NHTSA Complaint #732276 — 1998 FORD EXPLORER

ON 6/18/2000 OUR 1998 FORD EXPLORER WITH FIRESTONE BLOW-OUT OR A TREAD PROBLEWILDERNESS AT TIRES WENT OUT OF CONTROL AFTER MAKING A SHARP STEERING MANEUVER TO AVOID ANOTHER CAR. OUR VEHICLE SUBSEQUENTLY ROLLED OVER (WE WERE TOLD) SIX TIMES. WE DO NOT BELIEVE THERE WAS A TIRE M, BUT WHAT WE SUSPECT HAPPENED IS DEBEADING OF THE TIRES. WE HAVE READ YOUR 130 PAGE REPORT FROM JULY 1999 ENTITLED "AN EXPERIMENTAL EXAMINATION OF SELECTED MANEUVERS THAT MAY INDUCE ON-ROAD UNTRIPPED, LIGHT VEHICLE ROLLOVERS - PHASE II OF NHTSA'S 1997-1998 VEHICLE ROLLOVER RESEARCH PROGRAM". WE ARE CONCERNED THAT WITH THE AMOUNT OF EMPHASIS CURRENTLY BEING PLACED ON THE BLOW-OUT/TREAD PROBLEM, THAT THIS OTHER PROBLEM OF TIRE DEBEADING IS BEING IGNORED. WE HAVE PICTURES OF OUR VEHICLE FROM AFTER THE ACCIDENT THAT SHOW THE TIRES SEPARATED FROM THE RIMS (DEBEADED). WE WOULD BE EAGER TO DISCUSS OUR ROLLOVER ACCIDENT FURTHER IN AN ATTEMPT TO HELP PREVENT FURTHER HORRIBLE ACCIDENTS OF THIS NATURE. IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION THAT WILL HELP US UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF OUR ACCIDENT , WE WOULD BE VERY APPRECIATIVE. WE ARE NOT SURE AT THIS POINT IF WE HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO PROCEED LEGALLY AGAINST EITHER THE VEHICLE OR TIRE MANUFACTURER.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 15IN )