NHTSA Complaint #732291 — 1991 FORD EXPLORER

TIRE FAILURE 8-21-91, 302 MILES, 26 PSI, RIGHT REAR, FLAT TIRE IN PARKING LOT. MITCHELL TIRE SERVICE IN ANAHEIM CA PUT AIR IN TIRE & DISCOVER A PIN HOLE LEAK IN SIDEWALL. HE THEN DISMOUNTED TIRE TO LOOK FOR HOLE INSIDE TIRE. NO HOLE FOUND INSIDE TIRE, & TOLD ME THE BELT WAS SEPERATING. HE TOLD ME THAT SINCE IT WAS A SPORT UTE, IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER FIRESTONES WARRANTY, I HAD TO PURCHASE ANOTHER TIRE. I MANAGED TO GET FIRESTONE FACTORY TO PAY ME BACK FOR FAILED TIRE. TIRE FAILURE #2, 1-11-92, 4,000 MILES, 32 PSI, LEFT REAR, TIRE FLAT IN DRIVEWAY. FIRESTONE DEALER IN EL TORO, CA PUT AIR IN THE TIRE & DISCOVERED A PIN HOLE LEAK. HE SAID I HAD TO PURCHASE ANOTHER TIRE SINCE IT WASN'T COVERED BY WARRANTY. I TRIED TO GET FIRESTONE FACTORY TO REPLACE TIRE, BUT THEY REFUSED. SO I PURCHASED A GOODYEAR WRANGLER. TIRE FAILURE #3, 1-25-92, 7,912 MILES, 32 PSI, LEFT REAR, TIRE STARTED TO VIBRATE ON SOUTH BOUND 5 FREEWAY IN IRVINE. MARK C BLOOM, IN EL TORO, CA SPUN THE TIRE UP ON THEIR BALANCING MACHINE, & THEN ADVISED ME THAT THE TIRE WAS SEVERELY OUT OF ROUND, A CONDITION CAUSED BY THE TIRE STARTING TO SEPERATE, SO I PURCHASED A GOODYEAR WRANGLER. I STILL HAVE THE ORIGINAL FR480 SPARE. THE FIRST TWO LETTERS OF THE DOT CODE ARE W2. THE (3) FR480 TIRES THAT FAILED MAY HAVE HAD SAME DESIGNATION, BUT I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE. NOTE: I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH GOODYEAR TIRES ON ANY OF THE (3) SETS I HAVE PURCHASED! NOTE: AS I LISTENED TO JACQUES NASSERS TESTIMONY, SOMETHING WAS MENTIONED WHICH JARRED MY MEMORY. REP BILLY TAUZIN ASKED HIM ABOUT HOTLINE DOCUMENT# 71 PG# 3 DATED 8-19-96, WHICH STATED THAT A FORD DEALER HAD 16 EXPLORERS HE COULDNT BALANCE THE TIRES ON. WELL, I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM! MILLS FORD REBALANCED MY TIRES AT LEAST 3 TIMES IN THE FIRST 3000 MILES. BUT IT DIDNT HELP HOWEVER, AFTER THE FAILED FIRESTONE TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE BALANCING PROBLEM WENT AWAY. *AK( DOT NUMBER: UNKNOWN TIRE SIZE: P225/70R15 )