1998 FORD RANGER Complaints

SIDEWALL RIGHT WHERE THE TREAD IS CONNECTED TO THE TIRE BLEW OUT IN THREE DIFFERENT PLACES WITHIN 18 INCHES OF EACH OTHER ON THE OUTSIDE WALL OF THE TIRE, SOME OF THE TREAD WAS INCLUDED IN THE BLOWOUT. *AK (TIRESIZE: P22570R14)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P22570R14 )

MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR HAS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING AT 9,000 AND 31,000 MILES. WHEN IT FAILS, THE ENGINE STALLS, AND IS VERY DIFFICULT TO RESTART AND KEEP RUNNING. WITHOUT ENGINE POWER, THERE IS LIMITED BRAKE AND POWER STEERING FUNCTIONING. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD IF IT OCCURS IN A MOVING TRAFFIC SITUATION. FORD IS UNABLE (UNWILLING?) TO PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION AS TO WHETHER THIS IS AN ACCEPTABLE FAILURE RATE.*AK

WEARING UNEVEN, MY TIRES HAVE CHECKED BY FIRESTONE REP. ALLIED TIRE CENTER, 1529 MACARTHUR DRIVE , ALEXANDRIA, LA. 71301, ALIGNMENT AND ROTATED AS PER MANUAL , AIR PRESSURE CHECKED, BUT THE TIRES WHICH ARE 60,000 MILE TIRES IS NOT HOLDING UP , WIRE CAN BE SEEN IN THIS TIRES, WHATS NEEDED IS REPLACEMENT OF THESE TIRES BECAUSE ITS VERY UNSAFE TO TRANSPORT MY FAMILY WITH THESE TIRES IN THIS CONDITION, WHICH IS REAL UNSAFE. (TIRESIZE: P225/70R14)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P225/70R14 )

THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE BLEW OUT AT 60 MPH EARLIER THIS YEAR. MY LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALER REPLACED THE TIRE UNDER THE ROAD HAZARD WARRANTY BUT WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE DAMAGE TO THE FORD RANGER. USAA HAS THE DAMAGE REPORT AND FIRESTONE HAS THE TIRE FAILURE REPORT. THE ONLY THING I HAVE ARE THE PICTURES OF THE FAILED WILDERNESS AT 16 INCH TIRE. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE REMAINING TIRES. (DOT NUMBER: ? TIRESIZE: P235/70R16)

COIL PACK KEEPS FAILING DUE TO FAULTY SENSORS, CAUSING VEHICLE TO QUIT RUNNING. CONSUMER HAS REPLACED PACK AT LEAST TWICE. *AK

ALL FOUR TIRES HAD CRACKS IN THE TIRE THREAD. ONE TIRE HAD 14" SPLIT, SECOND TIRE HAD 4" SPLIT, THIRD TIRE HAD NUMEROUS 1" SPLITS AND THE FOURTH TIRE MANY 1/2" SPLITS. LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALER STATED ROAD HAZARD CAUSED SPLITS. OLSEN TIRES (PURCHASED ROAD HAZARD PROTECTION) STATED TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE, SPLITS IN THREADS WERE NOT CAUSED BY ROAD HAZARD AND TIRES WERE WORN OUT. REPLACED FIRESTONE TIRES WITH FOUR NEW COOPER TIRES PURCHASED FROM ACTION GATOR TIRE DEALER. I HAVE THE FOUR OLD FIRESTONE TIRES IN MY POSSESSION FOR OBSERVATION BY NHTSA OR FIRESTONE. (DOT NUMBER: VN08 TIRESIZE: P235-70R16)

I REPLACED ALL MY FIRESTONE TIRES WITH A LES SCHWAB BRAND THE DAY AFTER THE FAILURE BECAUSE THE WILDERNESS ATS I HAD WEREN'T COVERED BY THE RECALL. I SENT A LETTER TO THE FIRESTONE CORPORATE AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS OFFICES ABOUT A WEEK AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED DESCRIBING WHAT HAD HAPPENED. KEITH RAHONAN OF FIRESTONE CALLED ME SHORTLY THEREAFTER, CONFIRMING THAT THEY HAD RECIEVED MY LETTER. HE TOLD ME THEY HAD A FILE ON RECORD WITH MY INFORMATION AND TOLD ME TO HOLD ON TO ALL OF THE PAPERWORK AND THE TIRE THAT HAD FAILED. I OFFERED TO SEND HIM PICTURES (THEY WEREN'T DEVELOPED AT THE TIME I SENT THE LETTER) OF THE FAILED TIRE, BUT HE REFUSED THEM SAYING THAT THEY WOULDN'T SHOW HIM ANYTHING EXCEPT THAT I HAD A FLAT TIRE. THE PICTURES CLEARLY SHOW A SEPARATION BETWEEN THE TOP OF THE TIRE AND THE SIDEWALL, AS WELL AS A BUBBLING UP OF THE MATERIAL AROUND THE ENTIRE INSIDE OF THE TIRE WALL. I HAD TAKEN ALL SAFELY PRECAUTIONS, INCLUDING PROPER TIRE INFLATION, WHICH I MEASURED ACCORDING TO THE RECOMMENDED INFLATION RATE ON THE TIRE ITSELF. I FEEL THAT I HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE RUNAROUND BY FIRESTONE, AND I FEEL THEY AREN'T TAKING THIS COMPLAINT SERIOUSLY. WHAT CONCERNS ME MOST IS THAT THEY ARE USING OTHER WILDERNESS TIRES TO REPLACE THE ONES BEING RECALLED--TIRES I FEEL SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL BECAUSE THEY AREN'T SAFE. BECAUSE FIRESTONE HASN'T DEMONSTRATED TO ME THAT THEY CARE AND ARE TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY, I'VE FILED THIS COMPLAINT WITH NHTSA NOW HOPING IT WILL BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. I WILL GLADLY SEND A COPY OF THE LETTER I SENT TO FIRESTONE (IT GIVES A MORE COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF THE TIRE FAILURE THAN I'VE PROVIDED HERE) AS WELL AS THE PICTURES I HAVE OF THE TIRE THAT FAILED. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THERE IS ANYTHING ELSE I CAN DO AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE THE PICTURES AND THE LETTER. THAN YOU FOR YOUR CONCERN AND EFFORTS IN PROTECTING THE SAFETY OF AMERICAN CONSUMERS. (DOT NUMBER: W2HLIPY138 TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)

WHILE TRAVELING AND AFTER PARKING NOTICED TIRE TREAD WAS SEPARATED. TIRES WERE NOT PART OF RECALL. *AK

SPARE TIRE GIVEN BY FORD IS P235 75 R15, THIS IS THE ONLY SIZE THAT WILL FIT INTO THE SPARE TIRE WELL, CONSUMER CURRENTLY HAS FIRESTONE WILDERNESS P265 75 R15 AND WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PUT A SPARE ON IF NEEDED DUE TO THE DIFFERENCES IN SIZE. *SLC

TREAD SEPARATION AT HIGHWAY SPEED - NORMAL INFLATION OF 80 PSI. *AK (DOT NUMBER: VD1L 1X0 TIRESIZE: 225/75R16)