1997 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER Complaints

WE BOUGHT OUR MERCURY MOUNTAINEER IN JANUARY, 1998 (MFGD IN APRIL, 1997) SERIAL #[XXX] AND WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR WE NOTICED THE SIDEWALL AND TIRE TREAD WAS PEELING FROM THE TIRE. WE BROUGHT THIS TO THE DEALER'S ATTENTION (HATFIELD'S LINCOLN MERCURY LOCATED IN COLUMBUS, OH) AND THEY DISMISSED IT. WE TOLD THEM THE SUV VIBRATED AND RUMBLED AND RODE VERY, VERY ROUGH. THEY SAID TO ROTATE THE TIRES. IT CONTINUED TO DO IT AND CONTINUES TO THIS DAY (9/13/00). WE HAVE HAD THE TIRES ROTATED MANY TIMES. WE ARE VERY MUCH CONCERNED ABOUT THIS SITUATION AND FOLLOW THE NEWS RELEASES CLOSELY SINCE THE TIRE RECALL. WE HAVE HAD MUCH TROUBLE WITH THESE TIRES AND THE GARAGE CONTINUOUSLY DISMISSED OUR CONCERNS. WE TRAVEL CROSS COUNTRY AT POSTED SPEEDS AND THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHWEST FREQUENTLY. WE HAVE NOW MOVED TO ALBUQUERQUE, NM, AND ARE EVEN MORE CONCERNED SINCE IT IS HOT WEATHER AND DESERT AREA. WE CONTINUE TO HAVE RUMBLE AND VIBRATION IN THE TIRES. WE WENT TO A FIRESTONE DEALER TO CHECK THE DOT CODE AND HE SAID THEY WERE W2. WE CHECKED WITH ANOTHER LOCATION AND THEY SAID THE SAME, W2. HOWEVER, AS WE HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED, THE PEELING IS VERY EVIDENT INCLUDING THE TREAD LAYER. WE ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THESE FACTS. WE BELIEVE A FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE CONDUCTED AND OUR TIRES RECALLED AS WELL. SHOULD ANYTHING HORRIBLE HAPPEN, IT WOULD BE A TERRIBLE TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE. WE FEEL FIRESTONE IS RESPONSIBLE AND FORD AND THE NHTSA SHOULD HOLD THEM AS SUCH. *AK( DOT NUMBER: W2 TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 ). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

LR TIRE CAME APART AT ABOUT 65 MPH CAUSING OPERATOR TO LOSE CONTROL OF IV TIRE: FIRESTONE WILDERNESS A/T 235/75R15. OTHER #S: ARE 105S, 027477. (CLAIM# 38-J372-798) *MW

THIS QUALIFIES FOR FIRESTONE RECALL, VEHICLE CAME EQUIPPED W/ AT WILDERNESS TIRES. TIRE BLEW CAUSING DAMAGE TIRE IS A FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT, P235/75R15. (CLAIM# 25-5379-112) *MW

IV HAS FIRESTONE WILDERNESS TIRES. ONE OF THE TIRES'S TREAD PARTIALLY SEPERATED AND DAMAGED THE IV. LOST OF INFORMATION IN THE NEWS REGARDINGS THESE TIRES. (CLAIM# 17-9136-575) *MW

REAR TIRE BLEW AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND CASING FLEW OFF, DAMAGING CAR. THIS WAS A FIRESTONE WILDERNESS TIRE THAT HAS BEEN IN THE NEWS LATELY AND MAY HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVE. (CLAIM# 03-3162-568) *MW

TIRE EXPLODED WHILE DRIVING & DAMAGED THE VEHICLE WILDERNESS AT FIRESTONE TIRE #235/75R15 THE TREAD CAME TOTALLY APART. (CLAIM# 16-N131-327) *MW

HAD BLOW OUT ON RT FT TIRE THEN VEH FLIPPED EMS TOOK JANA TO HOSPITAL IN SEGUIN HOSPITAL LOCATED OFF OF HWY 123. NOTE FIRESTONE HAD PUT 2 NEW TIRES ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO, SHE HAD E-ML FIRESTONE ABOUT HAVING PRIOR PROBLEMS WITHT HE TIRES. WILDERNESS AT P235/75R15 TREAD PEELED OFF OF TIRE. (CLAIM# 53-C596-670) *MW

ELECTRICAL LINE ROUTES OVER POWERSTEERING LINE HAD RUBBED AGAINST EACH OTHER, CAUSING A HOLE AND A SHORT, RESULTING IN A FIRE.*AK THE ELECTRICAL WIRE INVOLVED WAS THE HOT WIRE CABLE RUNNING FROM THE BATTERY TO THE STARTER. THE SPARKS CREATED ALSO IGNITED THE POWER STEERING FLUID THAT WAS LEAKING. YH

THERE WERE 4 OF THESE TIRES ON MY VEHICLE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A FIRESTONE DEALER WHO TOLD ME SINCE THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE LETTERS VD , WHICH INDICATED THE FACTORY NAME, ON THEM THEY WERE FINE. ABOUT L WEEK LATER MY SON WAS EN ROUTE FROM CHARLOTTE TO ATLANTA WHEN ONE OF THESE TIRES SEPARATED. HE HAD TO GO TO THE EXPENSE OF STAYING IN A MOTEL THAT NIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING HE BOUGHT A GOODYEAR TIRE AND PROCEEDED TO ATLANTA. LUCKILY HIS LIFE WAS SPARED. WHEN HE RETURNED TO CHARLOTTE ON THE FOLLOWING MONDAY, HE AGAIN TALKED WITH A FIRESTONE DEALER AND WE CALLED THE HOTLINE FOR ASSISTANCE. WE WERE AGAIN TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO SINCE THE TIRES HAD NOT BEEN RECALLED. HE DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING AROUND WITH THE 3 OTHERS ON THE VEHICLE SO HE BOUGHT 3 MORE GOODYEAR TIRES. WE WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THESE TIRES. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 105SM/S )

ONE OF FOUR IDENTICAL TIRES INSTALLED AT FACTORY BUBBLED AND STARTED TO SEPARATE, AT WHICH TIME I REPLACED ALL FOUR. I KEPT THE WILDERNESS AT'S IN MY SHED BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT ON THE LIST OF RECALLED TIRES, BUT OBVIOUSLY ARE DEFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS. THEY WERE INSTALLED ON A MERCURY MOUNTAINEER, AND ARE A PASSENGER TIRE, NOT A TRUCK TIRE, WHICH CONCERNS ME. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE MERCURY DEALER AND FIRESTONE DEALER, BUT THEY REFUSED TO ADDRESS ANY PROBLEM, SIMPLY STATING THAT MY TIRES ARE NOT PART OF THE NATIONAL RECALL.*AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )