NHTSA Complaint #736420 — 1999 FORD EXPLORER

TIRES: DEVELOPED A VIBRATION AS THOUGH THERE WAS A BUMP ON A TIRE ON THE VEHICLE. I HAD THIS CHECKED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AT THE DELERSHIP AND AT THE FIRESTONE STORE IN OUR AREA. THE DEALERSHIP TELLS ME EVERYTIME I TAKE IT IN THAT THE TIRES NEED ROTATED. THESE TIRES MUST HAVE BEEN ROTATED ON 10 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS BY EITHER MYSELF OR THE DEALERSHIP. THIS DOES NOT CHANGE THE BUMPING BUT DID SEEM TO ALTER THE ORIGINATION POINT OF THE VIBRATION. BRAKES: THE BRAKES CONTINUE TO SQUEEL AND ON TWO OCCASIONS FADED AS THOUGH THERE WERE NO BRAKES. THE DEALERSHIP STATES THEY CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. THIS WAS CHECKED SEVERAL TIMES. 4WD: THE COMPUTER WOULD THROW THE 4WD IN AND OUT OF OPERATION WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT ANY SPEED. AT FIRST THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. LATER THEY DETERMINED THAT IT WAS THE COMPUTER. IT STILL APPEARS TO DO THIS ON OCCASION BUT IT IS DIFFICULT TO TELL WITH THE OTHER BUMPS AND VIBRATIONS CAUSED BY THE TIRES. BOTH THE DEALERSHIP AND FIRESTONE HAVE LOOKED AT THE TIRES WHICH STILL HAVE GOOD TREAD AND STATED THEY WERE FINE. ALL OF THESE HAVE BEEN PRESENT SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NEW AND HAVE BEEN CHECKED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THROUGHOUT OUR OWNERSHIP. THIS IS A LEASED VEHICLE. OTHERWISE IT WOULD BE GONE! *AK (TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )