NHTSA Complaint #10060015 — 2001 FORD EXCURSION

EMAIL SENT TO FIRESTONE TODAY. I WAS DISAPPOINTED TO LEARN THAT THE SERIOUSLY FLAWED SIDEWALLS ON MY STEELTEX LT265 R75 R4S TIRES ON MY 2001 EXCURSION WOULD NOT LEAD TO A REPLACEMENT. I REPORTED A PROBLEM ON THESE TIRES TO THE BRIARWOOD FIRESTONE STORE IN 2002 AND AGAIN TODAY. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TROUBLING SINCE I WAS ADVISED TO REPLACE A TIRE IN 2002 AT MY COST AND HAVE HAD ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEMS WITH THE SIDE WALLS OF THE REPLACEMENT EVEN THOUGH I CONTINUED TO USE THE SAME CAR WASH I HAVE USED SINCE PURCHASING THE CAR NEW IN AUGUST 2001. ALSO, I RAN FIRESTONE FIREHAWK 31-10.5-15 ATXS ON MY SEMA SHOW JEEP IN 1995 AND 1996 ONLY TO BE FORCED TO REQUEST REPLACEMENTS FROM NASHVILLE AFTER SERIOUS SIDEWALL DAMAGE IN COMPLETING THE RUBICON. THE DAMAGE WAS DUE TO MAJOR SIDEWALL WEAKNESS LEADING TO LARGE AREAS OF THE SIDEWALL PEALING AWAY TO REVEAL THE WHITE SUB LAYER. JOHN TAYLOR OF FIRESTONE GRACIOUSLY REPLACED THE ATXS WITH BRIDGESTONE MTS THAT PERFORMED FLAWLESSLY IN ALL TRAIL TESTS (INCLUDING A RUN THROUGH THE RUBICON IN 1997) AND NEVER EXPERIENCED THE TYPE OF SIDEWALL DESTRUCTION SEEN ON THE ATXS. THE TYPE OF DAMAGE TO THE SIDEWALLS ON MY EXCURSION IS SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE ATX'S, BUT MUCH DEEPER AND MORE PRONOUNCED. IT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE CAR WASH AS THE SPLITS RUN BOTH DIRECTIONS (FORWARD AND BACK). ALSO, I TAKE MY OTHER VEHICLE THROUGH THE SAME CAR WASH AND HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED ANY DAMAGE ON MICHELIN OR B. F. GOODRICH TIRES ON THAT VEHICLE. THE FACT THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH TRAIL TESTING FIRESTONE TIRES, THAT I AM AN ENGINEER, AND THAT I REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH THE ATX'S IN 1996 SHOULD SHOW A LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE NOT CHARACTERISTIC OF THE NORMAL USER. THIS DID NOT MATTER TO THE STORE MANAGER. FURTHERMORE, ONE OF THE STORE PERSONNEL MADE A SILLY REMARK THAT THE DAMAGE WAS FORD'S FAULT BECAUSE THEY ADVISED USERS TO RUN THE TIRE PRESSURE TOO LOW. *AK