NHTSA Complaint #768685 — 2001 FORD F-150

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW , AT ABOUT 10,000 MILE I NOTICED THAT THE TIRES WERE WEARING VERY QUICKLY. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER AND ALSO AN AUTHORIZED BF GOODRICH DEALER AND THEY CHECKED THE WHEEL ALIGNMENT WHICH THEY BOTH FOUND TO BE WITH IN SPECIFICATIONS. BOTH THE DEALER AND THE BF GOODRICH DEALER CAME UP WITH ALMOST THE SAME CONCLUSION. WHICH IS WHY I AM SUBMITTING THIS LETTER TO YOU. MY RESEARCH ON THIS MATTER WITH FORD FOUND THE FOLLOWING 1) FORD INSTALLED SMALLER TIRES ON MY VEHICLE THEN WHAT WAS INDICATED ON THE VEHICLE DESCRIPTION STICKER THAT ALL NEW VEHICLES COME WITH ON THE WINDOW. THE STICKER INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAVE P275/70 R 17 INSTALLED BUT THE VEHICLE WAS DELIVERED TO ME WITH P275/60 TIRES. SEEING IF THIS WAS A ISOLATED CASE I FOUND A DIFFERENT FORD DEALER WHICH ALSO INSTALLED SMALLER TIRES THAN WHAT WAS SPECIFIED ON THE NEW VEHICLE DESCRIPTION STICKER. I TOOK PICTURES OF THIS PRACTICE WHICH I HAVE. WHEN I CONFRONTED THE SERVICE MANAGER OF WHY THESE TIRES ARE ON THESE VEHICLES HIS ANSWER WAS THAT FORD USES WHAT THEY HAVE ON HAND AT THE TIME. THE 2ND IMPORTANT FINDING IS THAT THE AIR PRESSURE THAT IS INDICATED IN THE DOOR PILLAR INDICATES TO USE 26 LBS OF AIR IN THE FRONT TIRES ON MY 2001 F 150, ACCORDING TO FORDS OWN INFORMATION AND THREE AUTHORIZED BF GOODRICH DEALERS THAT AIR PRESSURE IS NOT CORRECT AND SHOULD BE WITHIN 30 TO 35 LBS. I INVESTIGATED THE 2002 F 150 WITH THE SAME TIRE SIZE AS MY VEHICLE AND THEY HAVE THE CORRECT AIR PRESSURE NOW STATED ON THE DOOR PILLAR STICKER @ 30 TO 32 LBS. THE DIFFICULTY THAT I AM HAVING AND PROBABLY MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE IS THAT BF GOODRICH WILL NOT WARRANTY THE TIRES BECAUSE THEY SAY THAT I WAS USING THE INNCORRECT AIR PRESSURE IN THE TIRES , WHEN IN FACT I WAS ONLY FOLLOWING FORDS SPECIFICATIONS THAT WAS ON THE DOOR PILLAR FOR THIS 2001 FORD VEHICLE AND WHICH HAVE NOW CHANGED IN THE 2002 MODELS WITHOUT LETTING THE 2001 OWNERS AWARE OF THIS CHANGE . THANK YOU DT