1996 Ford Explorer

I WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH WHEN THE LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. I DID NOT LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE , HENCE NO DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THESE TIRES WERE INSTALLED AT 74960 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THE TIRE WAS TAKEN TO THE FIRSTONE STORE IN MADISON, WI AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE TIRE WOULD NOT BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE BLOWOUT WAS DUE TO 'ROAD HAZARD' AND NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. I BOUGHT A NEW TIRE AND THEN CONTACTED FIRESTONE DIRECTLY AND EXPLAINED THAT I THOUGHT THAT THIS FAILED TIRE HAD A MANUFACTURING DEFECT; FIRESTONE THEN SENT ME A CHECK COVERING THE COST OF THE NEW TIRE. THE BLOWOUT POINT WAS WHERE THE TREAD WAS VULCANIZED TO THE SIDEWALL. ALSO STARTING IN MAY, 2000 (80702 MILES) I HAD TROUBLE KEEPING THESE TIRES BALANCED; AFTER THE TIRES WARMED UP THERE WAS A SEVERE VIBRATION STARTING AT APPROXIAMETLY 55 MPH. THE TIRES WERE BALANCED THREE TIMES OVER A PERIOD OF ABOUT SIX WEEKS. I HAD THE TIRES INSPECTED BY FIRESTONE AND JUST ONE OF THE TIRES HAD THE 'DOT VD' MARKING. I WAS TOLD BY THE FIRESTONE REP THAT THEY RECOMMENDED REPLACING ALL OF THE TIRES, FIRESTONE WOULD REPLACE THE ONE TIRE AND I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OTHER THREE. FIRESTONE DID NOT HAVE ANY REPLACEMENT TIRES IN STOCK AND COULDN'T GIVE ME A TARGET DATE. THEY ALSO SAID THAT THEY THOUGHT THE VIBRATIONS WERE DUE TO THE VEHICLE AND NOT THE TIRES SO IT WAS A FORD PROBLEM. I HAVE SINCE, AT MY COST, REPLACED THE FIRESTONES WITH MICHELINS; THE NEW TIRES CURED THE VIBRATIONS. I HAVE MY TIRES INFLATED AT 32 TO 35 PSI AT ALL TIMES.( DOT NUMBER: UNKNOWN TIRE SIZE: P235 75R15 )

I PURCHASED 4 ATX TIRES 04-28-1997 FROM THE FIRESTONE TIRE CENTER,6783 W. CANYON AVE, LITTLETON CO 80123. ON JULY 17TH, 1997 THE RIGHT REAR TIRE THREW ITS TREAD WHILE I WAS GOING AROUN A CURVE ON THE HIGHWAY. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO OTHER TRAFFIC AND I WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM ROLLING. THE FIRESTONE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THE TIRE BLAMES THE TREAD SEPARATION ON A ROAD HAZARD BUT THEY DID REPLACE THE TIRE UNDER WARRANTY.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235 75 15 )

ON A VERY WARM DAY IN MAY, I HAD A TIRE BLOW OUT. I THOUGHT IT WAS A UNIQUE PROBLEM, HOWEVER WITH ALL THE FIRESTONE INVESTIGATION AND REPORTS ABOUT DEFECTIVE TIRES, I BELIEVE THAT MY TIRE WAS DEFECTIVE. AFTER CONTACTING BOTH FORD AND FIRESTONE DEALERS WITH MY CONCERN, I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT EVEN THOUGH THE NHTSA HAS ISSUED WARNINGS AGAINST MY TIRES,THEY ARE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO REPLACE MY TIRES. ACCORDING TO PRESS STATEMENTS MADE BY JASON VINES FROM FORD AND CHRISTINE KARBOWIAK FROM FIRESTONE, IF A CUSTOMER HAS A CONCERN ABOUT THEIR TIRES, THEY WILL BE REPLACED AT NO COST. OBVIOUSLY, THE FORD AND FIRESTONE DEALERS ARE NOT HONORING THESE COMMENTS AND HAVE BEEN INFORMED NOT TO REPLACE THE TIRES UNTIL THEY HAVE BEEN RECALLED. I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED WITH MY TIRES AND WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP AND SUGGESTIONS YOU HAVE REGARDING MY CONCERN. PLEASE CONTACT ME AND INFORM ME OF HOW I SHOULD PROCEED.( DOT NUMBER: W2UU TIRE SIZE: 235/70/15 )

WHILE TRAVELLING I-20 WESTBOUND SUN OCT 3, 1999. (3 OCCUPANTS WERE IN THE EXPLORER) THE LEFT FRONT TIRE HAD AN UNCONTROLLABLE VIBRATION. I THOUGHT THE TIRE WAS OUT OF BALANCE. THE FASTER I DROVE THE SMOOTHER THE RIDE WAS.. AFTER RETURNING HOME (20MILES). MY HUSBAND (WAS NOT IN THE EXPLORER AT THE TIME) INSPECTED THE TIRE. THE TREAD HAD SEPARATED FROM THE INSIDE SIDEWALL. HE COULD LITERALLY PUT HIS HAND BETWEEN THE TREAD AND THE TIRE. THE LENGTH OF THIS SPLIT WAS APPROX 5 INCHES. WE REPLACED THESE TIRES ON OCT 6, 1999 WITH A NEW SET OF FIRESTONE ATX TIRES. THE OLD TIRES WERE STILL IN VERY GOOD SHAPE AND DID NOT NEED REPLACING. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WE THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A "FLUKE". IF I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW. THANKS, PENNY GARNER( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235/75SR15 )