1996 Ford Explorer

TIRE FAILED AS TREAD SEPARATED FROM TIRE BODY. ALTHOUGH TIRE WAS REPLACED VIA PRO-RATA VALUE OF TIRE TREAD USED, WE REPLACED THE FIRESTONE TIRES WITH MICHELIN TIRES ON MARCH 24, 1999. WE DID THIS BECAUSE OF LACK OF TRUST IN THE FIRESTONE TIRES, AND EVEN THOUGH THE FIRESTONE TIRES WOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD FOR ANOTHER 20000 MILES OR SO BASED ON TREAD LEFT.. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235/75R15 )

IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY I WAS ON A RETURN TRIP FROM ORLANDO, FLORIDA AND ON MY WAY TO TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA HOME. APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES NORTH OF ORLANDO I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE A VIBRATION IN THE VEHICLE THAT I WAS DRIVING ( 1996 FORD EXPLORER ). I WAS TRAVELING AT 60 MPH AND AS I CONTINUED TO DECREASE IN SPEED THE VIBRATION INCREASED AND BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP I FELT A LARGE BANG IN THE LEFT REAR OF THE VEHICLE AS IF THE TIRE BLEW, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SWERVE BACK AND FORTH TO THE LEFT AND TO THE RIGHT, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL NEARLY MISSING ANOTHER VEHICLE. I REPLACED THE TIRE WITH THE SPARE THAT WAS ON THE VEHICLE AND MADE IT TO TALLAHASSEE. DURING THE DURATION OF THE DRIVE TO TALLAHASSEE I OBSERVED THE PERFORMANCE OF THE REMAINING TIRE ON THE VEHICLE. MY CONCLUSION WHEN I ARRIVED IN TALLAHASSEE WAS THAT I DID NOT FEEL THAT THE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE WERE SAFE AND WOULD NOT BET MY FAMILIES LIFE THEM SO I HAD THEM REPLACED. WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK I HAD FOUR OF THE FIVE TIRES REPLACED ON THE VEHICLE, THE SPARE STILL REMAINS UNDER THE VEHICLE UNTIL SUCH TIME THIS MATTER IS RESOLVED. TO MY SURPRISE ON AUGUST 8, 2000 I HEARD RUMORS THAT THE TIRE OF THE SAME BRAND AND MAKE "FIRESTONE RADIAL ATX" SERIES MAY BE RECALLED. HOWEVER THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE FROM THE STEEL BELTED RADIAL THAT TORE AWAY FROM THE WHEEL ITSELF CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE AND ALMOST MY LIFE FROM THE TIRE IN QUESTION. I FEEL THAT IT WOULD NOT BE UNREASONABLE TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE TIRES THAT I REPLACED AND THE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE. I WOULD APPRECIATE A REPLY TO THE MATTER AT HAND. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235R15 )

WHILE TRAVELING FROM ORLANDO TO FT. LAUDERDALE TO VISIT MY FAMILY ON THANKSGIVING DAY, 1999, THE TIRE TREAD IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE SEPARATED SUDDENLY WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEED (ABOUT 65 - 70 MPH) ON I-95 NEAR JUPITER, FLORIDA. VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT AND WAS HARD TO CONTROL. LUCKILY, THERE WAS NO CAR TO THE RIGHT (MY WIFE AND I WERE IN THE LEFT LANE) AND NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED. WE CHANGED THE TIRE ROADSIDE, AND HAD BOTH FRONT TIRES REPLACED THE NEXT DAY AT TIRE KINGDOM AT LAUDERDALE BY THE SEA. THERE WAS ALSO DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL WELL CAUSED BY THE PEELED AWAY TIRE, WHICH WE HAD FIXED AT A LATER DATE DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AT GREENWAY FORD IN ORLANDO. THE MECHANIC AT TIRE KINGDOM SAID THAT IT WAS UNUSUAL THAT THE TREAD CAME OFF WITHOUT CAUSING A BLOWOUT.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

ON JULY 8, 2000 AT 12 NOON, THE FIRESTONE TIRE ( FRONT PASSENGER SIDE) ON MY 1996 FORD EXPLORER SEPERATED WHILE TRAVELING AT 70 MPH. THE FORCE OF THE SEPERATION PULLED ME OUT OF THE LEFT LANE INTO THE RIGHT LANE. LUCKILY THE LANE WAS CLEAR AND I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL MY VEHICLE AND PULL TO THE SHOULDER. THE CONDITION OF THE ROADS WERE CLEAR. THE WEATHER WAS SUNNY AND HOT. THE INCIDENT OCCURED ON HWY 6 NEAR NAVASOTA, TX. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NO INJURIES, THERE WAS APPROX. $1200.00 DAMAGE TO MY CAR. I IMMEDIATELY FILED A CLAIM WITH FIRESTONE FOR THE DAMAGE TO MY CAR. I SHIPPED THE TIRE TO FIRESTONE FOR ANALYSIS, AND THEY HAVE AGREED TO COVER THE DAMAGES TO MY CAR. I STILL HAVE 2 REMAINING FIRESTONE TIRES ON MY VHECILE AND INTEND TO PARTICIPATE IN THE RECALL RECENTLY ISSUED BY FORD/FIRESTONE.( DOT NUMBER: VDHL1PM455 TIRE SIZE: P235 75R15 )

ON 9-12-99, AT APPROXIMATELY 4:30PM, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HER EXPLORER AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH ON THE BELTWAY 8 IN HOUSTON. THE LEFT REAR TIRE SHREDDED AND HAD A BLOW OUT. SHE THEN LOST CONTROL OF THE AUTO. THE AUTO TURNED RIGHT AND TRAVELED TOWARD THE RIGHT HAND CONCRETE BARRIER. SHE FRANTICALLY TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL, AND JUST BEFORE HITTING THE BARRIER, SHE WAS ABLE TO TURN THE CAR TO THE LEFT. THE CAR THEN DID "360'S" CAREENING ACROSS ALL THE LANES OF THE TOLL WAY. THE CAR STOPPED PARALLEL TO THE LEFT CONCRETE BARRIER, APPROX. 12" FROM THE BARRIER. A HARRIS CO. CONSTABLE STOPPED AND HAD THE CAR TOWED, DUE TO THE DAMAGE TO THE LEFT REAR OF THE CAR. WE ADVISED MACHAIK FORD THAT THEY SHOULD PAY FOR REPLACING THE TIRE, DUE TO ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH THE TIRES. SERVICE MANAGER MARY STATED "WE ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE TIRES." SHE WAS TOLD THE MATTER WOULD BE REFERRED TO MY ATTORNEY. AT THAT POINT, I ASKED THAT THE TIRE BE PUT INSIDE MY CAR AND MY SPARE PUT ON. WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR, NO ONE AT MAK HAIK HAD ANY IDEA WHERE MY TIRE WAS. NOBODY KNEW WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO IT. I FEEL THEY INTENTIONALLY HID EVIDENCE ON MY TIRE PROBLEM, AFTER I ADVISED THEM AN ATTORNEY WOULD BE INVOLVED.( DOT NUMBER: )