NHTSA Complaint #10228130 — 2001 FORD F-250 SD

I WAS DRIVING MY 2001 F250 FORD TRUCK AND PULLING A TRAILER. I WAS TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF 60 MPH ON A TWO- LANE HWY. I HAD JUST CHECKED ALL THE TIRES FOR CORRECT AIR PRESSURE BEFORE LEAVING HOME SINCE I WAS TAKING A LOAD OF PIGS TO MARKET. WITHOUT WARNING, SUDDENLY I WAS IN AN UNCONTROLLABLE JERK LEFT INTO THE ONCOMING LANE. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO GAIN CONTROL JUST IN TIME TO AVOID A HEAD-ON COLLISION AS MY TRUCK WENT INTO THE DITCH AND STOPPED. THE COMPLETE OUTER LAYER OF RUBBER CAME OFF MY LEFT FRONT TIRE AND WRAPPED ITSELF AROUND THE INSIDE DISC BRAKE/AXLE ASSEMBLY AND TORE OFF ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES FROM THEIR MOORING LEADING TO THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE. (I ONLY HAVE 23,400 MILES ON THIS TRUCK AND HAVE HAD NO OTHER TIRE INCIDENTS). I HAD TO REMOVE THE TIRE WHICH STAYED INFLATED MINUS ITS COMPLETE OUTER SHELL IN ORDER TO ENTANGLE AND REMOVE THE OUTER SHELL PORTION OF THE TIRE FROM THE BRAKE/AXLE ASSEMBLY. THE MAIN STEEL BRAKE LINE WAS NOT BROKEN AS WERE OTHER RUBBER LINES TO THE BRAKE ASSY. I AM AWAITING AN EVALUATION FROM FORD ON THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND BRAKE ASSEMBLY/LINES CONDITION. FORD HAD NO RECALL ON THE TIRES AND AT FIRST FIRESTONE SERVICE MANAGER PROMISED TO REPLACE ALL OF MY TIRES FREE OF CHARGE BECAUSE THERE WAS A RECALL ON THAT FIRESTONE TIRE. THE NEXT DAY, ONCE THEY REPLACED THE TIRES THEY CAME IN AND ADVISED ME THAT THE RECALL DID NOT MATCH THE SERIAL NUMBER ON MY TIRES AND TOLD ME THEN THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT. TO COMPENSATE ME FOR THEIR MISTAKE ON THE RECALL THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD NOT CHARGE ME FOR THE LABOR PORTION OF THE REPLACEMENT IF I WOULD PAY FOR THE TIRES. I WAS NOT ABOUT TO DRIVE ON THE REMOVED TIRES AGAIN AND WAS BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE, SO I PAID THE BILL. WHILE CASH LAYOUT IS AN ISSUE HERE THE REAL ISSUE IS POOR TIRE PERFORMANCE THAT CAME WITHIN A HEARTBEAT OF KILLING ME AND MANY OTHER INNOCENT PEOPLE. *TR