NHTSA Complaint #10210036 — 2002 MERCURY COUGAR

I HAVE FIRESTONE FIRE HAWK TIRES ON MY 2002 MERCURY COUGER XR. THE TIRE MODEL NUMBER IS 215-50-17. MY CAR HAS 44,000 MILES ON IT. I BOUGHT IT NEW AND I HAVE HAD 5 FLAT TIRES ON THE FRONT TWO TIRES OF MY CAR. THE REAR TIRES HAVE 44,000 MILES ON THEM. EACH TIME I GET A FLAT TIRE, THE TIRE IS SHREDDED IN THE INSIDE AND I HAVE BEEN LUCKY THAT I WAS DRIVING IN THE CITY NOT GOING VERY FAST. I HAVE BEEN TOLD EVERY TIME THAT MY TIRE PRESSURE MUST BE LOW AND THEREFORE CAUSED A FLAT. I GOT MY 5TH FLAT TIRE IN 4 YRS ON 11/22/07 (THANKSGIVING). MY TIRES HAD JUST BEEN CHECK WHEN I GOT MY OIL CHANGE TWO WEEKS BEFORE, BUT I STILL GOT A FLAT TIRE. I HAD JUST BEEN DRIVING ON A HWY GOING 65MPH AND I AM THANKFUL IT DIDN'T HAPPEN THEN, I AM DISABLED AND THE ROAD I HAD BEEN DRIVING ON WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE. SOON AFTER I RETURN TO TOWN I GOT A FLAT TIRE. MY HUSBAND WAS THEN IN THE CAR WITH ME. I TOOK THE TIRE IN TO POMPS TIRES THE SAME PLACE I HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN THEM, AND THE TIRE WAS AGAIN SHREDDED. I AM NOT SURE IF ANYONE ELSE HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM BUT I TRULY THINK THESE TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS. *TR