NHTSA Complaint #733003 — 2000 FORD RANGER

ON DECEMBER 30, 1999, I TOOK A TRIP TO ROBERT LEE, TX WITH MY NEW VEHICLE. UPON AWAKING THE NEXT MORNING AT MY HOTEL, I DISCOVERED THAT MY LEFT REAR TIRE WAS SHREDDED AND FLAT. UPON MY RETURN, I CONTACTED FORD, WHO INFORMED ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH FIRESTONE. I WENT TO FIRESTONE, THE TECHNICIAN TRIED TO TELL ME THAT I HAD HIT THE CURB WITH MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE, WHEN IN FACT, IT WAS MY LEFT REAR TIRE THAT HAD MY SPARE ON IT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. AFTER GOING ROUND AND ROUND WITH FIRESTONE, THEY INFORMED ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY HALF THE PRICE OF A NEW TIRE. THEY WERE DOING THIS AS GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE, AT THAT TIME, THEY KNEW IN FACT, THAT THERE WAS TROUBLE WITH THEIR TIRES AND FAILED TO INFORM ME. INSTEAD THEY HAD ME FOOT THE BILL FOR RELACEMENT OF THE TIRE. I HAVE CONTACTED BOTH FORD AND FIRESTONE NUMEROUS TIMES, REGARDING THIS MATTER AND I KEEP GETTING THE SAME RUN AROUND. THEY REFUSE TO REFUND MY COST OF THE TIRE AND THEY STAND BY THE FACT, THAT ONLY THE SPECIFIED TIRES OF THE RECALL, HAVE HAD A PROBLEM. WHEN IN FACT, THIS IS A BRAND NEW VEHICLE, I HAD ONLY HAD ONE MONTH AND THIS WAS ITS FIRST LONG TRIP. I HAVE BEEN VERY DISGUSTED IN TRYING TO DEAL WITH BOTH OF THESE FIRMS AND THEIR DISREGARD FOR THE CONSUMER'S SAFETY IS OF GREAT CONCERN TO ME. I AM TRYING TO HAVE THE OTHER TIRES ON MY VEHICLE REPLACED AND THE MONIES THEY HAD ME PAY REFUNDED. (TIRESIZE: P225/70RX)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P225/70RX )