1997 FORD F-350 Complaints

AT 15000 MILES, FIRESTONE TIRES WERE REPLACED DUE TO A RECALL, NOW, 30000 MILES LATER CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACED THE FIRESTONE STEELTEX TIRES P235/85R16 DUE TO TIRES CAUSING FRONT END TO WOBBLE AND EXPERIENCE VIBRATION, DEALER STATED THE BELTS WERE COMING APART. CONSUMER HAD REPLACED THE LEFT UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS DUE TO FROND END SNAPPING SOUDN AND WOBBLE, CONSUMER WONDERS IF THE PROBLEM THE WHOLE TIME WAS WITH THE TIRES. *SLC

I HAVE HAD TWO OF THESE FIRESTONE STEEL TEX R4S TIRES "BLOW OUT" WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE WITH MY FAMILY. THE FIRST ONE WAS IN AUGUST OF 1999 IN OHIO ON A WARM, BUT NOT HOT DAY. WE WERE DRIVING ALONG AND BOOM IT WENT. FORTUNATELY, IT WAS ONE OF THE REAR DUEL TIRES AND NOT A FRONT TIRE. I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AND GET IT SAFELY STOPPED. FIRESTONE REPLACED THIS TIRE. THE OTHER WAS IN MARCH OF 1999 ON A COOL DAY IN INDIANA. WE WERE DRIVING AND GOT A TERRIBLE SHIMMY AND THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO DRIVE. SUDDENLY, BOOM, ANOTHER REAR DUEL TIRE WENT. I AGAIN MANAGED TO GET IT OFF THE ROAD AND GOT IT CHANGED. FIRESTONE WOULDN'T GIVE ME A NEW TIRE ON THIS ONE. THEY ALLOWED A REPLACEMENT VALUE. I AM DISGUSTED WITH FIRESTONE TIRES. LAST MARCH, BEFORE THE MEDIA ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEM, I HAD VOWED TO NEVER HAVE ANOTHER FIRESTONE TIRE ON MY VEHICLES. I SHUDDER TO THINK WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED IF ONE OF THE BLOWOUTS HAD BEEN A FRONT TIRE ON THIS 14,000 POUND VEHICLE. PLEASE PURSUE THIS WITH VIGOR. I WANT NEW "NON FIRESTONE" TIRES THAT I CAN TRUST ON MY FUTURE TRIPS. THANK YOU. *AK (DOT NUMBER: VNILIX8 TIRESIZE: 225/75R16)

PE-00-020 ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 1997 FORD F350, TIRE SIZE P23585R16, DOT NUMBER VDOR1XK, EXPERIENCED TIRE BLEW OUT AT 12 THOUSANDS AND 18 THOUSANDS MILES. TWO INCIDENTS WITH BLEWOUTS. WHEN DRIVING AT 60-65 MPH RIGHT REAR TIRE TREAD BLEWOUT AT THE SIDEWALL. ALSO, WHEN DRIVING AT 50-55 MPH THE RIGHT REAR TIRE TREAD BLEW OUT FROM THE SIDEWALL, BOTH INCIDENTS HAPPENED IN THE SUMMER ON VERY HOT DAYS. BOTH TIRES HAD ABOUT 75% OF TREAD LIFE AVAILABLE. *AK

TIRE EXPLODED - ENTIRE SIDEWALL. *AK (TIRESIZE: LT235/85M1)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: LT235/85M1 )

AT APPROXIMATELY 27,000 MILES, MY WIFE AND I DECIDED TO GO ON VACATION. WE LOADED THE TRUCK WITH OUR CAMPER (ABOUT 1800 POUNDS), SOME LUGGAGE AND SUPPLIES (ABOUT 250 POUNDS), AND A SMALL TRAILER FOR HAULING WOOD (LOADED ABOUT 3500 POUNDS). BEFORE WE LEFT, I INFLATED THE TIRES TO THE SIDEWALL RATING MAXIMUM OF 80 PSI. ABOUT 300 MILES INTO OUR TRIP WE HAD A BLOWOUT ON THE LEFT REAR TIRE. UPON INVESTIGATION, I FOUND THAT THE TIRES' TREAD HAD SEPERATED FROM THE CARCASS WHICH THEN CAUSED THE SIDEWALL TO OVERHEAT AND RUPTURE. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE OTHER TIRES TO DATE. I E-MAILED FORD WITH THIS QUERY, FORD RESPONDED BY SUGGESTING THAT I E-MAIL THE NHTSA WITH MY INFORMATION. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE FUTURE USE OF MY TIRES AND WOULD APPRECIATE ANY INFORMATION THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE ON THIS MATTER. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME. THANK YOU. *AK (TIRESIZE: LT23585R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: LT23585R16 )

STEERING WHEEL SHAKES VIOLENTLY WHILE DRIVING, MANUFACTURER SENT NOTICE INDICATING A DESIGN ERROR IN THE FRONT END STEERING AND CORRECTION OF THE FRONT END COMPONENTS TO REMEDY PROBLEM. *SLC

TREAD PARTIALLY SEPARATED AND INTERNAL BELTS SHIFTED. I NO LONGER HAVE THESE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE, WERE REPLACED WITH MICHELIN AFTER THIS INCIDENT. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235/75R16 )

NO SUMMARY ISSUED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: LT235 85 1 )

PER FRIENDLY FORD DEALERSHIP IN LAS VEGAS, THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE LEFT FRONT TIRE.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: T235/85R16 )

TIRE HAD 9/32" TREAD. BLEW OUT SIDEWALL AND PEELED TREAD @ 60 MPH WITH AMBIENT TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 95 DEGREES. TIRES WERE ALL PROPERLY INFLATED 2 DAYS BEFORE TRIP. I WAS TOWING MY RV AT THE TIME. FAILED TIRE WAS PART OF A SET OF DUALS.( DOT NUMBER: VNOP1WV256 TIRE SIZE: 215/85R16 )