NHTSA Complaint #730863 — 1997 FORD EXPLORER

ALTHOUGH MY TIRES ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE CURRENT RECALL I BELIEVE THAT THEY SHOULD BE. I WAS LUCKY. MY EPLORER WARNED ME THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WHEN IT STARTED PULLING TO THE RIGHT. I THOUGHT I NEEDED AND ALIGNMENT AND TOOK MY EXPLORER TO A FORD DEALER FOR AN ALIGNMENT. MY ALIGNMENT WAS FINE AND I WAS FLABERGASTED WHEN THE FORD PEOPLE TOLD ME THAT MY FRONT LEFT FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRE, NOT INVOLVED IN THE RECALL, HAD A BELT COMPLETELY SEPERATED FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE. THEY TOLD ME NOT TO DRIVE ON IT. AS IF WAS NOT SAFE AND HAD BEEN COMPLETELY DESTROYED. I WAS IN SHOCK AS I HAD MY GRANDCHILDREN IN THE EXPLORER A FEW DAY BEFORE. I WAS CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF OTHERS SO I IMMEDIATELY BOUGHT FIVE NEW TIRES.WE WERE PLANNING TO DRIVE FROM FLORIDA TO PORTLAND, OREGON ON THE ORIGINAL FIRESTONE TIRES. SINCE I AM RETIRED AND SO NOT DRIVE VERY MUCH I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO BUY NEW TIRES FOR SOMETIME AS THEY ONLY HAD 32,400 PLUS MILES ON THEM. I AM INFORMING YOU OF THIS HOPING THAT SOMEONE ELSE THAT MIGHT BE PLANNING A LONG TRIP ON THE FIRESTONE TIRES NOT INVOLVED IN THE RECALL WILL RECONSIDER. THANK YOU FOR BEING THERE.( DOT NUMBER: W2HLIPY446 TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )