NHTSA Complaint #731151 — 1998 FORD EXPLORER

THIS CORRECTS THE INFORMATION I SUBMITTED ON 8/16/2000 TO BETTER DESCRIBE THAT TWO FAILURES OCCURRED AND BOTH WERE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. MY 1998 FORD EXPLORER ([XXX]) CAME EQUIPPED WITH THE WILDERNESSAT TIRES. DURING THE FALL OF 1998, I EXPERIENCED 4 TIRE REPAIRS AND IN THE EARLY PART OF 1999, 2 MORE TIRE REPAIRS AND TWO FAILURES (NOTE: FOUR TRIPS TO ARIZONA, FROM COLORADO, HAD OCCURRED). THE TWO FAILURES OCCURRED LATER DURING TRAVEL IN 1999, ONE ON I-40 OUTSIDE ALBUQUERQUE, NM (ENROUTE TO AZ AT APPROX 62 MPH, A SEPARATION AT THE SIDEWALL/TREAD AREA) AND THE OTHER IN PHOENIX, AZ FOUND AS A LEAKING TIRE BUT IDENTIFIED, UPON BREAKDOWN, AS A NON-REPAIRABLE SIDEWALL/THREAD SEPARATION AT THE THREAD LINE). EACH FAILURE WAS REPLACED WITH FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES. HOWEVER, I LOST CONFIDENCE IN THE FIRESTONE TIRES AND ON MAY 6 1999 I REPLACED THE FOUR INSTALLED TIRES WITH MICHELIN LTX (MS) TIRES, RETAINING THE SPARE AS AN ORIGINAL FIRESTONE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: UNKNOWN TIRE SIZE: 235/75R/15 ) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR