1999 Mercury Cougar

WHILE ON INTERSTATE 10 A VIBRATION STARTED, STOPPED AND LOOKED SEVERAL TIMES AND DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING, WHEN I EXITED THE INTERSTATE IT APPEARED THAT I HAD A FLAT TIRE, WHEN I PULLED INTO A GAS STATION THE TIRE APPEARED TO BE INFLATED, UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION I FOUND A LARGE SECTION OF THE STEEL BELT/TREAD WAS MISSING AND THERE WAS BITS OF METAL SHOWING THROUGH SIDE OF TIRE. AT THIS TIME I COULD HEAR AIR BEGINNING TO ESCAPE FROM THE TIRE. I HAD TO HAVE THE TIRE REPLACED. I HAVE TRIED TO DEAL WITH FIRESTONE AND HAVE GOTTEN NO WHERE.*AK (TIRESIZE: 205/60R15)

SHORTLY AFTER EXITING A LEFT HAND TURN, MY WIFE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN DEFLATION OF HER RIGHT FRONT TIRE. UPON MY ARRIVAL, I NOTICED A PROTRUDED LIP ON THE OUTER RIM EDGE. SHE SAID THAT SHE DID NOT HIT ANYTHING,AND FROM THE DAMAGE TO THE RIM, SHE'D HAVE KNOWN!. WHILE WAITING FOR THE WRECKER, WE EVEN WENT BACK AND INSPECTED THE ROADWAY FOR ANY OBJECTS THAT MIGHT HAVE CAUSED THIS SITUATION. ABSOLUTELY NONE WERE FOUND. THE TIRE WAS INTACT AND NO EXTERIOR DEFECTS WERE(ARE) VISIBLE. WHEN THE WHEEL WAS PULLED FROM THE VEHICLE, ANOTHER BENT AREA DIRECTLY OPPOSITE OF THE EXTERIOR BEND WAS NOTED ON THE INTERIOR. PICTURES OF THESE BENDS ARE AVAILABLE. ALSO, AS THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY IS BEING REPLACED, THE ASSEMBLY IN QUESTION WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. THANK GOD MY WIFE (AND CHILDREN)WAS NOT ON THE INTERSTATE DURING THIS EVENT!!!!*AK (DOT NUMBER: BEBOAT9111 TIRESIZE: P215/50R16)

I NORMALLY BUY FOREIGN MADE AUTOS. BUT THIS CAR WAS GORGEOUS. IT HAS BECOME A LIVING NIGHTMARE. A FLYWHEEL WAS REPLACED AFTER SEVERAL TIMES TELLING THE DEALER THAT IT MADE A HORRIBLE SCREECHING NOISE AS IF THE KEY WAS ALREADY STARTED. THE NEXT PROBLEM IS THAT I HIT A POTHOLE IN DETROIT AND RUINED A RIM PLUS TIRE. I JUST RECENTLY HAD TO REPLACE 2 MORE TIRES THAT JUST SEEM TO WEAR OUT FOR NO REASON. I DON'T DO A WHOLE LOT OF DRIVING. LAST MONTH THEY REPLACED THE IAC SWITCH. NOW I NEED TO TAKE IT IN BECAUSE IT RIDES LIKE A RAGGEDY TRUCK. IT SHAKES AND WILL NOT HOLD THE ROAD. YOU CAN FEEL EVERY CRACK IN THE STREET. MY BOYFRIEND HAS A 88 OLDS AND I WOULD RATHER RIDE/DRIVE HIS CAR THAN THIS COUGAR. I STILL HAVE 1 YEAR ON MY LEASE AND YOU CAN BET I WILL NEVER BY A FORD/LINCOLN/MERCURY CAR EVERY AGAIN. *AK (TIRESIZE: R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: R16 )

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT ALL FOUR TIRES HAVE GONE BAD. THE FIRST HAPPENED AT 17M MILES WITH TREAD SEPARATING IN ALL FOUR TIRES. THIS HAS HAPPENNED ONCE AGAIN AT 61M MILES WITH TWO OF THE FOUR SEPARATING AND SHOWING WIRES AND THE OTHER TWO ARE GOING THE SAME WAY SOON. *AK (TIRESIZE: 215/50/16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 215/50/16 )

AT 14,000 MILES, MECHANIC SPOTTED HAIRLINE SPLITS ON THE SIDEWALLS. TIRES HAVE BEEN ROATATED TWICE..CITY DRIVING..COST OF 4165.00 TO REPLACE..MUST WAIT 2 WEEKS FOR REPLACEMENTS...MECHANIC WARNS AGAINST HIGH SPEED DRIVING...NEVER REPLACED TIRES ON A CAR THIS SOON! CONTACTED FS..NO ANSWERS!!. *AK (TIRESIZE: P215/50R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P215/50R16 )

AFTER REGULAR TIRE ROTATION AT 28,000 MILES, THE CAR STARTED TO PULL TO THE RIGHT (THE SIDE WHERE THE DEFECTIVE TIRES WERE ON), THE STEERING WAS JERKY AND AN AUDIBLE THRUMMING COULD BE HEARD. IT WAS NOTICEABLE AS SLOW AS 10 MPH AND GREW INCREASINGLY WORSE AS THE VEHICLE SPED UP. WHEN WE HAD THE VEHICLE INSPECTED AT THREE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, THEY ALL CONCLUDED THAT TIRE SEPARATION WAS THE CAUSE AND WAS THE POSSIBLE CAUSE OF THE CAR BEING OUT OF ALIGNMENT. WE CORRECTED THE ALIGNMENT AND PURCHASED FOUR NEW TIRES (YOKOHAMA) AND THE PROBLEMS ARE GONE.( DOT NUMBER: W2B0 TIRE SIZE: 215/50R16 )

TREAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM SIDEWALLS. ONLY SIDEWALLS REMAINED ON WHEEL. DEALER INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE TREAD BUT UNCLEAR WHETHER HOLE OCCURRED BEFORE OR AFTER SEPARATION. DO NOT HAVE TIRE BUT HAVE PICTURES. ALSO, SERVICE MANAGER, NICK CALDARON INSPECTED TIRE. AM CONCERNED BECAUSE I HAVE 4 SIMILAR TIRES ON CAR NOW.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P215R1689 )