NHTSA Complaint #732425 — 2001 FORD EXPLORER

I WAS TRAVELING SOUTHBOUND ON HYW 99 ON THE AFTERNOON OF 9/24/2000 AROUND 1:00PM. IT WAS A CLEAR SUNNY DAY. I WAS TRAVELING AT AN APPROXIMATE SPEED OF 65 MILES PER HOUR IN THE RIGHT LANE (SLOW LANE). THERE WERE NO OBJECTS ON THE FREEWAY. AS I WAS TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY, I FELT MY CAR BEGIN TO FISHTAIL AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY RIGHT REAR TIRE CAME APART. FORTANATELY, I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE AND WAS NEAR A SHOULDER SO I WAS ABLE TO MANUVER AND CONTROL MY VEHICLE OFF THE FREEWAY TO THE SHOULDER. I WAS ABLE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE FIRESTONE TIRE CAME COMPLETELY APART. THE CHP TOOK A REPORT AND PICTURES. MY CAR IS ONLY THREE MONTHS OLD. IT IS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. THE TIRE SHOULD NOT HAVE MALFUNCTIONED THE WAY IT DID. THE FIRESTONE TIRES ARE UNSAFE AND I BELIEVE THE RECALL SHOULD APPLY TO ALL FIRESTONE TIRES NOT ONLY THE ONES THAT WERE MANUFACTURED AT THE DECATUR PLANT. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE FIRESTONE TIRES THAT WERE ON MY VEHICLE. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE AND THEY WOULD NOT RETURN MY CALL. WHEN I DID GET A HOLD OF SOMEONE I WAS TOLD I WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. I HAD MY TIRES CHECKED BY BIG O TIRES. THEY CHECKED THE AIR PRESSURE AND IT WAS FINE. THE DEALERSHIP NOW IS TRYING TO TELL ME THAT ROAD HAZARD CAUSED MY TIRE TO BLOW OUT. THERE WAS NOTHING ON THE ROAD THAT WAS A HAZARD AND THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSE MY TIRE TO COME APART THE WAY IT DID. THEN THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS BECAUSE OF TRAVELING LONG DISTANCE AND HAVING LOW AIR PRESSURE IN MY TIRE. IF TRAVELING 15 MILES IS LONG DISTANCE THEN I WOULD HATE TO SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THE TIRES IF I ACTUALLY DID TRAVEL MORE THAN 15 MILES. I HAD THE AIR PRESSURE CHECKED IN MY TIRES AT BIG O TIRES AND THE AIR PRESSURE WAS FINE. IT CONCERNS ME THAT I HAVE A NEW VEHICLE AND THE TIRE COMES APART SO SOON AND IT JUST HAPPENS TO BE A FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT. FORD AND THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AT ARE VERY UNCOOPERATIVE. *AK