NHTSA Complaint #10232139 — 2003 FORD ESCAPE

RIGHT REAR PASSENGER TIRE FAILED ON 2003 FORD ESCAPE. TIRES IN QUESTION ARE FIRESTONE DESTINATION LE, (DOT VN08, 0107) JUST DAYS AND ONE YEAR AFTER PURCHASE NEW. AFTER TIRE FAILURE VEHICLE ONE VEERED VIOLENTLY INTO LEFT LANE OF THE TWO LANE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AND VEHICLE TWO COLLIDED WITH VEHICLE ONE SENDING VEHICLE ONE SKIDDING ON ITS DRIVERS SIDE BEFORE COMING TO A REST ON THE RIGHT BREAKDOWN LANE. TOTAL TIME WHEN VEHICLE ONE NOTICED A NOISE TO END OF INCIDENT WAS LESS THAN 1 MINUTE. NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, SPEED TRAVELING AT TIME OF MISHAP WAS APPROXIMATELY FOUR MPH ABOVE POSTED 70 MPH SPEED LIMIT. TEMPERATURE WAS APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES AMBIENT FAHRENHEIT ON A CLEAR VISIBLE DAY. TIRE IN QUESTION WERE PURCHASED AS A SET OF TWO TOTALLY FOUR JUNE 5, 2007 AND ACCIDENT OCCURRED JUNE 22, 2008. TIRE ROTATION IN OR AROUND 6000 MILES WAS PERFORMED AT PLACE OF PURCHASE. AIR PRESSURES WERE CHECKED AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH TIRE SIDEWALL SPECIFICATIONS. *TR