NHTSA Complaint #730334 — 1995 FORD EXPLORER

WAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY 59 SOUTH IN TEXAS, HEADING TOWARDS HOUSTON WHEN I WAS EXISTING OFF A RAMP INTO A 360 DEGREE CURVE WHEN ALL OF SUDDEN THE RIGHT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED AND BLEW OUT. MY FORD EXPLORER VEHICLE THEN SPUNNED SEVERAL TIMES IN A COMPLETE CIRCLES, HOWEVER, DUE TO A RAINY CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE WENT INTO A SLIDING CIRCULAR MOITION RATHER THAN FLIPPING THE VEHICLE DUE TO LOSS OF TRACTION. MY WIFE, DAUGHTER, SON, AND MOTHER WERE THE OCCUPANT IN THE VEHICLE WHEN THIS INCIDENT HAPPEND. MY MOTHER WAS JARRED AND SUSTAIN A LACERATION TO HER LOWER LIP AND BRUSING OF HER FACE DUE TO THE SUDDEN IMPACT WITH THE SHOULDER OF ROADWAY AND A DRAINAGE DITCH. ON THE SECOND BLOWOUT OF THE SAME BRAND OF TIRE, I WAS TRAVELING NORTH ON INTERSTATE 55 IN MISSISSIPPI WHEN I INCURRED ANOTHER TREAD SEPARATION AND BLOW OUT OF THE RIGHT REAR TIRE WHICH WAS ALSO MADE BY FIRESTONE.. BOTH TIRE WERE PURCHASED IN JULY OF 1998, CURRENT MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE AT TIME OF PURCHASE WAS 72,635 MILES. I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THESE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE AND I REPLACED ALL OF THE FIRESTONE TIRES WITH THE BRIDGESTONE DUELLER APT II TIRES. STILL HAVE RESERVATION REGARDING THESE TIRES ALSO BEING THAT THEY WERE MANUFACTURED BY THE PARENT COMPANY OF FIRESTONE.( DOT NUMBER: VNCULPX208 TIRE SIZE: 255/70/S16 )