NHTSA Complaint #730542 — 1997 FORD EXPLORER

WE WERE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 75 IN OKLAHOMA WHEN THE LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT FROM TREAD SEPARATION. IT WAS 105 DEGREES AT THE TIME. WHAT SAVED US FROM ROLLING OVER WAS THAT WE WERE PULLING A LOADED TRAILER, AND IT KEPT US ON THE ROAD. THERE WERE 2 OF US IN THE CAR AT THE TIME AND NO ONE WAS HURT, BUT WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. I HAVE SINCE TRADED THAT EXPLORER FOR A NEWER MODEL EXPLORER, AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE NEWER MODEL ALSO HAS THE FIRESTONE TIRES. THE MILEAGE I SHOWED AT THE TOP OF THE FORM WAS THE MILEAGE ON THE DAY I HAD THE TIRES REPLACED - I STILL HAVE A COPY OF THE RECEIPT FOR THE NEW TIRES. AN OKLAHOMA STATE HIGHWAY PATROLMAN STOPPED AND HELPED US CHANGE THE TIRE, SO THERE MAY BE A RECORD, BUT I'M SURE IT ISN'T VERY DETAILED. SINCE THIS HAPPENED LAST YEAR I DON'T KNOW THE SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE MODEL OF TIRE OR WHERE IT WAS MANUFACTURED, AND OF COURSE, I DON'T HAVE THE TIRES.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75/15 )