NHTSA Complaint #732174 — 1998 FORD EXPLORER

ON MONDAY 8/21/00 WHILE HAVING SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON MY '98 FORD EXPLORER, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIRES ON MY EXPLORER WERE TIRES THAT HAD BEEN RECALLED BY FIRESTONE(P235/75R15 FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT WITH A DOT CODE OF VDHLIPY368). HESTER TRUCKING, INC & TIRE SERVICE(HESTERS TIRE CO.) THE BUSINESS PERFORMING THE SERVICE OFFERED A SELECTION OF TIRES. I CALLED 1-800-465-1904 AND SPOKE WITH FIRESTONE REPRESENTATIVES, JASON MILLER AND DAVID ALVALBALOS. THEY INFORMED ME THAT I COULD HAVE THE FIRESTONE TIRES REPLACED WITH ANY BRAND THAT I SELECTED AND FIRESTONE WOULD REIMBURSE ME UP TO $100 PER TIRE. WE HAD A SET OF MICHELINS INSTALLED. REYNOLD HESTER (MANAGER AT HESTER'S TIRE SERVICE 910-863-3149) DID NOT HAVE THE FORMS NEEDED TO REQUEST A REFUND FROM FIRESTONE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE FORMS WOULD BE AVAILABLE ON TUESDAY 8/22. I RETURNED TO THE HESTER'S TIRE CO. TUESDAY EVENING TO FIND THAT NO FORMS WERE AVAILABLE. I CONTACTED THE TIRE WHOLESALER THAT DOES BUSINESS WITH HESTER'S TIRE(1-800-237-7479, ZEE WESTBROOK AND JEFF), THEY INFORMED ME THAT A SHIPMENT OF RECALLED FIRESTONE TIRES HAD BEEN SHIPPED TO THEM FROM HESTER'S TIRES AND THAT THE TIRES THAT I HAD REPLACED WERE PROBABLY IN THAT SHIPMENT. I CONTACTED THE FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE EXPLORER, (LAFAYETTE FORD, SERVICE MANAGER PAULA) SHE INFORMED ME THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE FORMS AND THAT I SHOULD CONTACT A FIRESTONE DEALER. I CONTACTED FIRESTONE DEALERS IN FAYETTEVILLE NC,LUMBERTON NC .(BLACKS TIRE SERVICE) AND IN TAR HEEL NC (ALLENS TIRE SERVICE) AND WAS INFORMED THAT I SHOULD CONTACT A FORD DEALER.