1998 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER Complaints

THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT (P235/75R15) TIRE EXPERIENCED A SPLIT ON THE SIDEWALL AREA. *MJS

I HAS HAD 3 OF THE ORIGINAL 5 TIRES FAIL. ONE FAILED AT 7000 MILES; THE OTHER TWO AT 30,000 MILES. I WAS TOLD THAT THE DAMAGE WAS INTERNAL. THE TIRES BEGAN TO BULDGE ON THE EXTERIOR WALL. ONE OF THE TIRES FLATTENED AT 75 MPH ON THE FREEWAY BEYOND REPAIR; IN FACT, THIS TIRE IS IN MY GARAGE. THE LOCAL DEALER MADE THE PROBLEM MY FAULT--IMPROPER INFLATION. HOWEVER, THE DOT NUMBER ON MY TIRES DID NOT MATCH THOSE FROM THE RECALL. I WAS PROMPTED TO WRITE BECAUSE I DO HAVE EVIDENCE THAT THESE PARTICULAR TIRES AS WELL HAVE MANUFACTURER DEFECTS. MY PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED TO ME AS BELT SLIPPAGE. HOWEVER, THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THESE WERE THE "BEST" TIRES FIRESTONE MAKES. FORTUNATELY, I HAVE DECIDED NOT TO REPLACE MY FIRESTONE TIRES WITH ANOTHER SET OF "DEFECTIVE" TIRES. NEVERTHELESS, OTHERS ARE PUTTING THESE SAME TYPE TIRES ON THE VECHICLES AS REPLACEMENTS FOR THE DEFECTS. I AM STATING FOR THE RECORD THAT THESE WILL ALSO WARRANT INVESTIGATION. ISN'T IT ODD THAT I HAVE REPLACED THREE OF FIVE TIRES WITH LESS THAN 30,000 MILES FOR BELT SLIPPAGE. WHAT ARE THE STATISTICAL ODDS OF THAT HAPPENING? KNOWING A BIT ABOUT STATISTICS, THIS NUMBER IS SIGNIFICANT, NOT A RANDOM OCCURRENCE.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 16 )

PE00-020; 26,540 MILES WILDERNESS AT ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT WITH MERCURY MOUNTAINEER, 1998, P235/75R15 AND DOT #W8JN. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A FORD DEALER TO CHECK TO SEE IF HAD A RECALL ON TIRES. DEALER TOLD CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE A RECALL , BUT THE LEFT REAR HAS WEATHER CRACKS AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. FORD OR FIRESTONE WOULD NOT REPLACE TIRES, BUT FORD WOULD PRORATE TIRES. FIRESTONE CLAIMED THERE WAS NO DEFECTIVE TIRE. *AK FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT P235/75/R15 *MW

WIFE OF OWNER WAS DRIVING VEHICLE ON LEVEL ASPHALT PAVEMENT UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS AT SPEED LIMIT. TIRE "EXPLODED" AND CAME APART SO VIOLENTLY THAT CHROME STEEL RIM WAS BENT ON IMPACT WITH PAVEMENT. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND PULL OFF ONTO SHOULDER. VEHICLE WAS TOWED FOR SERVICE. ALL TIRES AND ONE RIM WERE REPLACED. INFANT CHILD WAS A PASSENGER AT TIME OF INCIDENT.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 50 MPH RIGHT REAR TIRE WAS MAKING NOISE. CONSUMER BELIEVED THERE WAS A FLAT TIRE. BUT WHEN STOPPED, COULD SEE THAT IT WAS TREAD SEPARATION. FIRESTONE WILDERNESS P235/75R15 05SMF. *AK *SLC

MY FAMILY WAS ON VACATION AND TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 85 SOUTH. ABOUT 1/2 HOUR BEFORE STOPPING THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SWAY. I THOUGHT IT WAS A CROSS WIND OR AIR POCKET CREATED AS WE PASSED OR WAS PASSED BY TRAITOR TRAILERS ON THE ROAD. THE FAMILY DECIDED TO STOP FOR LUNCH AND EXITED OFF I85 SOUTH AT 12B. WE PROCEEDED TO GOLDEN CORRAL - 807 E. ATLANTIC STREET - SOUTH HILL, VIRGINIA. UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE I NOTICED THE LEFT REAR TIRE GOING FLAT. I INSPECTED IT AND NOTICE TWO SLASHES ABOUT TWO INCHES IN LENGTH ON BOTH SIDES IF TIRE ABOUT TWO FEET APART. THE CUT WAS ON THE SIDE OF TIRE WHERE THE TREAD BEGAN AND WAS SEPARATING. AT THIS TIME A CUSTOMER LEAVING THE GOLDEN CORRAL APPROACHED ME AND INSPECTED THE TIRE AND TOLD ME THIS IS THE SAME TIRE THAT WAS REPORTED ON THE 6PM NEWS ONE DAY EARLIER AS BEING DEFECTIVE. I CONTACTED AAA TO CHANGE MY FLAT TIRE. LATER THAT AFTERNOON WE STOPPED IN RALEIGH, NC AND PURCHASED ONE NEW FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRE. ONE USED TIRE BECAME THE SPARE AND TWO NEW TIRES WERE ON THE REAR(THE ORIGINAL SPARE AND THE NEW TIRE JUST PURCHASED). WE CONTINUED SAFELY ON OUR TRIP TO EUFALA, AL. ON AUGUST 23, 2000 I CONTACTED MY DEALERSHIP IN REFERENCE TO THE TIRES BEGING EXCHANGED. THE PERSON ANSWERING THE PHONE INDICATED THEY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE REPLACEMENT BUT A FIRESTONE DEALER IN EMERSON, NJ WAS INVOLVED. LATE IN THE MORNING OF 8/23/00 I WENT TO THE EMERSON, NJ FIRESTONE DEALERSHIP AND THE TIRES WERE INSPECTED AND WAS TOLD ONE TIRE WAS OK(I SUPPOSED THE ONE PURCHASED ON 8/3/00). HOWEVER, I WAS PLACED ON A WAITING LIST AND TOLD THE BACKLOG WAS ABOUT ONE MONTH. I PROCEEDED TO MY DEALERSHIP AND EXPLAINED TO THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED DURING VACATION AND I WANTED MY TIRES REPLACED. DEAN GRIFFEN WAS HELPFUL BUT DID NOT HAVE ANY TIRES NOR DID TWO OTHER LOCATIONS THAT WERE CALLED. I ON MY OWN PURCHASED 5 TIRES FROM GOODYEAR IN BERGENFIELD, NJ.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P23575R15S )

CONSUMER HAD JUST TURNED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND WAS TRAVELING ON A DIRT ROAD WHEN VEHICLE JERKED TO RIGHT AND THEN ROLLED OVER. CONSUMER AND HER DAUGHTER WERE THROWN OUT FROM VEHICLE. CONSUMER WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS, AND DAUGHTER WAS KILLED UPON IMPACT. ALSO VEHICLE EXPLODED INTO FLAMES. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING AT 70 MPH, THE LEFT FRONT FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRE (P23575R15) EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK *SLC

VEHICLE HAS STALLED/HESITATED UPON ACCLERATION SEVERAL TIMES. IT HAS DONE THIS AT LEAST 10 TIMES (STALLED 3 THUS FAR...TODAY 8/23/00 WAS ONE INCIDENT OF THAT) DESPITE EFFORTS BY FORD TO REMEDY. I'VE HAD THE DEALER REPLACE THE RECALLED THROTTLE, RE-ORIENT MY FUEL LINES, AND EVENTUALLY REPLACE MY ENGINE WITHOUT ANY REMEDY. THIS COULD BE A VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE (ONCE IT STALLED WHILE MAKING A LEFT ACROSS TRAFFIC LANES. FORTUNATELY IT WAS CLEAR). I'VE OWNED EXPLORERS IN THE PAST WITH NO SUCH INCIDENTS.( DOT NUMBER: )

BOTH THE FRONT FIRESTONE TIRES EXPERIENCED SEVERE CRACKS, CONSUMER REPLACED TIRES WITH GOODYEAR ONES. *MJS