1998 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER Complaints

ON 09/14/00 I LEFT MY HOUSE AND ENTERED MY VEHICLE, TO RUN ERRANDS. UPON PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, I NOTICED THAT MY TIRES WERE SLIPPING. UPON GETTING OUT OF THE CAR, I NOTICED I HAD A FLAT TIRE. I CALLED A FRIEND TO CHANGE MY TIRE. ONCE THE TIRE WAS OFF THE VEHICLE, I BEGAN LOOKING FOR THE REASON THE TIRE WENT FLAT. MY FRIEND AND I BOTH SOON REALIZED THAT MY TIRE WAS FLAT BECAUSE THE TREAD WAS BEGINNING TO SEPARATE FROM THE TIRE. I STILL HAVE THE TIRE IN MY GARAGE. THANKFULLY, NO ONE WAS HURT. I HAVE CONTACTED FIRESTONE, ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT MY TIRES WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING TO MY TIRES THAT HAPPENED TO THE TIRES BEING RECALLED. I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR WITH THESE TIRES ON IT. BEING A FULL-TIME COLLEGE STUDENT, I NEED TO DRIVE MY CAR. I AM NOT IN A POSITION TO AFFORD THE EXTRA COST OF NEW TIRES EVEN IF I MAY BE REIMBURSED SOMETIME DOWN THE ROAD. FIRESTONE WILL NOT HELP ME. I'M HOPING YOU CAN DO SOMETHING FOR ME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. *AK (DOT NUMBER: W2HL TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)

PE 00 020/TIRE TREAD SEPARATION: LEFT REAR TIRE EXPERINCED A FLAT TIRE WHILE TRAVELING AT 70 MPH. TIRE TAKEN TO A FIRESTONE CENTER, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT TIRE WAS SHOWING SIGNS OF WALL SEPARATION. THEY WOULD ONLY REPLACE IT AT A PRORATE EXCHANGE. TIRES WERE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT AND MOUNTED ON A 1998 MERCURY, MOUNTAINEER; TIRE SIZE P235/75R15 AND DOT# W2HL1PY288 *AK THIS IS THE SECOND TIRE THAT HAVE BECOME DEFECTIVE. THE INNER SIDE WALL CRACKED AND THE TIRE DOES NOT HOLD AIR. *YH

PE#00020 - CONSUMER HAD EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPERATION ON THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMAELY 65 MPH. REPLACEMENT TIRE ISSUED BY FIRESTONE WAS A RECALL TIRE. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO HAVE THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE REPLACED ON RECALL. THE OTHER 3 ORIGINAL TIRES, WHICH WERE THE SAME SIZE OF P235/75R15, HAVE NOT BEEN REPLACED BECAUSE PLANT CODE WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE RECALL TIRES. HOWEVER, ALL 3 TIRES EXPERIENCED CRACKING AROUND THE ENTIRE TIRE OF WHERE THE TREAD MET THE TIRE. CONSUMER HAS ADVISED FIRESTONE OF PROBLEM, WHO ALSO RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM, BUT DID NOT OFFER CONSUMER SATISFACTORY SERVICE. TIRES WERE THE ORIGINAL TIRES PURCHASED WITH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE A 1998, MERCURY TRUCK, MOUNTAINEER. *AK FORD COMPANY BLAMES FIRESTONE FOR THE TIRE PROBLEM. *YH

THE SIDEWALLS ON ALL FOUR TIRES CRACKED. THE CRACKS WERE LOCATED ALL THE WAY AROUND THE TIRE WHERE THE TREAD WRAPS FROM THE FACE OF THE TIRE TO THE SIDEWALL. I WENT TO TWO FIRESTONE STORES. BOTH AGREED THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE AND WOULD BE REPLACED ON A PRO-RATE. NO TIRES WERE AVAILABLE ON 9/18/00 DUE TO THE DEMAND ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECALL. I WAS PUT ON A WAITING LIST. DECIDING NOT TO TRUST THE TIRES ANY LONGER, I WAS ABLE TO LOCATE AND PURCHASE KELLY-SPRINGFIELD TIRES THE SAME DAY. I KEPT THE WILDERNESS AT TIRES. THREE OF THE TIRES HAVE DOT NUMBERS THAT ARE VNHL1PY397. THE OTHER HAS A DOT NUMBER VNHL1PY387. ALL FOUR TIRES WERE CONSISTENT IN THE PATERN OF THE CRACKING. I WANTED TO ADVISE YOU OF THIS DEFECT AS THE RECALLED WILDERNESS AT ARE BEING REPLACED WITH TIRES MANUFACTURED IN THE SAME CANADIAN PLANT AS THE DEFECTIVE TIRES ON MY MOUNTAINEER.*AK( DOT NUMBER: VNHL1PY397 TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

BECAUSE OF THE NEWS REPORTS OF TIRE PROBLEMS I DECIDED TO ROTATE THE TIRES ON MY MOUNTAINEER. ON THE INSIDE OF THE RIGHT REAR TIRE I FOUND CRACKS WHERE THE STEEL SHOWED THROUGH. I PUT ALL THE TIRES BACK ON THE CAR AND DROVE TO A FIRESTONE DEALER. THEY WERE WILLING TO GIVE ME AN ADJUSTMENT ON THAT TIRE ONLY. I REFUSED THE OFFER AND WENT TO ANOTHER TIRE COMPANY WHERE I PURCHASED FOUR NEW TIRES. I KEPT THE WILDERNESS AT TIRES IN CASE THEY ARE NEEDED IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE OF THE ON GOING INVESTIGATION BY YOUR ORGANIZATION.( DOT NUMBER: W2HL1PY897 TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

ORIGINAL TIRES P235/75R15, DOT VNHL348, 1998, MERCURY, MOUNTAINEER. CONSUMER TOOK CAR TO BE SERVICED, AND MECHANIC SAID THAT 2 OF THE TIRES WERE CRACKING LIKE THE RECALL TIRES. THEN, DEALER NOTICED A THIRD TIRE HAD A CRACK. *AK

BEGINNING TIRE SEPERATION AND BEADING WAS DISCOVERED WHEN I HAD MY TIRES CHECKED AND UNLTIMITELY REPLACED. *AK( DOT NUMBER: VNHL1PY358 TIRE SIZE: P23575R15 )

FIRESTONE P235/75R15 DOTW2HL EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION ON RIGHT REAR PASSENGER TIRE, CONSUMER HAD JUST PREVIOUSLY HAD TIRES CHECKED AT A FIRESTONE DEALER WHO STATED TIRES WERE OKAY, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT. *SLC

THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES ON THE VEHICLE ALL HAVE EXPERIENCED STRESS CRACKS, HOWEVER THE TIRES ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECENT RECALL. *MJS

BLOW OUT, VEHICLE ROLLED, HOSPITAL/SAN ANTONIO BY AIRFLIGHT. POLICYHOLDER CONFIRMED FIRESTONE TIRE ON VEHICLE EXACT MODEL NOT KNOWN YET BUT MOST LIKELY WILL BE WILDERNESS. HE SAID THAT HE HAD FIRESTONE WILDERNESS TIRES ON THE MOUNTAINEER. HE SAID THAT THE WRECKER YARD DOES HAVE THE PIECE OF TREAD THAT SEPERATED AND IT PEELED OFF ALL IN ONE PIECE. HE SAID THAT THE TIRE THAT IT CAME OFF OF IS STILL INFLATED. EXPLAINED AGAIN HE SAID THAT SINCE HIS FAMILY SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES, HE IS GOING TO CONSULT WITH A LAWYER TO PURSUE A BL CLAIM AGAINST FIRESTONE. (CLAIM# 53-C601-172) *MW