NHTSA Complaint #730552 — 1997 FORD F-150

2 OF 4 TIRES HAVE DEVELOPED CONSIDERABLE CRACKS AROUND THE TREAD LINE ON THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE. I HAVE TAKEN THE TRUCK TO 2 DIFFERENT FIRESTONE DEALERS AND GET VARIED INSPECTION REPORTS. AT ONE OF THE SERVICE CENTERS, A SERVICE MECHANIC TELLS ME THAT HE "WOULDN'T DRIVE THE VEHICHLE ON THE HIGHWAY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES IN THE STATE THAT THEY (TIRES) ARE IN" WHILE HIS MANAGER TELLS ME THAT "THE CRACKS ARE PROBABLY CAUSED BY ARMOR ALL". THE OTHER SERVICE CENTER MANAGER I TOOK THE TRUCK TO TELLS ME THAT HE HAS PLACED A CALL IN TO FIRESTONE TO SEE ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT SINCE THE TIRES ARE NOT ON THE RECALL LIST BUT ARE QUESTIONABLE. HE WAS TO GET BACK TO ME BUT HAS NOT TO DATE. MY INITIAL COMPLAINT WAS INTERMITTANT SHUTTER IN THE FRONT END WHEN BRAKING HARD FROM HIGH SPEED. THE PROBLEM DIDN'T SEEM TO BE BRAKE RELATED BUT MIGHT BE TIRE RELATED GIVEN THAT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN ALL OF THE TIME AND THAT THE CRACKING TIRES ARE ON THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK. THEY WERE PURCHASED FROM A LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALER AS REPLACEMENTS FOR THE OEM WILDERNESS HT TIRES SOLD ON THE TRUCK WHEN I PURCHASED IT NEW AND HAVE ABOUT 32,000 MILES ON THEM. FIRESTONE WILL NOT TELL ME THAT THEY ARE SAFE BUT WILL NOT REPLACE THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE ON "NOT ON THE LIST". ONE MANAGER DID TELL ME THAT FIRESTONE WOULD PROBABLY END UP REPLACING ADDITIONAL TIRE SIZES IN THE FUTURE. I AM NO TIRE EXPERT BUT GIVEN THE CRACKS DEVELOPING WHICH ARE MORE THAN "COSMETIC" IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THERE ARE MORE ISSUES WITH OTHER SIZES OF THIS LINE OF TIRE FROM FIRESTONE. ANY ASSISTANCE OR ADVISE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. SINCERELY, STEVEN D. TERRELL( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P255-70R16 )