NHTSA Complaint #10156032 — 2001 FORD EXPEDITION

1. FORD FIRESTONE TIRE RECALL: 12/2/02 ALL TIRES REPLACED AS PER RECALL REQUIREMENTS. MILEAGE: 15750. 2. FRIDAY, 4/21/2006: DURING A ROAD TRIP THIS PAST WEEKEND, MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE SHREDDED. I HEARD THUDDING NOISES, PULLED OFF THE I-75, CHECKED AROUND MY 2001 FORD EXPEDITION, WAS UNABLE TO SEE ANYTHING WRONG. HOWEVER A FEW MILES LATER, I REALIZED SOMETHING WAS SERIOUSLY WRONG AND PULLED OFF OF THE FREEWAY. I CALLED 911 SOMETIME BETWEEN 3 AND 3:15 PM 4/21/06 FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. TIM THE TOWMAN TOWED MY VEHICLE OFF THE FREEWAY TO A NEARBY GAS STATION. THERE HE OBSERVED THAT THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE HAD SHREDDED. THE SHREDDING PROCESS CAUSED DAMAGE AS FOLLOWS: A) RIGHT FRONT BUMPER NOW DANGLES BECAUSE SCREWS SHEARED OFF APPARENTLY; B) TIRE CASING NEEDS TO BE RESECURED, SINCE IT WAS FLAPPING. C) THERE MAY BE ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE AS WELL AS CABLES. EST. MILEAGE: 47600. 3. TIM THE TOWMAN REPLACED THE SHREDDED TIRE WITH MY FULL-SIZE SPARE. HE USED TWINE TO TEMPORARILY SUPPORT THE RF BUMPER. HE TEMPORARILY SECURED THE TIRE CASING. THE FOLLOWING MONDAY, I CALLED FORD CUSTOMER NO-SERVICE. THEY SAID THAT A LOCAL DEALERSHIP WOULD NEED TO CORROBORATE MY STORY BEFORE THEY COULD DETERMINE WHETHER FORD WAS LIABLE TO REPLACE THE SHREDDED TIRE (AND POSSIBLY REPLACE ALL OF THE OTHERS, AS WELL), AND TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS NEEDED ON THE FRONT BUMPER AND CASING. THE TALLAHASSEE FORD DEALERSHIP HAS A POOR REPUTATION, SO I WAS PERMITTED TO TAKE MY EXPEDITION TO THE LINCOLN-MERCURY DEALERSHIP. AFTER HEARING MY STORY AND EXAMINING MY VEHICLE, THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THAT FORD OFFERED NO WARRANTY ON THE REPLACEMENT TIRES. EVEN IF THEY HAD REPLACED DEFECTIVE TIRES WITH DEFECTIVE TIRES, THEY DID NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. HE OFFERED TO GIVE ME A DISCOUNT ON MICHELIN TIRES (FOUR) TO REPLACE THE CONTINENTAL TIRES. HE SAID THERE WAS LITTLE TREAD LEFT ON THE REMAINING TIRES. THESE TIRES HAVE SLIGHTLY OVER 30,000 MILES ON THEM. *NM