NHTSA Complaint #733355 — 1997 FORD EXPLORER

FROM THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE, I FOUND THAT THE WILDERNESS AT TIRES DID NOT HOLD THE ROAD WELL UNDER ANY SURFACE CONDITIONS. DURING THE TIME I HAD THESE TIRES ON MY TRUCK, I WAS INVOLVED IN 2 ACCIDENTS. WHEN THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO ALIGN MY VEHICLE AFTER THE 2ND ACCIDENT, I BROUGHT THE TRUCK TO ANOTHER TIRE SHOP (WINSTON TIRES, CANYON COUNTRY, CA), TO HAVE THE ALIGNMENT DONE, AND ON INSPECTING THE TIRES, THEY FOUND THAT THE 2 OF THE TIRES WERE BEGINNING TO SEPARATE, AND AN ALIGNMENT COULD NOT BE PERFORMED. I REPLACED THE TIRES WITH BF GOODRICH ALL TERRAIN TIRES, AFTER WHICH I WAS ABLE TO ALIGN THE TRUCK. WITH THE NEW TIRES I FOUND THAT MY EXPLORER'S HANDLING, BRAKING, STEERING, AND TRACTION WERE CONSIDERABLY IMPROVED. I STILL HAVE A COUPLE OF THE ORIGINAL TIRES WHICH FIRESTONE HAS GENEROUSLY OFFERED ME $10/ TIRE FOR SINCE I REPLACED THE WILDERNESS AT TIRES PRIOR TO 1/1/2000. I FEEL THAT FIRESTONE SHOULD PAY FOR MY REPLACEMENT TIRES REGARDLESS OF WHEN I PURCHASED THEM. I LIVE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, WHERE SUMMERTIME TEMPERATURES REGULARLY EXCEED 100 DEGREES, AND THE HIGHWAY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRAVEL. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF I CAN OFFER ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THESE TIRES, WHICH I CONSIDERED THE WORST TIRES I EVER HAD, EVEN BEFORE THE RECALL BEGAN, AND FREQUENTLY EXPRESSED THIS IN FORD QUALITY QUESTIONAIRES THAT THEY WERE NOT DOING THEMSELVES A FAVOR BY PUTTING THESE TIRES ON THEIR TRUCKS.*AK (DOT NUMBER: W2XXXXX TIRESIZE: 255 70 16)