NHTSA Complaint #732682 — 1997 FORD EXPLORER

WE ARE REQUESTING ASSISTANCE FROM NHTSA DUE TO THE FACT THAT TODAY UPON RETURNING HOME FROM WORK, WE EXAMINED THE TIRES ON OUR VEHICLE AS WE DO OFTEN DUE TO THE PROBLEM WITH THE FIRESTONE TIRES ON EXPLORERS, AND FOUND THAT ALL FOUR TIRES ARE BEGINNING TO " SEPERATE IN EXACTLY THE SAME LOCATION " AS ALL THE OTHER TIRES THAT HAVE BEEN RECALLED, THE REAR BEING WORSE THAN THE FRONT BUT ALL HAVE THE SAME SEPERATION. YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE STEEL INSIDE OF THE TIRES IN SOME PLACES, RIGHT WHERE THE TREAD STARTS. WE HAVE BEEN ON THE PHONE WITH FIRESTONE LOCALLY AND THE DEALER WHERE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE JUST THIS PAST APRIL 2000, AND NO-ONE WANTS TO HELP. THE ONLY HELP WE HAVE BEEN OFFERED IS TO "PRORATE" OUR TIRES, NOT " REPLACE" THEM. FORTUNATELY WE CAUGHT THIS PROBLEM BEFORE AN ACCIDENT, BUT NOW WITH THIS BEING THE ONLY VEHICLE WE HAVE TO GET BACK AND FORTH TO WORK AND NO-ONE WANTING TO REPLACE THEM, WHAT ARE WE TO DO ? COULD THIS BE AN ADDITION THAT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED ASAP AS WELL BEFORE ANYONE DIES ??*AK (DOT NUMBER: W2HL/8XHL TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)