1996 Ford Explorer

I BOUGHT THE CAR USED. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC TO LOOK OVER AND RECOMMEND WHAT WORK NEEDED TO BE DONE IN ORDER FOR ME TO PURCHASE THE VEHICLE. I STILL HAVE THE ORIGINAL LIST. AMONG THE THINGS THAT I SAID NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED/REPLACED WERE THE TIRES. THE DEALER REFUSED. WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE AND I BEGAN DRIVING IT. IT IS MY FIRST SUV AND I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE WAY IT HANDLED ON BUMPS IN THE ROAD, OVER RAILROAD TRACKS, IN DIPS IN THE ROAD, ETC. SEVERAL TIMES WHEN I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE, I COMPLAINED ABOUT THE WAY IT HANDLED. BECAUSE THE DEALER "COULD NOT DUPLICATE" THE PROBLEM, THEY SAID EVERYTHING WAS OK. THEY ALSO SUGGESTED THAT BECAUSE IT IS AN SUV I SHOULD GET USED TO THE ROUGHER RIDE. THE PROBLEM HOWEVER WAS IN THE WAY I FELT I LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE UNDER THESE CONDITIONS, NOT THAT THE RIDE WAS ROUGH. I CONTINUED TO COMPLAINED ABOUT THE WAY IT HANDLED ON SUBSEQUENT VISITS. I EVEN BEGAN ASKING THEM TO LOOK AT THE TIRES. I BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT THE TIRES AS I SAW DRY ROT ON THE OUTER EDGES OF EACH OF THE TIRES. AGAIN, I BELIEVE EVERYTIME I TOOK IT IN I ASKED THEM TO EXAMINE THE TIRES AND LET ME KNOW IF I SHOULD BE CONCERNED. THEY WOULD NOTE THE TIRE TREAD ON MY PAPERWORK BUT NO ONE EVERY COUNSELED ME. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A SERVICE STATION NEAR MY HOME TO SEE WHAT THEY THOUGHT. I WAS TOLD TO REPLACE THE TIRES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND TO TRY NOT TO DRIVE FOR MANY MILES AT A TIME AND ESPECIALLY DURING HOT DAYS. I REPLACED THE TIRES WITHIN THE WEEK. I AM CONCERNED NOW ABOUT THE FIRESTONE RECALL AND THAT VA IS IN PHASE THREE. I REPLACED MY OLD FIRESTONE TIRES WITH MICHELINS AND DO NOT WISH TO HAVE A FIRESTONE PRODUCT ON ANY OF OUR CARS. HOW CAN I GET THE SPARE TIRE REPLACED AND HOW CAN I GET A CREDIT FOR THE OLD TIRES TO APPLY TOWARD THE TIRES I REPLACED?( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 255/70R/16 )

I WENT TO THE TIRE STORE TO HAVE MY TIRES ROTATED. THE MECHANIC SHOWED ME TWO OF MY FIRESTONE ATX RADIALS WITH THE TREAD SEPARATING FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE. THESE TIRES SHOWED VERY LITTLE WEAR AND SHOWED NO OTHER OBVIOUS DAMAGE. I WANTED TO INFORM YOU OF THIS DEFECT TO HELP POINT OUT A QUESTIONABLE TIRE DESIGN. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT I WAS LUCKY THESE TIRES DID NOT COME APART DURING USE. I WAS ABOUT TO START ON AN EXTENDED TRIP.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235/75/R17 )

MY FAMILY & I WERE DRIVING TO CA. FROM LAS VEGAS DOWN I-15, ABOUT 25 MILES OUT OF LAS VEGAS. THE TREAD COMPLETELY BLEW OFF OUR RIGHT, REAR TIRE, DRIVING ABOUT 70 MPH. MY HUSBAND FOUGHT TO KEEP CONTROL OF THE CAR, IT SWAYED & ROCKED VIOLENTLY. WE HAD HEARD A LOUD "BANG" BUT DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS & DIDN'T SUSPECT A FLAT TIRE, THOUGHT SOMETHING HAD HIT US.THE ROAD WAS CLEAR AT THE TIME; HAD USUAL TRAFFIC BEEN PRESENT WE WOULD'VE HIT ANTHING IN THE LANE NEXT TO US, DUE TO SEVERE SWERVING. HAD WE TURNED OVER AND ROLLED, MOST DEFINITELY WOULDN'VE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED IF NOT KILLED. PULLED OVER, SAW THAT TREAD WAS COMPLETELY GONE. REAR LIGHT WAS BROKEN, QUARTER PANEL DENTED, REAR BUMPER DISENGAGED FROM CAR. AFTER GETTING TIRE CHANGED BY AAA CLUB, IMMEDIATELY RETURN TO LV. AT GOODYEAR SHOP, TOLD THEM TO TAKE OFF ALL TIRES & BOUGHT NEW ONES FOR TOTAL OF $500. THE PREVIOUS WEEK HAD HAD CAR SERVICED FOR TRIP TO CALIF. & NO PROBLEMS NOTED WITH TIRES (HAD SPECIFIC CONVERSATION). NO CLUE THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN. AM CURRENTLY WORRIED ABOUT GOODYEAR STEEL BELTED TIRES THAT HAVE BEEN ON SINCE 7/99 SINCE I LIVE IN DESERT & IT'S FREQUENTLY OVER 100 DEGREES. I HAVE THEM CHECKED FREQUENTLY TOO BUT NOW I HAVE NO PEACE OF MIND AFTER HARROWING EXPERIENCE OF LAST SUMMER.( DOT NUMBER: ??? TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

FOLLOW A LONG WEEKEND TRIP, I NOTICED A LARGE SECTION OF THE OUTSIDE TREAD WAS MISSING FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE REVEALING THE STEEL BELT. IT IS WAS THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRE, THE FIRESTONE ATX, THAT CAME WITH THE EXPLORER WHICH WE PURCHASE NEW IN '96. THE MISSING PIECE WAS AT LEAST FIVE INCHES IN LENGTH AND TWO INCHES WIDE. I IMMEDIATELY REPLACED THE DAMAGED TIRE WITH THE MATCHING SPARE. IN EARLY JUNE I REPLACE THE ENTIRE SET OF FIRESTONE TIRES WITH ANOTHER BRAND. AT THAT TIME I WAS TOLD BY A DISCOUNT TIRE EMPLOYEE THE DAMAGE WAS PROBABLY CAUSED BY HITTING A LARGE POTHOLE (WHICH I DIDN'T BELIEVE.) PLEASE ADD OUR COMPLAINT TO YOUR FILE SURROUNDING THE FIRESTONE TIRES. WE HAVE A TWO-YEAR OLD SON WHO WE DROVE AROUND EXCLUSIVELY IN THE EXPLORER. THANK GOD NOTHING HAPPEN, BUT I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THE DELAY FORD AND FIRESTONE DISPLAYED WITH THIS RECALL.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235 )