NHTSA Complaint #750416 — 1996 FORD EXPLORER

I HAVE TRIED TO RECEIVE REIMBURSEMENT FROM FORD AND FIRESTONE EVER SINCE AUGUST 2000 FOR FOUR FAILED FIRESTONE WILDERNESS ATX'S. FROM THE BEGINNING WE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THESE TIRES ON MY FORD EXPLORER. WHEN WE TRAVELED AT 60MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE VIOLENTLY. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE FORD AND FIRESTONE DEALERS WHO TOLD US THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. SO FOR THE NEXT 2 1/2 YEARS, WE DID NOT DARE DRIVE ABOVE 60MPH. WHILE THESE TIRES WERE ON THE EXPLORER, I MADE SURE TO HAVE THEM ROTATED AND PROPERLY INFLATED PER THE DIRECTIONS ON THE TIRES. ABOUT TWO YEARS LATER, WE NOTICED EXTREME WEAR ON THE OUTER PERIMETERS OF ALL FOUR TIRES, AS WAS NOTICED BY THE PLACE WHERE WE GOT THE TIRES ROTATED, AS WELL AS STRANGERS AT GAS STATIONS. I TOOK IT AGAIN TO FIRESTONE AND DEMANDED REPLACEMENT. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO MILEAGE WARRANTY, AND BECAUSE THEY WERE SO WORN OUT (STEEL BELTS VISIBLE) ON THE PERIMETER (BUT NOT THE MIDDLE TREAD AREA) THERE WAS NO WEAR CREDIT. I WAS TOLD THAT ALL I COULD DO WAS PURCHASE NEW TIRES AT MY COST. NOT WANTING TO PUT MY FAMILY'S LIFE IN JEOPARDY, IN EARLY 1999, I REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES AT MY COST ($367.29) WITH MICHELINS. SINCE THEN, NOT ONLY IS THE CAR RUNNING SMOOTHLY ABOVE 60MPH, WITH 20,000 MILES ON THEM, THEY STILL HAVE PLENTY OF TREAD FOR ANOTHER 20-30,000 MILES. WHEN THE RECALL WAS ANNOUNCED IN AUGUST 2000, I REJOICED BECAUSE I KNEW SOMETHING WAS INHERENTLY WRONG WITH THE TIRES, AND BECAUSE I THOUGHT (MISTAKINGLY) I WOULD BE REIMBURSED. BUT...BECAUSE I HAD REPLACED MY TIRES BEFORE THE OFFICIAL RECALL, I AM NOT ELIGIBLE FOR REIMBURSEMENT. IRONICALLY, WHEN I WENT TO THE FORD DEALER RECENTLY FOR A DIFFERENT RECALL, HE NOTICED THAT I STILL HAD A WILDERNESS ATX AS A SPARE, SO I AM IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGING THAT ONE. IT IS HIGHLY UNETHICAL AND INSULTING TO BE REIMBURSED FOR A NEVER-USED SPARE AND NOT FOR THE OTHER FOUR, (DOT NUMBER: VDHL 1PM 4 TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)