NHTSA Complaint #728077 — 1998 FORD EXPLORER

MY ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 7:00 P.M. ON 24 JULY 2000 AS I WAS DRIVING TO MY RESIDENCE LOCATED AT [XXX], IN MY 1998 FORD EDDIE BAUER EXPLORER. I WAS TRAVELLING EAST ON HIGHWAY 190 IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE AT 60 MPH, WHEN A CAR PULLED IN FRONT OF THE TRUCK I WAS FOLLOWING. THE TRUCK BRAKE CAUSING ME TO BRAKE. UPON BRAKING, BOTH TIRES ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE VEHICLE EXPLODED CAUSING ME TO GO INTO A TAIL SPIN. I DID EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE ON THE ROAD WITHOUT HITTING ANYONE ELSE. FORTUNATELY, I DID NOT HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE OR HURT ANYONE ELSE. MY VEHICLE ENDED UP ROLLING OVER FOUR TIMES AND ENDED UP FACING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION ON THE MEDIAN. ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY TOTALED, I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH NOT TO HAVE SUFFERED LIFE THREATENING INJURIES. THE POLICE, PARAMEDICS, AND FIREMEN ARRIVING ON THE SCENE COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT I WAS ALIVE. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE CUT TO GET ME OUT. THERE WERE WITNESSES TO THIS ACCIDENT WHO PROVIDED STATEMENTS TO THE POLICE. THERE WAS NO CITATION ISSUED. MY RIGHT HAND WAS BADLY CUT, I HAD SEVERED AN ARTERY AND MUSCLE, AND RECEIVED 12 STITCHES. MY LEFT EAR WAS CUT AND HAD TO BE STITCHED. THE LEFT SIDE OF MY BODY, TO INCLUDE MY HEAD, WAS BADLY BRUISED. THIS ACCIDENT HAS HAD A SERIOUS PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECT ON ME. IT TOOK TWO WEEKS FOR ME TO BEGIN DRIVING AGAIN. USAA, MY INSURANCE COMPANY, INFORMED US, AS A RESULT OF THEIR INVESTIGATION, THAT THEY HAD FLAGGED MY VEHICLE BECAUSE THE TIRES WERE THE FIRESTONE TIRES BEING RECALLED AND WERE FOUND AT FAULT FOR CAUSING MY ACCIDENT. SINCE PURCHASING MY VEHICLE BRAND NEW IN MAY 1998, IT HAS BEEN REGULARLY SERVICED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SERVICE MANUAL, BY COVE FORD IN COPPERAS COVE, TEXAS. WHEELS HAVE ALSO BEEN ROTATED ON A REGULAR BASIS. AT NO TIME WAS I INFORMED THAT MY TIRES WERE UNSAFE OR WERE THE CAUSE OF PREVIOUS ACCIDENTS. HAD I OF BEEN INFORMED BY THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY OF POSSIBLE TIRES. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(