NHTSA Complaint #730040 — 1991 FORD EXPLORER

ON JULY 18, 1999, I WAS TAKING MY DAUGHTER (15 AT THE TIME) TO SUMMER CAMP FROM HENDERSON, NC TO BROWN SUMMIT, NC. SHE WAS DRIVING UNDER HER PERMIT, AND I WAS DOZING. I WAS SUDDENLY AWAKENED BY A SOUND LIKE A MACHINE GUN, AND THE NEXT THING I KNEW, WE WERE SPINNING IN CIRCLES ACROSS THREE LANES OF I-40/85. WE ENDED UP SPINNING OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, BUT FORTUNATELY DID NOT TURN OVER. I FOUND THAT MY RIGHT REAR TIRE (FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT) HAD LOST ITS TREAD, AND THAT WAS THE NOISE I HAD HEARD. A PASSING MOTORIST STOPPED TO SEE IF WE WERE OK, AND HE SAID THAT HE DIDN'T KNOW HOW WE AVOIDED BEING CREAMED BY AN ONCOMING SEMI-TRAILER. THE NEXT DAY (MONDAY), I WENT TO A TIRE DEALER IN HENDERSON, AND FORKED OUT $400 FOR A SET OF MICHELIN M/S TIRES. THE DEALER COMMENTED ABOUT THE FIRESTONES, "OH, YEAH, SOMETIMES TREAD DOES COME OFF LIKE THAT." WE WERE LUCKY, AND ALL WE SUFFERED WERE PSYCHOLOGICAL INJURIES, AND DAMAGED WHEEL WELL. I RECENTLY TRADED IN THE VEHICLE AND PURCHASED A NEW ISUZU RODEO.( DOT NUMBER: )