NHTSA Complaint #733836 — 1999 FORD F-350

TIRE BLOWOUT OCCURED AT 55 MPH ON STRAIGHT SECTION OF DRY SMOOTH GRAVEL COVERED HIGHWAY DURING DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS WITH OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE OF APPROXIMATELY 75 DEGREES F. TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO FAILURE VEHICLE HAD TIRES INSPECTED, INFLATED (60 LBS PSI), AND ROTATED BY FIRESTONE TIRE CENTER DEALER. AFTER INCIDENT THE DESTROYED TIRE WAS TAKEN TO SAME FIRESTONE TIRE CENTER DEALER WHERE I REPORTED THE INCIDENT. DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THIS TIRE WAS NOT PART OF OTHER FIRESTONE TIRE RECALLS. DEALER REPLACED TIRE UNDER PROVISIONS OF FIRESTONE ROAD HAZARD INSURANCE PROTECTION WHICH I HAD PERVIOUSLY PURCHASED. I AM SUBMITTING THIS REPORT DUE TO LATER INFORMATION IN THE NEWS REPORTED ON 9/29/2000 THAT NHTSA HAD BEGUN AN INVESTIGATION OF THE SAME TYPE OF FIRESTONE STEELTEX AT TIRES AS USED ON MY FORD F350 PICKUP TRUCK BECAUSE OF A SERIES OF COMPLAINTS NTHSA HAS RECEIVED IN RECENT MONTHS CONCERNING TIRE FAILURE SITUATIONS WHICH SEEMED TO BE THE SAME TYPE AS I HAD EXPERIENCED. (NOTE - THIS TIRE FAILURE IS THE SECOND I HAVE EXPERIENCED SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE NEW IN SEPTEMBER 1999. THE FIRST OCCURED WITHIN THE FIRST 500 MILES OF VEHICLE OWNERSHIP BUT DID NOT RESULT IN A BLOWOUT, BUT WITH A SIDEWALL FAILURE ABOVE THE TREADLINE. THIS FAILURE WAS ALSO RETURNED TO THE SAME FIRESTONE TIRE CENTER DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT.) (TIRESIZE: 26575R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 26575R16 )