NHTSA Complaint #10072922 — 2001 FORD F-350 SD

TIRE TREAD SEPARATION  FIRESTONE STEELTEX RADIAL A/T 265-75-R16 LOAD RANGE E DOT NUMBER VNW81XL4600. WHILE DRIVING EASTBOUND ON US-60 JUST PAST THE FLORENCE JUNCTION INTERCHANGE WITH MY SPOUSE AND INFANT CHILD IN THE VEHICLE, THE LEFT FRONT TIRE SUFFERED A TREAD SEPARATION CAUSING THE TIRE TO EXPLODE AND GO FLAT. NOISE FROM THE TREAD DEPARTING THE TIRE WAS HEARD SECONDS BEFORE THE TIRE RUPTURED. HANDLING WAS DIFFICULT WHILE THE TREAD WAS SEPARATING AND BECAME MORE DIFFICULT AFTER THE TIRE LOST AIR PRESSURE. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED FROM THE RIGHT LANE INTO THE LEFT LANE AND NEARLY DEPARTED THE ROADWAY. SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE VEHICLE. REPAIRS ARE AT $3700 AND RISING NOT INCLUDING TIRE REPLACEMENT. THE TIRES ARE ROTATED REGULARLY ACCORDING TO THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS 5-TIRE ROTATION SCHEDULE AND A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE TIRES MINUTES BEFORE THE FAILURE REVEALED THAT NO TIRES WERE UNDER-INFLATED. THE FORD DEALER REPLACED ONE OF THE TIRES WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY A FEW MONTHS OLD BECAUSE OF PULLING. AFTER THE FIRST TIRE ROTATION, THE VEHICLE PULLED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION INDICATING THAT AT LEAST ONE OF THE NEW TIRES WAS DEFECTIVE. *AK TREAD WEAR IS VERY MILD ON THE TIRES WITH APPROXIMATELY INCH OF TREAD REMAINING. SIDEWALLS ON THE TIRES SHOW DRYNESS BUT A FAILURE DID NOT APPEAR IMMINENT. MILEAGE IS JUST OVER 32,000. IT SEEMS OBVIOUS THAT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT CAUSED THESE TIRES TO FAIL WELL BEFORE TREAD WEAR WAS AT A HAZARDOUS LEVEL. IT IS SURPRISING AND DISAPPOINTING THE NHTSA HAS NOT ORDERED A RECALL OF THESE TIRES WHEN RESEARCH ON THE NHTSA WEB-SITE INDICATES SEVERAL FAILURES SIMILAR TO TIRES THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY RECALLED. IF THESE TIRES WERE COMMON ON SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES INSTEAD OF LONG WHEEL BASE PICK-UP TRUCKS AND EXCURSIONS, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN PULLED FROM THE ROADWAYS LONG AGO AS OTHER FIRESTONE PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN. AT THIS TIME, FIRESTONE HAS NOT WARRANTED ANY OF THE TIRES AS THE VEHICLE IS STILL IN THE REPAIR SHOP.