1992 Ford Ranger

I WAS DRIVING FROM SACRAMENTO, CA TO FRESNO, CA. OUTSIDE OF MERCED, THE TOP LAYER OF MY TIRE PEELED OFF, CAUSING MY VEHICLE TO GO OUT OF CONTROL. THE TIRE FLAP SLAPPED INTO THE BACK REAR PANEL OF MY TRUCK, AND DAMAGED THE BACK PANEL, TAIL LIGHTS, AND TAILPIPE. I BELIEVE THAT ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE HAD I NOT JUST BEEN RETURNING FROM A ADVANCED DRIVING SCHOOL FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. WE FILED AN INSURANCE CLAIM AND TRIED TO GET THE INSURANCE COMPANY TO SUBROGATE THE CLAIM TO FIRESTONE, BUT FIRESTONE SAID THAT THEIR TIRE WAS NOT DEFECTIVE. WE HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AT THE TRUCK JUST TWO DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. HE TOLD ME THAT HE THOUGHT THE TIRE MIGHT BE DEFECTIVE AND THAT I MIGHT WANT TO GET IT LOOKED AT. UNFORTUNATELY, I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO CHECK IT OUT BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: FR480 )

WE HAD JUST DEPARTED HOME AND HAD BEEN ON INTERSTATE 5 IN SEATTLE FOR A COUPLE OF MILES WHEN ANOTHER DRIVER POINTED OUT THAT WE HAD A PROBLEM. WE PULLED OFF THE FREEWAY SHORTLY AND SAW THAT THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE WAS IN BAD SHAPE. APPARENTLY, THE FORWARD BIAS OF WEIGHT MADE THIS UNNOTICEABLE TO US. WE HAD NOT SENSED ANY IMPACT WITH A ROAD HAZARD BUT HAD TO ASSUME SUCH HAD OCCURRED. BY THE TIME WE HAD STOPPED THE TIRE WAS COMPLETELY UNREPAIRABLE, BUT I COULD NOT SAY IF IT WAS DUE TO TREAD SEPARATION. THE TIRE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY TAKEN (7/30/99) TO A LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALER WHERE A NEW ATX TIRE WAS INSTALLED. IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT RECALL THIS INCIDENT TOOK ON MORE SIGNIFICANCE IN OUR MINDS AND I HAVE TAKEN THE PRECAUTION OF PURCHASING NEW TIRES (NON-FIRESTONE) FOR THE TRUCK WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS ANY RECALL OF THE SIZE ATX TIRES I HAD REMOVED. I THOUGHT IT A GOOD IDEA TO SEND YOU THIS INFORMATION TO ADD TO THE RESEARCH.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 21575R15 )

I HAD 9 FLATS AND 2 SIDEWALL FAILURE WITHIN 3,000 MILES, I WHEN TO THE FORD DEALER AND WAS TOLD I NEEDED TO GO TO FIRESTONE DEALER, I WANTED TO GET THE TIRES ADJUSTED, BECAUSE THE TIRES WAS TO PRONG TO PUNCHURE (TO SOFT). I GOT NO HELP FROM EITHER DEALER. I TALKED TO A FIRESTONE REP. WHAT A TOTAL WASTE OF TIME. I PURCHASED 4 NEW COOPER TIRES( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P215/75R15 )

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING UP MT. LEMMON, NEAR TUCSON, AZ. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT OVERLOADED. SHE PULLED OVER WHEN SHE HEARD A LOUD NOISE THAT WAS APPARENTLY DUE TO THE SEPARATED TREAD SECTION (ABOUT 1/3 OF THE ENTIRE TREAD) HITTING THE INSIDE OF THE FENDER WELL. THE TIRE PRESSURE WAS CHECKED REGULARLY, INCLUDING THE MORNING OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILED TIRE WAS PURCHASED ON 08/23/96, FAILED ON 06/28/98, HAD APPROX. 35,000 MILES ON IT, AND WAS IN OTHERWISE PERFECT CONDITION. I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT DOT# FOR THE FAILED TIRE, BUT I CAN TELL BY MY RECEIPT THAT IT IS ON OF THE FOLLOWING: HYHYR3B485, 276, 246, OR 226. THE FAILED TIRE WAS REPLACED AT A PRO-RATED COST BASED UPON TREAD DEPTH BY THE PLACE OF PURCHASE; THE BASE EXCHANGE SERVICE STATION AT DAVIS-MONTHAN AFB, TUCSON, AZ. THEY WERE PUZZLED BY THE DISINTEGRATION OF A RELATIVELY NEW TIRE. I WAS TOO...( DOT NUMBER: HYHYR3BXXX TIRE SIZE: P215/70R14 )