1999 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER Complaints

FIRESTONE, WILDERNESS/AT, P23575R15, TREAD WAS DISCOVERED RIP ON SIDE WALL. THIS IS ON A MERCURY, MOUNTAINEER, 1999. FIRESTONE WAS CONTACTED.*AK

TIRES WERE INSPECTED UNDER RECALL AND FRONT TIRES HAD SEPARATIONN.ALL FOUR TIRES WERE REPLACED. I SENT IN ALL THE PAPER WORK THAT FIRESTONE NEEDED UNDER THE RECALL BUT THEY REFUSED TO REIMBURSE ANY MONEY I LAIDED OUT BECAUSE THE CODE ON MY TIRES WERE NOT THE V.D CODE THE CODE ON MY TIRES WERE W.2 CODE. *AK (DOT NUMBER: W2HL1PY159 TIRESIZE: 235/75/15)

----- ORIGINAL MESSAGE ----- FROM: TOM STANGL [email protected] TO: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] SENT: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2000 1:50 AM SUBJECT: FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT BLOWOUT INQUIRY > ON JUNE 29, 2000, WHILE DRIVING FROM ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA TO DULUTH, I EXPERIENCED A BLOWOUT ON I35. MANY CARS WERE ON THE ROAD AT THE TIME, HOWEVER I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SAFELY AND CHANGE THE TIRE. THERE WAS NO DEBRIS IN THE ROAD AND NO OTHER CARS EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS AROUND ME. I DROVE TO A DULUTH FIRESTONE DEALER AND HAD THE TIRE REPLACED. UPON EXAMINING THE TIRE, THEY COULD NOT FIND A PUNCTURE. THE TIRE WAS TORN UP FROM THE HIGHSPEED FREEWAY INCIDENT AND MANEUVERING TO THE SIDE. THE TIRE WAS LOCATED ON THE PASSENGER REAR. THE RIM WAS NOT DAMAGED AND I PURCHASED A MATCHING TIRE FROM FIRESTONE. ATTACHED IS A LINE ITEM FROM MY MASTERCARD FOR YOUR REFERENCE. THE TIRES ARE WILDERNESS AT BRAND ON A 1999 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER WITH DOT CODE W2HL. THE TIRES HAD 13,590 MILES ON THEM AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS INCIDENT IS TIED TO THE PROBLEMS CURRENTLY BEING EXPERIENCED BY OTHERS LEADING TO THE RECALL OF THIS LINE OF FIRESTONE TIRES. CURRENTLY THIS INCLUDES DOT CODE VDHL. I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS ON THE EXPANSION OF THE RECALL TO INCLUDE MY TIRES NOW THAT IT APPEARS I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AS OTHERS WITH MORE SEVERE CONSEQUENCE. REGARDS, TOM STANGL WHITE BEAR LAKE, MN 06/29 FIRESTONE 00016918 DULUTH MN $111.50. *AK (DOT NUMBER: W2HL TIRESIZE: P235/75 R1)

I REVIEWED BLOWOUT/FAILURE DATA AND SAW A LARGE NUMBER OF W2HL TIRES THAT FAILED, I AM NOT CONVINCED THESE TIRES ARE ANY BETTER THAN THE VDHL RECALLED TIRES AND WANT THE RECALL TO BE WIDENED TO INCLUDE THE TIRES MADE AT THE WILSON, NORTH CAROLINA PLANT, AS THEY SEEM TO HAVE AN UNACCEPTABLE FAILURE RATE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: W2HL TIRE SIZE: 235 75 R15 )

CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE FIRESTONE TIRES WERE NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT MANUFACTURED IN DECATUR, THE TIRES HAVE PIECES OF THE SIDEWALL BEGINNING TO PEEL AWAY. NLM

UPON INSPECTION OF ALL 4 TIRES ON VEHICLE, 3 OF THE TIRES (1 DRIVER'S FRONT, 2 REAR) WERE NOTED TO HAVE SMALL CRACKS/SPLITS AROUND EACH TIRE SIDEWALL APPROXIMATELY 3 INCHES BELOW THE TOP OF THE TREAD. FRONT TIRE HAS THE GREATEST NUMBER OF CRACKS.( DOT NUMBER: W2HLIPY TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

VEHICLE VIBRATION NOTICED OFTEN AT HIGH SPEEDS (60-70 MPH). TIRES (4) REPLACED WITH NEW MICHELIN 235/75R15 LTX OWL 6C 104R 78868 TIRES ON 9/6/00. MILEAGE ON TIRES AND VEHICLE AT REPLACEMENT WAS 11,457( DOT NUMBER: W2HL TIRE SIZE: 235/75R15 )

TIRES ARE SHOWING SIGNS OF CRACKING IN THE TREAD. VEHICLE EXPERIENCES ABNORMAL SHAKING DURING SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH.( DOT NUMBER: W2HL TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

THIS TIRE IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST, ALL TIRES ARE SPLITTING ON THE SIDEWALLS. *AK( DOT NUMBER: W2HL TIRE SIZE: P225/70R15 )

TIRE FAILED AS WE WERE EXITING EXPRESSWAY ON THE PASSENGER REAR SIDE. WE CALLED FOR SERVICE AND ROADRUNNER ROADSERVICE CAME AND REPLACED TIRE WITH SPARE AT APPROXIMATELY 4 PM I HAVE COPY OF RECEIPT. WE TOOK TIRE TO A FIRESTONE STORE AND THEY REPLACED TIRE FREE AFTER WE FORCED THE ISSUE, THEY DID NOT WANT TO REPLACE FOR FREE AT FIRST. TIRES HAVE BEEN PROPERLY ROTATED ON TIME AND TIRE PRESSURE HAS BEEN MAINTAINED AND CHECKED PROPERLY. TIRE MANUFACTURER WAS CHECKED BY FORD/MERCURY SERVICE DEPT AND WE WERE TOLD OUR TIRES WERE MADE IN CANADA AND THEREFORE WE ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR REPLACEMENT EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE HAD A TIRE FAILURE. FIRESTONE KEPT THE TIRE THAT THEY REPLACED SO WE DO NOT HAVE IT IN OUR POSSESSION. *AK( DOT NUMBER: VN TIRE SIZE: 23575R15 )