NHTSA Complaint #748084 — 1999 FORD EXPLORER

FOR THE SECOND TIME IN JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS IVE HAD ANOTHER ONE OF MY FIRESTONE (STEELTEX RADIALS R4S) TIRES HAVE A BLOWOUT AND THIS TIME IT INCLUDED A COMPLETE TREAD SEPARATION. THE TIRE LOCATION WAS THE LEFT REAR INNER TIRE... TEMP OUTSIDE WAS APPROX. 105 OR GREATER (ARIZONA). MY HIGHWAY SPEED WAS AROUND 65MPH. WITH LESS THAN 14000 MILES ON THE TIRES, I SHOULD NOT BE HAVING THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. INTERESTING TO FIND OUT MY TIRES ARE FROM THE DECATUR PLANT, YET FIRESTONE REFUSES TO ADMIT THERE IS A DEFECT OR THEYRE NOT DESIGNED TO HANDLE THE HEAT IN THIS AREA. SINCE THIS WAS MY FIRST TRIP SINCE MY LAST BLOWOUT, I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE ANY OF THE REMAINING TIRES WILL LAST. IM REPLACING THEM ALL. NEITHER FORD NOR FIRESTONE WILL MEET ME HALF WAY ON THE COST.*AK (DOT NUMBER: VD1L1XD059 TIRESIZE: LT22575R16)