1997 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER Complaints

ORGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 97 MOUNTAINEER. TREAD SEPARATED ON THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. *AK FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT 235/75/R15 *MW

MY LEASE EXP ON THIS VEHICLE 5/99 SO I NO LONGER HAVE IT. I WAS DRIVING ON A FREEWAY APPROX 60 MPH WHEN I FELT THAT MY CAR WAS NOT GRIPPING THE ROAD. I SAW PIECES OF THE TIRE DISINTEGRATING THRU MY REAR VIEW MIRROR. I PULLED OVER AND CALLED FORD ROAD SVC. I REPORTED TO FIRESTONE, NO INTEREST IN HELPING. I WENT TO STAR LINCOLN DEALERSHIP TO PURCHASE RIM AND TIRE FOR $300.00. I WOULD LIKE A REFUND.( DOT NUMBER: )

VEHICLE STARTED TO VIBRATE, WE CHECKED ALL OF THE TIRES AND SAW NOTHING, CONTINUED TO DRIVE AND EVENTUALLY THE VIBRATION SUBSIDED SOME. LATER NOTICED SECTION OF TREAD MISSING ON BACK LEFT TIRE. TOOK VEHICLE TO AUTHORIZED FIRESTONE DEALER WHO IMMEDIATELY REPLACED DEFECTIVE TIRE AND KEPT IT. GAVE US SMALL CREDIT TOWARD NEW FIRESTONES. BOUGHT FIRESTONE ATX II TIRES. FILED COMPLAINT WITH FIRESTONE AND WITH TIRE DEALER ON 8/7/2000 FOR BOTH SETS OF TIRES. STILL HAVE ORIGINAL 3 TIRES AND ORIGINAL SPARE -NEVER USED- REVIEW OF 3 SHOWS WHAT APPEARS TO BE STRESS ALL AROUND OUTER EDGE OF TREAD. AM THANKFUL NO ACCIDENT RESULTED AND HOPE THIS INFORMATION ASSISTS IN INVESTIGATION.( DOT NUMBER: VDHL1PY157 TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

TIRES WERE INSPECTED BY FIRESTONE & FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE. FIRESTONE SAID THESE TIRES ARE NOT ON RECALL LIST BUT SAID THAT ALL TIRES SHOULD BE REPLACED BUT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR REPLACEMENT TIRES.( DOT NUMBER: VNHL TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

360 DEGREE CRACKS 5/32 & 3/32 DEEP ALL TIRES---FIRESTONE REFUSES TO INCLUDE IN RECALL. I HAVE THE TIRES AND CAN PROVIDE THEM TO YOU FOR ANALYSIS.( DOT NUMBER: VNHL TIRE SIZE: 235/75/15 )

I WAS DRIVING AND MY TIRE EXPLODED AND SHREDDED. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A TIRE LOOK LIKE THAT. FIRESTONE TOLD ME THEY FOUND A NAIL IN THE TIRE BUT EVERY FLAT TIRE I HAVE EVER AHD HAS NEVER DONE THAT. IT SOUNDED LIKE A SMALL PLANE WAS LANDING ON MY CAR. IN LIGHT OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS I AM VERY HAPPY THAT ALL THAT WAS DAMAGED WAS HE TIRE AND THE RIM IT WAS A TERRFYING EXPERIENCE.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P23575RX15 )

AFTER MEDIA PUBLICITY ON THE TIRE MATTER, I INSPECTED TIRES ON VEHICLE STATED. ALL FOUR TIRES HAVE A SEPARATION BETWEEN THE TREAD AND THE SIDEWALL AROUND THE ENTIRE CIRCUMFERENCE. THE SEPARATION IS BOTH ON THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE SIDEWALLS. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE PURCHASED, AND THEY IN TURN SENT ME TO THE LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALER. THE MANAGER OF THE STORE OBSERVED THE SEPARATIONS AND COMMENTED THAT HE HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT BEFORE. HE SAID THAT I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE RECALL NOTICE FROM FIRESTONE. I AM A RESIDENT OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS AND WE ARE AMONG THE LAST STATES TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE RECALL (BY YEAR END 2001). MEANWHILE, I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT CONCERNS MY FAMILY THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED SOONER THAN 2001. I APPRECIATE ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE ON THIS CONCERN.( DOT NUMBER: ? TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

ALL FOUR TIRES EXHIBIT CRACKING AROUND THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE TIRE AT THE TREAD / SIDEWALL INTERFACE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P23575R15 )

DURING DECEMBER 1999 I HAD A FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRE BEGIN TO SEPARATE; THEREFORE, I REPLACED THE TIRE. ON APPROXIMATELY APRIL 16, 2000 I HAD ANOTHER FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRE ACTUALLY SEPERATE WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 10 AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MILES PER HOUR. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

WE NO LONGER HAVE THE TIRES ON OUR CAR. HOWEVER, ALL FOUR TIRES HAD THE STEEL BELTS FALL APART AT ONE TIME. THE REAR RIGHT TIRE HAD A BLOWOUT WHILE WE WERE DRIVING CAUSING CLOSE TO $11,000 IN DAMAGE ON OUR VEHICLE, $3,000 IN PERSONAL EXPENSE FOR US AND OTHER EXPENSES TO OUR INSURANCE COMPANY FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE. THE WEEK BEFORE OUR TRIP IN WHICH THE TIRES FELL APART, WE HAD OUR TIRES ROTATED, ALEIGNED AND CHECKED. WE ALWAYS HAVE OUR VEHICLES IN TOP SHAPE NOT ONLY FOR A TRIP, BUT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AS WELL. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MENTION THAT I DID NOT KNOW SOME OF THE INFORMATION ASKED FOR ON THE FORM. I DID MY BEST. I AM HOPING THAT THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE FIRESTONE TIRES WOULD HELP TO RECOVER SOME OF THE EXPENSE WE AND OUR INSURANCE COMPANY HAD TO PAY. DUE TO THE ACCIDENT, OUR RATES HAVE INCREASED AS WELL. *AK( DOT NUMBER: ? TIRE SIZE: UNKNOWN )