NHTSA Complaint #10524057 — 2001 FORD EXPLORER

AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHEREIN A YOUNG MAN WAS SEVERELY INJURED. HE SURVIVED, BUT HAS A PLATE IN HIS JAW, AND SEVERE SCARRING ON HIS FACE. HIS SISTER WAS ALSO A PASSENGER AND WAS INJURED, BUT LESS SEVERELY. THE RIGHT REAR TIRE APPEARS TO HAVE BLOWN OUT, CAUSING THE CRASH. A WITNESS IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THE CAR AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT STATED: "I NOTICED WHAT LOOKED LIKE ONE OF THE RIGHT SIDE TIRES BEND TO THE SIDE AND SUDDENLY EXPLODE. AT THAT POINT THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL DUE TO THE TIRE EXPLOSION AND SWERVED TO THE CENTER DIVIDER AND CRASHED. INFORMATION ON THE TIRES IS AS FOLLOWS: RADIAL SXT ALL TERRAINS. DOT NUMBER ON THE TIRES WERE XFA 0307 AND THE TIRE SIZE WAS 75/16. ALL TIRES PASSED INSPECTION THREE MONTHS BEFORE, WITH A TREAD OF 6/32. THE OFFICER NOTED THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE. *TR