2000 Ford Ranger

THE REASON FOR THIS COMPLAINT IS DUE TO MY WILDERNESS HT TIRES I FEEL VERY UNSAFE WITH THESE TIRES ON MY VEHICLE. I TO THE REQUIRED PROCEDURE IN TAKING CARE OF TIRES( ROTATE THEM EVERY 3000 MILES, CHECK TIRE PRESSURE,ETC.) THEY MAKE MY STEERING WHEEL SHAKE AT ALL SPEEDS AND I AM AFRAID THAT THEY ARE GOING TO CAUSE ME TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE LET ME KNOW ABOUT WHAT I NEED TO DO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU. *AK (DOT NUMBER: W2UU TIRESIZE: P225/70R15)

ON INTERSTATE THE TIRE BLEW.THE TIRE WAS NOT PUNCTURED BUT IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE TOOK A KNIFE AND CUT THE TREAD OFF THE SIDEWALL. IT WAS THE OUTSIDE RIM OF TIRE. IT LOOKS LIKE THE PICTURES YOU SEE ON TV OF THE RECALLED TIRES.I HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY AGREE IT IS NOT A NORMAL FAILURE AND IS A TIRE FAILURE. THEY WILL NOT REPLACE THE TIRES AND SAY IT IS A FIRESTONE PROBLEM. I FEEL THE TIRES SHOULD BE REPLACE BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE TIRES ANYMORE AND FEEL THEY ARE DANGROUS TO DRIVE ON. I FEEL LUCKY THAT IT WAS A REAR TIRE AND NOT A FRONT TIRE. I KNOW I CHECKED THE TIRE PRESSURE EARLIER THIS WEEK AND IT WAS GOOD.I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE ME WITH THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU MIKE.*AK (DOT NUMBER: W244 TIRESIZE: P225/70R15)

GOING 70MPH WHEN REAR LEFT SIDEWALL BLEW OUT. VEHICLE HAD STARTED TO FISHTAIL BEFORE BLOWOUT, NEARLY FLIPPED OVER. HAD DIFFICULTY MAINTING CONTROL. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE HELPED CHANGE TIRE. LOOKED AT TIRE AND NOTICED OUTSIDE WALLAND CHUNKS OF TREAD WAS MISSING. ORIGINAL TIRE EQUIPMENT. WILDERNESS, HT TIRES, P225/70R15 WITH 16,000 MILES.*AK FORD DEALER AGREED TO REPLACE BOTH TIRES AND RIMS, HOWEVE WOULDNOT LET CONSUMER KEEP TIRE, FIRESTONE WILDERNESS HT, CONSUMER STATES TIRE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION. *SLC

THE RIGHT REAR TIRE SIDEWALL COMPLETELY SEPARATED FORM THE REMAINING PART OF THE TIRE ON 4TH OF JULY, 2001, AS MY FAMILY AND I WERE RETURNING HOME AT APPROX. 8:25 PM ON I-37 N TO SAN ANTONIO. BEFORE THE TIRE SEPERATED, MY FIANCE AND I HEARD A VERY LOUD GRINDING NOISE- DURING WHICH TIME I IMMEDIATELY LET OFF THE GAS. ABOUT 30 SECONDS AFTER WE FIRST HEARD THE NOISE, THE TRUCK VIOLENTLY FISHTAILED IN THE REAR END, AND I PROCEEDED TO GENTLY APPLY THE BRAKES UNTIL WE CAME TO A STOP. THAT NIGHT WHILE I WAS WORKING MY NIGHTSHIFT- I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY WHO TOLD ME TO SPEAK TO MY DEALERSHIP. THE FOLLOWING MORNING, MY DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THIS NEW TIRE HAD SEPERATED DUE TO A SMALL PUNCTURE IN THE TREAD. FIRESTONE REFUSES TO REPLACE THIS NEW TIRE, AS THIS TRUCK WAS SOLD TO ME WITHOUT ROAD HAZARD COVERAGE ON THIS TIRE. I AM VERY UPSET BECAUSE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE- I HAVE HAD OTHER FLATS ON OTHER VEHICLE THAT I OWNED WITHOUT THE TIRES SEPERATING WHILE DRIVING. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER- I FAIL TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE NORMAL REACTION OF A TIRE WITH A MINOR 2MM PUNCTION IN THE TREAD. MY TIRE MECHANIC WHERE I TOOK THIS TIRE TO OBTAIN A 3RD OPINION AGREES WITH MY ASSESSMENT IN THIS MATTER. I VALUE HIS JUDGMENT ABOVE ALL, HE HAS NOTHING TO GAIN BY GIVING ME A FALSE STATEMENT, WHEREAS MY DEALERSHIP, AND FIRESTONE OBVIOUSLY HAVE PLENTY TO LOSE IN ADMITTING THAT THIS TIRE MAY BE A MANUFACTURE'S DEFECT. (DOT NUMBER: W2UUIPO140 TIRESIZE: P225/70R15)

THIS IS THE CURRENT RECALL TIRE. I HAVE A SLICE IN THE TIRE THAT WAS POINTED OUT AT THE TIME I BOUGHT THE TRUCK. AT THAT TIME, THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THIS WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM. SINCE THAT TIME THERE HAS BEEN MUCH TALKED ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH THESE TIRES. SOME TALK ABOUT THE SLICES IN THE TIRES, AS WELL AS THE SEPERATION PROBLEMS. NOW I HAVE A SLOW LEEK IN THE REAR LEFT TIRE, (THE ONE WITH THE SLICE IN IT). IT IS A RECALL TIRE BUT THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT WOULD BE AT LEAST 2-3 MONTHS BEFORE THE REPLACEMENTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN OUR AREA. SO I TOOK THE TRUCK TO A TIRE REPAIR SHOP TO FIX IT, THEY REFUSED TO REPAIR THE TIRE DUE TO THIS SLICE IN THE SIDEWALL. IN THE MEANTIME I AM ADDING AIR TO THIS TIRE EVERY DAY TO MAINTAIN IT UNTILL I CAN GET MY REPLACEMENT TIRES. MY QUESTION IS, DO I HAVE ANY OTHER OPTIONS OR RECOURSE. NO SAFETY DEFECT. *AK (DOT NUMBER: VD70 TIRESIZE: P24575R16)