NHTSA Complaint #726877 — 1992 FORD EXPLORER

REPLACEMENT TIRES WERE SAME AS FACTORY ORIGINAL, RATED AT 50,000 MILES. AT 40,000 MILES, BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE VIBRATION, THE SOURCE OF WHICH COULD NOT ACCURATELY BE IDENTIFED BY MECHANIC. (U-JOINT AND SEVERAL BEARINGS REPLACED TO NO EFFECT). DURING DRIVING TRIP TO LITTLE ROCK FOR THANKSGIVING, VIBRATION WORSENED, WHICH I ATTRIBUTED TO BAD ROAD SURFACE CONDITIONS IN MO AND AR. DURING RETURN TRIP TO KANSAS CITY FROM LITTLE ROCK, APPROX. 100 MILES WEST OF LITTLE ROCK ON WB I-40, RIGHT REAR TIRE TREAD FAILED, DELAMINATING COMPLETELY FROM TIRE CORE AT 70 MPH. LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND TRAVELED DOWN GRASS EMBANKMENT OF CENTER MEDIAN, HIT CONCRETE DRAINAGE WAY AT CENTER, AND CONTINUED UP THE OPPOSITE EMBANKMENT TOWARD ONCOMING EB TRAFFIC. REGAINED PARTIAL CONTROL AS VEHICLE SLOWED UP THE EMBANKMENT, AND WAS ABLE TO STEER VEHICLE TO REST BACK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MEDIAN. PASSING MOTORISTS ASSISTED IN RETURNING VEHICLE TO THE HIGHWAY, AND I PUT ON THE FULL-SIZE SPARE. PASSING ARKANSAS STATE TROOPER STOPPED AND ASCERTAINED THAT THERE WERE NO INJURIES NOR COLLISIONS WITH OTHER VEHICLES. NO REPORT WAS FILED. CONTINUED TO KANSAS CITY ON SPARE TIRE; NO FURTHER VIBRATION NOTICED. APPROXIMATELY 5000 MILES LATER REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES WITH SAME BRAND, FIRESTONE ATX. THESE TIRES NOW HAVE APPROXIMATELY 8000 MILES. NO FURTHER INCIDENTS TO REPORT. ORIGINALLY THOUGHT TO BE ISOLATED INCIDENT, AND SO DID NOT REPORT TO NHTSA UNTIL I HEARD NEWS REPORTS ABOUT YOUR INVESTIGATIONS ON THIS TIRE. NTB SALESMAN NOTED THAT THEY WERE FAMILIAR WITH FAILURE PROBLEMS ON THIS TIRE AT THE TIME THAT I BOUGHT THE LAST SET. I WENT AHEAD AND BOUGHT THEM BECAUSE ORIGINAL SET PERFORMED OK, AND THEY WERE MOST ECONOMICAL PRODUCT FOR MY BUDGET. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R14 )