NHTSA Complaint #743412 — 1998 FORD F-150

I LIVE IN THE FLORIDA KEYS WHERE IT IS PRETTY WARM BUT WHERE THE MAXIMUM SPEED LIMIT IS 55MPH AND MOSTLY MUCH LESS. THERE ARE FEW HIGH SPEED (HIGHWAY) MILES ON MY TIRES. HAVING SAID THAT, I DROVE TO PORT ORANGE (DAYTONA BEACH), FLORIDA TO SEE MY FATHER WHO RECENTLY HAD SURGERY AND ON THE WAY HOME (ONLY 8 MILES INTO THE RETURN TRIP) I SUDDENLY GOT A VIBRATION IN THE RIDE. I WAS DOING THE SPEED LIMIT OF 70MPH ON THE INTERSTATE I-95. I PULLED OVER AND CHECKED MY TIRES AND DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING AND SO ASSUMED THE PROBLEM WAS THE ROAD. I THEN DROVE A SHORT DISTANCE AND CHANGED LANES BUT THE VIBRATION DIDN'T GO AWAY SO I KEPT TO A LOWER SPEED (AROUND 50) AND TOOK THE NEXT EXIT WHERE I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND DID A DETAILED EXAMINATION OF MY TIRES. WHAT I FOUND WAS A RAISED AREA ON THE TREAD OF THE FRONT LEFT (DRIVER'S SIDE) TIRE. IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 12 INCHES LONG AND 2 1/2 TO 3 INCHES WIDE. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DETECT VISUALLY BECAUSE IT WAS NOT RAISED VERY HIGH BUT WAS EASY TO DETECT BY RUNNING MY HANDS AROUND THE TREAD OF THE ENTIRE WHEEL. I CHECKED ALL OTHER TIRES AND DIDN'T NOTICE A PROBLEM SO I LOCATED (WITH THE TELEPHONIC ASSISTANCE FROM MY PARENTS) A FIRESTONE DEALER BACK IN PORT ORANGE WHERE I HAD JUST COME FROM AND DROVE THERE. AT FIRST THE GUY IN CHARGE TOLD ME I WOULD HAVE A 2 HOUR WAIT SINCE HE HAD LOTS OF PAYING CUSTOMERS IN FRONT OF ME BUT AFTER EXPLAINING (RATHER FORCEFULLY) THAT THIS WAS AN EMERGENCY PROBLEM DUE TO A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT AND THAT I HAD AN 8 HOUR DRIVE AHEAD OF ME THAT HIS PRODUCT HAD ALREADY DELAYED BY AT LEAST 1 1/2 HOURS HE FINALLY TOLD ME HE WOULD GET ME IN THE BAY IN AN HOUR. AT FIRST, HE WAS ONLY GOING TO REPLACE THE ONE TIRE. I INSISTED THEY INSPECT ALL THE TIRES AND IT WAS A GOOD THING I DID... THEY FOUND THE TREAD ON THE RIGHT FRONT WAS ALSO SEPARATING AND THAT IT WAS ALSO DANGEROUS AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED WHICH THEY DID. I WANT THE REMAINING TWO REPLACED. *AK (TIRESIZE: P235/70R16)