ROAD HAZARD CLAIM. *YH

PE-00-020; ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 1999, FORD, F350 SUPER DUTY, TIRE SIZE LT26575R16, TIRE MANUFACTURED IN CANDIA, AND TIRE HAD 27 THOUSAND MILES. WHEN DRIVING 69 MPH PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED WHICH CAUSED DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL. TREAD WHICH SEPARATED DAMAGED THE VEHICLE,[XXX]. ENTIRE BOTTOM PORTION WAS MISSING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR