NHTSA Complaint #10104049 — 2003 FORD RANGER

THERE IS NO INCIDENT AND PERHAPS THIS MAY NOT BE THE CORRECT PLACE TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT BUT YOU CAN BE THE JUDGE OF THAT. MY COMPLAINT IS I OWN A 2003 FORD RANGER 4WD SUPER CAB WITH GOODYEAR FACTORY INSTALLED TIRES WHICH ARE WEARING UNUSUALLY (CUPPING/CHOPPING). TIRES HAVE BEEN ROTATED BY FORD DEALER, BALANCED, PROPER AIR PRESSURE MAINTAINED AND ALIGNMENT CHECKED. VEHICLE HAS 16,500 MILES ON IT. TIRES ARE CAUSING VIBRATION AND NOISE. I BELIEVE THERE IS A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE I CAN'T FEEL OR HEAR IF ANOTHER COMPONENT IS FAILING. DEALER HAS TOLD ME HE SEES AN AVERAGE OF 6 FORD RANGERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM EACH WEEK. FORD TELLS ME THERE IS NO RECALL OR DIRECTIVE TO REPLACE THE TIRES AND THEY WILL NOT REPLACE THEM. GOODYEAR TELLS ME THAT FORD HAS ISSUED A BROADCAST SERVICE BULLETIN TO ITS DEALERS TO REPLACE THESE TIRES WITH A LARGER SIZE. HAVE NO ACCESS TO THIS BULLETIN BUT QUESTIONED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE NO ACCESS TO BROADCAST BULLETINS. FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE SAID THIS TYPE OF TIRE IS NOT EXPECTED TO WEAR NORMALLY BECAUSE OF ITS DESIGN. WHY THEN PUT IT ON THE VEHICLE? CONVERSATION WITH FORD WAS ON THE PHONE AND I SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN EXACTLY WHAT THEY SAID BUT THIS IS PRETTY MUCH IT. IF THE DEALER IS SEEING THIS MANY VEHICLES EACH WEEK THERE MUST BE A HUGE PROBLEM SOMEWHERE. *JB