NHTSA Complaint #729602 — 1998 FORD EXPLORER

THIS TIRE "SEPARATED" WHILE TRAVELING ON I 37 FROM CORPUS CHRISTI, TX TO SAN ANTONIO, TX. THERE WAS A STRONG VIBRATION AND AN EXTREME PULL TO THE RIGHT WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. UPON ARRIVAL IN SAN ANTONIO, WE SOUGHT OUT A FIRESTONE DEALERSHIP AND STOPPED AT FIRESTONE TIRE & SERVICE CENTER AT 4906 WALZAM RD. I APPRISED THE TECHNICIAN OF THE SYMPTOMS AND HE ALREADY KNEW WHAT I WAS DESCRIBING. HE ADVISED THAT THE TIRE HAD SEPARATED BUT THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO CHECK IT FOR SURE. ON THIS TIRE, IT HAD "SEPARATED" BUT HAD NOT COME APART LIKE THE ONE WE LATER EXPERIENCED THAT I HAVE ALREADY NOTIFIED YOU. IT OCCURED ON 7/24/2000 AND CAUSED AN ESTIMATED $2,800.00 DAMAGE TO THE LEFT REAR QUARTER PANEL OF MY VEHICLE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS NOTIFICATION IS TO ADVISE YOU OF A TIRE THAT WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL "VD......" TIRES ALSO FAILED AND THAT THERE MAY BE A DESIGN FLAW IN THE TIRES THEMSELVES. THE SERIAL NUMBER ON THIS TIRE WAS 8XHL1PY0300. ANOTHER TROUBLING ISSUE IS THE FAMILARITY OF THE TECHNICIAN WITH THE PROBLEM EVEN BEFORE HE HAD TO CHECK IT. HOW MANY OTHER SIMILAR TIRES HAD HE SEEN WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM? HAD FIRESTONE KNOWN OF THESE PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THE US RECALL?( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 23575R15 )