NHTSA Complaint #734290 — 2000 FORD F-350

FAILURE ON THIS VEHICLE HAS NOT YET OCCURED. A LOCAL COUNTY AMBULANCE SERVICE HAS HAD FAILURE OF THIS SAME TIRE ON ONE OF THEIR AMBULANCES RESULTING IN DELAY OF EMERGENCY PATIENT TRANSPORT AND STRANDING OF AMBULANCE CREW AND PATIENT ALONG SIDE A RURAL ROAD FOR OVER AN HOUR BEFORE ASSISTANCE COULD ARRIVE. MUST WE WAIT UNTIL AN AMBULANCE ACCIDENT OCCURS BEFORE CONSIDERATION FOR RECALL OF THESE TIRES WILL BE CONSIDERED. FORD HAS INSTALLED THESE TIRES ON A GREAT NUMBER OF THEIR 2000 MODEL F-350 CHASSIS THAT ARE THEN DELIVERED FOR AMBULANCE MANUFACTURE. I KNOW THIS TO BE A FACT. I OWN THREE 2000 MODEL F350 AMBULANCES AND ALL OF THEM HAVE THESE TIRES. MY CREWS AND I ARE AFRAID TO RELY ON THESE TIRES. MY COMPANY ROUTINELY TRANSPORTS PATIENTS FROM OUR RURAL AREA TO HIGHER LEVEL MEDICAL FACILITIES, MOST TIMES OVER ONE HUNDRED MILES , AND AT SPEEDS OF 70 TO 90 MILES AN HOUR UNDER EMERGENCY CONDITIONS. PLEASE GIVE US HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM. I AM ASKING YOU TO CONVINCE FORD AND FIRESTONE TO RECALL THESE TIRES WHERE APPLIED TO EMERGENCY VEHICLES. THE USE OF THESE TIRES IN A LOW SPEED APPLICATION TRANSPORTING FREIGHT MAY BE RELATIVELY SAFE, BUT THAT IS QUESTIONABLE. I HAVE WRITTEN NUMEROUS CONGRESSMEN AND SENATORS AS WELL AS MY STATE GOVERNOR WITH LIMITED REACTION. PLEASE MAKE THIS A PRIORITY. DOES ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY REGULATE IN ANY FORM AND ARE THEIR SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR THE TYPE, SIZE, TREAD , LOAD RANGE FOR TIRES USED ON AMBULANCES? ARE TIRES OF VARIOUS MANUFACTURE AND TREAD DESIGN ALLOWED ON THE SAME EMERGENCY VEHICLE IF OF THE SIZE ? PLEASE ADVISE ME OF ANY REGULATIONS REGUARDING AMBULANCES THAT YOU HAVE. THANK YOU, DANNY CONNELL SAME SIZE? (TIRESIZE: 215/85/R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 215/85/R16 )