NHTSA Complaint #732181 — 1998 FORD RANGER

ON FEB 12 2000, SOMETHING HAPPENED TO THE FRONT (DRIVER SIDE) TIRE - IT BUCKLED OFF THE RIM. THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED ON A CURVE AT THE TOP OF A HILL. BECAUSE OF THE CURVE THE TRAVEL SPEED WAS AROUND 20 TO 25 MILES AN HOUR. THE TIRE CAME OFF THE RIM, MY SON COULD NOT CONTROL THE TRUCK, THE TRUCK HIT AN EMBANKMENT, AND THE TRUCK ROLLED OVER. WE CONTACTED OUR INSURANCE COMPANY (NATIONWIDE), THEY TOOK THE TRUCK TO A RECOVERY /LOSS CENTER. WE ASKED IF SOME ONE WOULD INVESTIGATE WHY THE TIRE WOULD HAVE COME OFF THE RIM AND THEY SAID TIRES BLOW OUT ALL THE TIME. WE WERE HAPPY NO ONE WAS HURT AND ACCEPTED THE ANSWER. BUT EVERY DAY I HEAR MORE ABOUT THE RECALL ON THE FIRESTONE TIRES AND I AM CONCERNED THERE ARE OTHER PROBLEMS, BESIDES THE TREAD SEPARATION. I DO NOT BELIEVE THE TIRE HAD TREAD SEPARATION. BUT I ALSO BELIEVE WE WERE VERY LUCKY THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED AT A SLOW SPEED. SOME ONE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED IF THE TIRE WOULD HAVE BLOWN OUT ON THE HIGHWAY GOING 65.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P21575RX15 )