NHTSA Complaint #10039194 — 2001 FORD E-450

I HAVE A 2001 JAYCO 33' CLASS C MOTOR HOME ON A FORD E-450 V-10 CHASSIS. I WAS TRAVELING ON HI I 5 SOUTH ABOUT 45 MILES FROM SACRAMENTO, AT 65 MPH WHEN THE RIGHT REAR DUAL TIRES BLEW OUT. THE OUTSIDE TIRE TREAD CAME OFF AND FLEW ONTO THE HAWAII, THE INSIDE DUAL TREAD CAME OFF AND WRAPPED AROUND THE AXEL. THE TIRES ARE FIRESTONE STEELTEX LT/225/75R16. I HAVE BOTH COMPLETE TREADS AND THE INSIDE IS VERY SMOOTH ALL THE WAY AROUND. I HAVE WHAT IS LEFT OF THE REST OF THE TIRES. I CONTACTED FORD AND FIRESTONE ON SEPT. 19TH AND GAVE THE SAME REPORT. THE BLOWOUTS CAUSED SOME DAMAGE TO THE MOTOR HOME STORAGE COMPARTMENT. FORD TOOK MY INFO AND DID NOT KNOW WHAT FORD WOULD DO WITH THE INFO. FIRESTONE SAID THEY WOULD SEND ME COMPLAINT FORMS. I AM TELLING YOU FOLKS ABOUT THIS AS I HAVE TALKED TO OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND FIRESTONE HAS BEEN NO HELP. I THINK THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. MY WIFE AND I CREDIT THE EXCELLENT DESIGN, AND PERFORMANCE OF THE FORD VEHICLE AND BRAKING SYSTEM. I HAD NO TROUBLE HANDLING THE VEHICLE AND STOPPING OTHER THAN THE CRAZY DRIVERS THAT WOULD NOT GET OUT OF THE WAY. I CAN SEND PICTURES OF THE TIRES TO YOU BY EMAIL IF YOU WANT. I AM POSITIVE THAT I WAS NOT OVERWEIGHT AND THE TIRE PRESSURE WAS CORRECT. THE INSIDE TIRE HAD ABOUT 5 TO 7000 MILES ON IT AND THE OUTSIDE HAD ABOUT 42000 ON IT HOWEVER THERE IS A LOT OF TREAD LEFT. I HAD TWO OTHER BLOWOUTS IN NOVEMBER 2002 NEAR BARSTOW, CALIF. THE RIGHT FRONT BLEW FROM A ROAD HAZARD AND WHEN I GOT HOME THE INSIDE RIGHT DUAL WAS FLAT. I BOUGHT TWO NEW MICHELINS TIRES FOR THE FRONT. MY TIRE SHOP SAID THE OTHERS WERE GOOD TO USE. I AM TAKING RV TO MY TIRE SHOP ON SEPT. 22 AND GETTING ALL FIRESTONE TIRES TAKEN OFF AND PUTTING ON MICHELIN'S. I HAVE ALSO HAD 3 FLATS ON THIS MH IN THE PAST TWO YEARS. I THINK IT WAS VALVE STEM FAILURES. PLEASE RESPOND BY PHONE OR EMAIL PRIOR TO OCT 3RD. *JB