NHTSA Complaint #733800 — 1998 FORD EXPLORER

ALL 4 TIRES BEGAN TO SHOW TREAD SEPARATION ALL THE WAY AROUND THE TIRE ON BOTH THE INSIDE AND THE OUTSIDE OF THE TIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO 2 DIFFERENT FORD DEALERSHIPS, INCLUDING THE ONE WHERE I BOUGHT MY EXPLORER, AND BOTH RECOGNIZED THE BREAK DOWN OF THE TIRES BUT STATED THAT IT WAS A FIRESTONE PROBLEM AS THE TIRE ID NUMBER WAS NOT ON THEIR RECALL LIST. FORD SENT ME BACK OUT ON THE HIGHWAY WITH BAD TIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FIRESTONE WHICH WOULD ONLY PRORATE A REPLACEMENT WHICH WAS NOT ADEQUATE. THUS I ELECTED TO REPLACE THE TIRES WITH MICHELINS. I HAVE PHOTOGRAPHED THE TIRES AND HAVE KEPT THE TIRES FOR FUTURE REFERENCE. IT APPEARS THAT THE TIRES BROKE DOWN DUE TO THE FACT THAT FORD USED THE LOW PRESSURE OF 26 PSI. IN THE TIRES TO PREVENT ROLLOVER. THIS LOW PRESSURE CAUSED ALL 4 TIRES TO BREAK DOWN AT THE SAME TIME. IT WAS FORTUNATE THAT THE BREAK DOWN WAS FOUND BEFORE COMPLETE SEPARATION OCCURED CAUSING A FATAL ACCIDENT. THE FIRESTONE DEALER CONFIRMED TO ME THAT THE LOW PRESSURE IN THE TIRES WAS THE CAUSE FOR THE BREAK DOWN AND THUS WAS NOT FIRESTONE'S PROBLEM. AS REPORTED ON THE NEWS THIS AM 10-9-00 GOODYEAR TIRES ON FORD EXPLORERS ALSO HAVE HAD TREAD SEPARATION PROBABLY CAUSED BY THE LOW PRESSURE REQUIRED BY THE FORD MOTOR CO. TO PREVENT ROLLOVER OF THE EXPLORER. THESE TIRES HAVE NOT BEEN RECALLED BY FORD OR FIRESTONE AND IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THERE ARE DEFECTIVE TIRES STILL OUT ON THE ROAD AND SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS SITUATION IMMEDIATELY. (DOT NUMBER: W2HL TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)