NHTSA Complaint #728183 — 2000 FORD EXPLORER

WE WERE ON A DRIVE, WHICH IS 90 MILES ONE WAY, TO MY PARENTS FOR DINNER. IT WAS 1PM ON THE 6TH OF MARCH AND THE WEATHER WAS BETWEEN 95 DEGREES OR HIGHER. 10 MILES INTO THE DRIVE, I NOTICED THAT THE TRUCK WAS NOT HANDLING AS CRISP WHEN CHANGING FROM LANE TO LANE AND ASKED MY WIFE IF THE RIDE FELT DIFFERENT, ESPECIALLY SINCE SHE DRIVES IT DURING THE WEEK. SHE DID NOTICE ALSO THAT IT SEEMED TO BE SWAYING WHEN I CHANGED FROM LANE TO LANE BUT SHE THOUGHT THAT I WAS DOING IT. I, FROM PAST EXPERIENCE, THOUGHT I SHOULD STOP AND CHECK THE TIRES AND JUST IN TIME BECAUSE WHEN I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THE AIR RUSHED OUT OF THE TIRE. I EXAMINED THE TIRE AND NOTICED THAT IT LOOKED AS IF IT HAD SEPARATED INSIDE THE TIRE BUT DID NOT THINK ANYTHING OF IT. I PUT ON THE SPARE AND CONTINUED ON THE TRIP. I LET MY FATHER TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND HE IMMEDIATELY SAID THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TIRE. I ASKED HIM IF HE THOUGHT SOMETHING MIGHT HAVE PUNCTURED THE TIRE BUT HE, LIKE I DID, DID NOT THINK SO,,,,, ESPECIALLY SINCE I STOPPED AS SOON AS I NOTICED THE PROBLEM. MY FATHER HAS 2 18 WHEELERS AND CHANGES THE TIRES ON THEM HIMSELF AND IF PRETTY KNOWLEDGABLE ABOUT ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DEAL WITH A VEHICLE. I HAD MY WIFE THE NEXT MORNING TO TAKE THE TIRE TO A LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALER. I CALLED AND SPOKE WITH SOMEONE WHO TOLD ME THEY LOOKED AT THE TIRE AND THAT SOMETHING PUNCTURED IT. I ASKED THE GUY THAT I WAS DRIVING AND I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT I DID NOT RUN OVER ANYTHING IN THE ROAD. I AM POSITIVE. NEVERTHELESS, IT DID NOT MATTER BECAUSE I NEEDED A NEW TIRE AND THEY WERE NOT GOING TO REPLACE, ALTHOUGH THE DEALER SAID THAT IT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE ROAD HAZARD WARRANTY. ALTHOUGH THE GUY RUNNING THE DESK SAID THAT THE HAD A HOLE IN IT AND PUNCTURE INSIDE, THE MECHANIC WHO CHANGED THE TIRE WROTE ON THE WORK ORDER "RAN FLAT-INSIDE CHEWED UP" INDICATING THAT THIS WAS NOT JUST A HOLE PUNCTURE BUT SOMETHING REALLY DID HAPPEN TO THIS TIRE. CONTACT ME IF YOU NEED MORE