NHTSA Complaint #733437 — 1998 FORD RANGER

I REPLACED ALL MY FIRESTONE TIRES WITH A LES SCHWAB BRAND THE DAY AFTER THE FAILURE BECAUSE THE WILDERNESS ATS I HAD WEREN'T COVERED BY THE RECALL. I SENT A LETTER TO THE FIRESTONE CORPORATE AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS OFFICES ABOUT A WEEK AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED DESCRIBING WHAT HAD HAPPENED. KEITH RAHONAN OF FIRESTONE CALLED ME SHORTLY THEREAFTER, CONFIRMING THAT THEY HAD RECIEVED MY LETTER. HE TOLD ME THEY HAD A FILE ON RECORD WITH MY INFORMATION AND TOLD ME TO HOLD ON TO ALL OF THE PAPERWORK AND THE TIRE THAT HAD FAILED. I OFFERED TO SEND HIM PICTURES (THEY WEREN'T DEVELOPED AT THE TIME I SENT THE LETTER) OF THE FAILED TIRE, BUT HE REFUSED THEM SAYING THAT THEY WOULDN'T SHOW HIM ANYTHING EXCEPT THAT I HAD A FLAT TIRE. THE PICTURES CLEARLY SHOW A SEPARATION BETWEEN THE TOP OF THE TIRE AND THE SIDEWALL, AS WELL AS A BUBBLING UP OF THE MATERIAL AROUND THE ENTIRE INSIDE OF THE TIRE WALL. I HAD TAKEN ALL SAFELY PRECAUTIONS, INCLUDING PROPER TIRE INFLATION, WHICH I MEASURED ACCORDING TO THE RECOMMENDED INFLATION RATE ON THE TIRE ITSELF. I FEEL THAT I HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE RUNAROUND BY FIRESTONE, AND I FEEL THEY AREN'T TAKING THIS COMPLAINT SERIOUSLY. WHAT CONCERNS ME MOST IS THAT THEY ARE USING OTHER WILDERNESS TIRES TO REPLACE THE ONES BEING RECALLED--TIRES I FEEL SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL BECAUSE THEY AREN'T SAFE. BECAUSE FIRESTONE HASN'T DEMONSTRATED TO ME THAT THEY CARE AND ARE TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY, I'VE FILED THIS COMPLAINT WITH NHTSA NOW HOPING IT WILL BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. I WILL GLADLY SEND A COPY OF THE LETTER I SENT TO FIRESTONE (IT GIVES A MORE COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF THE TIRE FAILURE THAN I'VE PROVIDED HERE) AS WELL AS THE PICTURES I HAVE OF THE TIRE THAT FAILED. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THERE IS ANYTHING ELSE I CAN DO AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE THE PICTURES AND THE LETTER. THAN YOU FOR YOUR CONCERN AND EFFORTS IN PROTECTING THE SAFETY OF AMERICAN CONSUMERS. (DOT NUMBER: W2HLIPY138 TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)