1998 Ford Ranger

I HAD ONE OF THE 16" FIRESTONE TIRES BLOW OUT AT FREEWAY SPEEDS. THE WEATHER WAS WARM, PROBABLY LOW 80'S. THE TIRE WAS ON THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE AND I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. THE TIRE WAS SHREDDED. I DID NOT LOOK FOR TREAD SEPARATION SINCE I DID NOT KNOW THIS WAS A PROBLEM. I HAVE REPLACED THE TIRES WITH ANOTHER BRAND, SO I DO NOT HAVE THE EXACT TIRE INFORMATION AVAILABLE. I WAS RATHER FRUSTRATED WHEN THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE THE TIRES WERE ONLY A YEAR OLD. I WAS TOLD BY THE FORD DEALER, IN POCATELLO IDAHO WHERE THE BLOW OCCURED, THAT BLOW OUTS WERE NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING TO BE GAINED BY FILING A COMPLAINT. AT THE TIME OF THE BLOW OUT, I WOULD HAVE FILED THIS AS A SUSPECTED DEFECT IF I HAD KNOWN HOW/WHERE TO REPORT IT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS. MARK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235R70/16 )

ON 08-13-99 I WAS HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TWICE WHILE ON RTE 24 IN RANDOLPH, MA - THE FRONT DRIVER'S TIRE BROKE DOWN AND THE TRUCK WENT OUT OF CONTROL ENDING UP OFF OF THE ROAD - THIS TIRE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE DEALER AND IT TOOK SEVERAL WEEKS FOR THE DEALER TO LOCATE AN EXACT MATCH AS I WAS INFORMED THAT FIRESTONE WAS NOT PRODUCTION OF THIS TIRE AT THE TIME. ALTHOUGH THE START OF THE TROUBLE WAS IN FACT THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE OTHER DRIVER - THE FACT THAT THE TIRE BROKE DOWN RENDERED MY ABILITY TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IMPOSSIBLE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: 02 7474 TIRE SIZE: P235/70R16 )

GENTLEMEN,MY 1998 MODEL YEAR, 4X4 XLT, V-6 4.0L ENGINE, FORD RANGER (VIN# [XXX]) AND I WERE INVOLVED IN A ROLLOVER ACCIDENT ON AUGUST 31ST OF 1999, WHILE TRAVELING HOME FROM AN OUT-OF-STATE JOB THAT I WAS WORKING IN YORK, PA BACK TO AVONDALE, AZ. I BELIEVED THEN AND I BELIEVE NOW THAT SOMETHING WAS SERIOUSLY WRONG OR "DEFECTIVE" WITH MY TRUCK AT THE TIME (AND AFTER) OF THE ACCIDENT. I EVEN HAVE WRITTEN STATEMENT(S) ON PUBLIC RECORD, THAT STATE, THAT I FELT SOMETHING WAS QUITE AMISS THAT DAY, THAT ALSO PRE-DATE THE TIRE RECALL FROM FIRESTONE THIS LAST AUGUST, 2000. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE VEHICLE HAD ONLY 3,692 (APPROX.) ACTUAL MILES ON IT AND I HADN'T EVEN MADE THE FIRST PAYMENT TO FORD CREDIT YET! NOR HAD I EVEN HAD THE CHANCE TO GET IT PROPERLY REGISTERED IN MY HOME TOWN OF AVONDALE, AZ. THE TRUCK NEVER ACTUALLY MADE IT HOME TO AZ, AS IT'S STILL IN TULSA, OK AREA. NOT ONLY DID I LOSE ALOT OF TIME OFF FROM WORK, I ALSO LOST A VERY SPECIAL VEHICLE TO THIS PARTICULAR ACCIDENT, ONE THAT I HAD DREAMED OF FOR YEARS AND ONE THAT I HAD WAITED A VERY LONG TIME TO FIND (JUST THE EXACT ONE!) AND THEN FINALLY PURCHASE! ALSO, I MUST SAY THE TIME AND EFFORT IT HAS TAKEN ME AND MY FAMILY, INVOLVED IN JUST WORKING THROUGH THE AFTERMATH, HAS BEEN UNREAL! INVOLVED IN JUST WORKING THROUGH THE AFTERMATH, HAS BEEN UNREAL! IT TOOK ME OVER A YEAR TO JUST GET MY FINAL PAYMENT FROM MY INSURANCE COMPANY RELATED TO THE PERSONAL PROPERTY LOSS ALONE! I AM STILL WORKING FOR ANOTHER 3 MONTHS ON THE FOLLOW-UP PAPERWORK, ASSOCIATED WITH THE REPLACEMENT COVERAGE ASPECT... I/WE CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT SOME OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO GO THROUGH, AS I WAS VERY "BLESSED" THAT I WASN'T SERIOUSLY INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT ITSELF! FORTUNATELY, I SAVED TWO (2) OF THE FACTORY INSTALLED TIRES THAT WERE ON THE TRUCK AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, IE; THE LEFT REAR, WHICH "SNAPPED-OFF" AT THE AXLE JUST BEFORE ROLLING OVER AND THE "SPARE" TIRE THAT WAS MOUNTED UNDERNEATH THE BED OF THE TRUCK. *AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATI

PE00-020; 35,000 MILES, P23575R15, DOT W2HL1PY407, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT WITH FORD RANGER, 1998. ALL 4 TIRES HAVE DEVELOPED CRACKS WHERE THE TREAD BEGINS/AT CORNER OF TREAD ,ON OUTSIDE OF SIDEWALL. CRACKS WERE ALL AROUND THE TIRE. CONSUMER WENT TO 3 TIRE SHOPS, INCLUDING FIRESTONE. THEY ALL RECOMMENDED TO GET TIRES REPLACED, EXCEPT FOR FIRESTONE. *AK FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT PP235/75/R15 *MW