NHTSA Complaint #737419 — 1997 FORD EXPLORER

I HAVE A 1997 FORD EXPLORER WITH FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES. THESE TIRES DO NOT BELONG TO THE RECALL. I HAD MY TIRES INSPECTED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO BY THE FIRESTONE DEALER. WHO SAID THEY WERE FINE. I KEEP THE PRESSURE IN THE TIRES ABOUT 30 PSI. ON THANSGIVING WEEKEND, WHILE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY I HAD MY REAR TIRE SHREDDED. WE ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF OUR VEHICLE BUT MANAGED TO PULL OFF THE ROAD EVENTUALLY. I CALLED FIRESTONE AND FORD AND WAS GIVEN THE RUN AROUND FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. I CALLED FORD, WHERE THEY INDICATED TO ME THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TIRES AND ONLY RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING INFORMATION ABOUT INCEDENTS. FIRESTONE SAID THAT REAR TIRE FAILURES ARE COMMON , AND I SHOULD NOT BELIEVE IN THE HYPE ABOUT THE TIRES SINCE THEY ARE A SAFE PRODUCT. HE ALSO SAID TO ME THAT FORD EXPLORER'S HAVE A HIGH INCEDENCE OF TIRES FAILING FROM THE REAR LEFT SIDE, AND IT IS A FAIRLY COMMON OCCURENCE. EVENTUALLY AFTER MUCH ARGUMENT, A LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALER HAS AGREED TO REPLACE ONE TIRE FREE OF CHARGE.THIS WAS ONLY BECAUSE WE COULD NOT RETEMINE WHY THE TIRE HAD SHREDDED. IT LOOKED TO BE LIKE THE TRED SEPERATED IN ONE PORTION AND SUBSEQUENTLY TORE THE REST OF THE TIRE OFF. THE FIRESTONE GUY SAID IT WAS NOT THE "TYPICAL" TREAD SEPARATION. HE ALSO OFFERED TO REPLACE MY TIRES FOR ABOUT $500 IF I DID NOT FEEL SAFE WITH THE CURRENT SET. AT THIS POINT I FEEL VERY UNSAFE DRIVING MY VEHICLE. NIETHER FORD NOR FIRESTONE SEEM TO FEEL IT IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO ADDRESS MY FEARS. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS?. I HAVE NAMES CONTACT NUMBERS AND REPRESENTATIVES WITH WHOM I HAVE SPOKEN. *AK (DOT NUMBER: W2HL TIRESIZE: P23575R15)