NHTSA Complaint #732723 — 2000 FORD E-350

DRIVING SOUTH ON I-25 FROM ALBEQUERQUE TO EL PASO. TIRE BLEW OUT & I MADE A CONTROLLED STOP. LOOKING UNDER THE REAR INSIDE DUAL WHEEL I SAW THE TIRE WAS SHREDDED. I EXITED ALMOST AT ONCE TO A SMALL TOWN NAMED BELEN, N.M. THIS OCCURRED ALMOST NOON ON A SATURDAY. I CONSIDERED MYSELF LUCKY TO FIND A TIRE STORE OPEN IN SUCH A SMALL TOWN. I'M ALMOST 75 WITH A HEART CONDITION. NO WAY I WAS GOING TO ATTEMPT TO CHANGE THAT TIRE ON A HOT INTERSTATE ALONE. CRAIG TIRE CO. EXPLAINED THE RECALL POLICY. THEY REPLACED THE BLOWN TIRE (IN 2 PIECES) AND PLACED IT IN MY RV MOTOR HOME. I PAID THEM $165.08 AND HAVE THE RECEIPT. I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE FOUND A TIRE DEALER ON SATURDAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NEW MEXICO DESERT. I HAVE CALLED FORD, FIRESTONE, THE RV DEALER, THE RV MANUFACTURER, THE LOCAL TV STATION, EVEN THE NEWSPAPER. I UNDERSTAND THERE HAVE BEEN MANY COMPLAINTS. THANK GOD NO ONE WAS INJURED OR KILLED. THENCE, NEWS OF NO IMPORTANCE! WRONG! I'M RETIRED. UNEXPECTINGLY I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE TO TRAVEL AT MY LEISURE. THE PRICE OF ALMOST $69,000.00 IS NOT PRIMARILY IMPORTANT. SOMEONE SELLING ME SOMETHING THAT COULD HAVE ENDED MY WIFE'S AND MY LIVES IS MY MAJOR CONCERN. HOW MANY OTHER UNEXPECTING BUYERS MAY NOT BE AS FORTUNATE? I USED TO DRIVE A SEMI; I OWNED 12 TRUCKS. GOOD THING I HAD EXPERIENCE WITH BLOWOUTS. PERHAPS THE NEXT PERSON WON'T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THE BLOWOUT. LUCKILY, THIS WAS NOT A FRONT TIRE, BUT AN INSIDE DUAL REAR TIRE. I DON'T WANT THE FIRESTONE I HAVE. NO ONE IS INTERESTED IN MY PROBLEM NOR REIMBURSEMENT. ADDITIIONALLY, ON CLOSER EXAMINATION I FOUND ANOTHER TIRE, SAME SIZE, ON THE RIGHT REAR OUTSIDE DUAL HAS A 2" CRACK IN THE SIDEWALL, WHICH I DEEM UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON. I ALSO OWN A 1998 FORD RANGER EQUIPPED WITH FIRESTONE WILDERNESS HT TIRES, P225/70R15 M/S 1005. THIS VEHICLE HAS ONLY 5,281 MILES, PURCHASED NEW. I'M TOLD WILDRENESS HT'S ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR CLARIFICATION. (DOT NUMBER: VD1L 1XD TIRESIZE: 225/75R16E)