NHTSA Complaint #10180876 — 1995 FORD WINDSTAR

I'M HAVING A PROBLEM WITH FIRESTONE TIRE COMPANY. A DEFECTIVE TIRE BLEW ON MY SON'S FORD VAN. THE THREAD SEPARATED COMPLETELY. MY SON WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME ON THE FABRIC OF THE STILL INFLATED TIRE. THE TIRE WAS REPLACED FREE BY THE LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALER BECAUSE IT WAS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECTIVE TIRE. WHEN THE TIRE BLEW, THE FLYING RUBBER THREAD CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THE SIDE VIEW MIRROR WAS DESTROYED, FRONT BUMPER WAS LOOSENED PLUS OTHER MINOR COSMETIC DAMAGE. DAMAGE WAS $281.36. I WENT TO THE LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALER RIGHT AFTER THE INCIDENT BECAUSE I WASN'T COMFORTABLE DRIVING WITHOUT A SPARE TIRE. I HAD THE DAMAGE REPAIRED QUICKLY BECAUSE DRIVING WITHOUT A SIDEVIEW MIRROR IS A HAZARD AND THE BUMPER WAS LOOSE WHICH IS DANGEROUS. AFTER THE DAMAGE WAS REPAIRED AND THE TIRE REPLACED, I SENT A LETTER TO FIRESTONE ASKING FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF THE DAMAGE. I DISCOVERED I SENT THE LETTER TO THE WRONG DIVISION OF FIRESTONE. I FINALLY FOUND WHO AT FIRESTONE TO CONTACT ABOUT PAYING FOR THE DAMAGE AND THEY SAID THEY NEEDED THE DEFECTIVE TIRE BEFORE THEY COULD CONSIDER REIMBURSEMENT. OF COURSE, THE TIRE WAS LONG GONE. NOTHING WAS SAID TO ME AT THE TIME ON TIRE REPLACEMENT OF ANY REQUIREMENT TO RETAIN THE DEFECTIVE TIRE. CULPABILITY FOR THE DAMAGE HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED WHEN THE TIRE WAS REPLACED FREE BY THE LOCAL DEALER. ON NOVEMBER 27, 2006, I SENT COPIES OF THE FIRESTONE WORK ORDER FOR THE TIRE REPLACEMENT, TWO ESTIMATES FOR THE DAMAGE AND PHOTOS OF THE DAMAGE ALONG WITH MY REQUEST FOR THE REIMBURSEMENT OF $281.36. AS OF THIS DATE, FIRESTONE HAS NOT SEEN FIT TO RESPOND TO MY LETTER. I FEEL THAT THEIR REQUIREMENT TO SHIP THE DEFECTIVE TIRE IS JUST A SHAM TO AVOID ANY LIABILITY AND THAT THE DETERMINATION BY THE LOCAL DEALER THAT IT WAS A DEFECTIVE TIRE SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT PROOF. THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE AGENT HANDING THIS MATTER IS: BFNT, LLC 1102 APPLETON NASHVILLE, TN 37210 THE REFERENCE NUMBER OF MY INCIDENT IS 840173. *NM