NHTSA Complaint #10067865 — 2000 FORD EXCURSION

HAD STEELTEX R4S TIRES ON MY BRAND NEW EXCURSION (I BOUGHT IT WITH 4,752 MILES ON IT AND MY TIRE WENT AT 35,001 MILES), ROTATED AND MY OIL CHANGED JUNE 10, 2002. NOTICED SLITS ON THE SIDES OF THESE TIRES. FORD SENT ME TO FIRESTONE. GUY AT FIRESTONE ASSURED ME THESE TIRES WERE SAFE AND I NEEDED TO BE SURE BECAUSE I WAS LEAVING THE NEXT MORNING ON A 1500 MILE TRIP TO CALIFORNIA, WITH MY 3 CHILDREN. BACK TO FORD, TECH DIDN'T TRUST THE TIRE, PLACED IT ON BACK LEFT OF MY VEHICLE. JUNE 13, 02 AT 35,001 MILES, MY TIRE BLEW. I GOT TO THE QUARTZITE EXIT IN ARIZONA AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IF FELT AS THOUGH THE ENTIRE ROAD HAD CHANGED. TREAD SEPARATED AND SLAPPED THE REAR LEFT QUARTER PANEL , CAUSING DAMAGE, AND DISCOLORATION TO MY RUNNING BOARD. HP HELPED ME CHANGE THE TIRE AFTER CALLING FORD ROADSIDE AND TELLING ME IT WOULD BE 2 HOURS. TOOK THE TIRE TO FIRESTONE AND FRITTS FORD IN RIVERSIDE, ON JUNE 14, 02 TOLD THAT IT DEFINATELY LOOKED LIKE A DEFECTIVE TIRE. WENT TO SAM'S CLUB AND HAD IT REPLACED WITH A BF GOODRICH. WENT TO KINGMAN, AZ AND ON JUNE 20, 02 TOOK VEHICLE TO FORD FOR ESTIMATE, PER FIRESTONE HOTLINE AS TO WHAT I NEEDED TO DO ABOUT THE TIRE. ON JUNE 21, 02, I SENT TO FIRESTONE, DOCUMENTATION (LETTER, PICTURES, AND ESTIMATE) OF THE TIRE BLOW OUT. IN LATE JULY/TO MID AUGUST 2002, A LETTER TO ME, WAS ADDRESSED TO MY PARENTS ADDRESS AFTER TELLING FIRESTONE THAT I WAS ON VACATION, SAYING THAT THEIR DETERMINATION FOR MY TIRE WAS THAT I WAS OVERLOADED AND UNDERINFLATED???? I HAD 3 KIDS, AN ICE CHEST, A WHEELCHAIR, AND TWO SUITCASES AND SOME BEDDING IN MY TRUCK. THESE TIRES ARE DESIGNED FOR 3500 LBS PER TIRE..HOW WAS I OVERLOADED AND UNDERINFLATED???? *AK