NHTSA Complaint #732345 — 1998 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER

THE SIDEWALLS ON ALL FOUR TIRES CRACKED. THE CRACKS WERE LOCATED ALL THE WAY AROUND THE TIRE WHERE THE TREAD WRAPS FROM THE FACE OF THE TIRE TO THE SIDEWALL. I WENT TO TWO FIRESTONE STORES. BOTH AGREED THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE AND WOULD BE REPLACED ON A PRO-RATE. NO TIRES WERE AVAILABLE ON 9/18/00 DUE TO THE DEMAND ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECALL. I WAS PUT ON A WAITING LIST. DECIDING NOT TO TRUST THE TIRES ANY LONGER, I WAS ABLE TO LOCATE AND PURCHASE KELLY-SPRINGFIELD TIRES THE SAME DAY. I KEPT THE WILDERNESS AT TIRES. THREE OF THE TIRES HAVE DOT NUMBERS THAT ARE VNHL1PY397. THE OTHER HAS A DOT NUMBER VNHL1PY387. ALL FOUR TIRES WERE CONSISTENT IN THE PATERN OF THE CRACKING. I WANTED TO ADVISE YOU OF THIS DEFECT AS THE RECALLED WILDERNESS AT ARE BEING REPLACED WITH TIRES MANUFACTURED IN THE SAME CANADIAN PLANT AS THE DEFECTIVE TIRES ON MY MOUNTAINEER.*AK( DOT NUMBER: VNHL1PY397 TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )