Firestone Tires OT:

D

DOCSpanky

New member
I have taken the time to look further into the Firestone tires issue, since I just put a new set of Wilderness ATX tires onto my truck.

Here are the facts, contrary to what our sensationalist media has been saying, as usual they have failed to tell the WHOLE STORY!

There have been only 3 accidents whose primary cause was tread separation that involved deaths.

1. 1998 2 door explorer; 3 people killed when treadblock separated from tire casing. The other 9 full sized adults crammed into this vehicle were O.K. This was an obvious case of gross overloading.

2. 1998 4 door explorer; 1 person killed when treadblock separated from tire casing. The other 3 tires on the vehicle were inflated to 6, 8, and 11 p.s.i. Wonder what may have caused this one? :rolleyes:

3. 1999 4 door explorer; 1 person killed when treadblock separated from tire casing. Vehicle was running from police at an estimated 130 m.p.h. Since this is about 16m.p.h. over the speed rating for the tire, I again must wonder what is going wrong here.

BUT!!!!!

There have also been cases of treadblock separation on normally driven well maintained vehicles. Here is what I was told to look for;

Affected tires;
ANY; AT,ATX,ATXII or Wilderness, full size truck tire in 235/75R15 ONLY!!!!

Uneven or bubbled treadblock, cracks or splitting where the treadblock meets the sidewall, new and unusual road noise. Firestone will replace ANY tire found to truely have a defect and is offering a free inspection. See www.firestone.com However don't roll in with your Explorer with 65,000 miles on its ATX tires and demand new ones, it is of course since there is no govt. mandated recall on a pro-rated basis.

There may actually be a problem, I was told today that all the tires coming on the new explorers are currently made in Mexico. But if you go into your local retailer you will get a tire made in the USA. The ONLY tires affected are 235/75R15's made in Mexico for FORD for use on their Explorers.

Just another case of not getting the whole story from the media.

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"Government is not the solution to the problem, Government is the problem!"--Ronald Reagan
 
In December 1970 I bought a 1971 Ford 1/2 ton PU, this truck came with Firestone tires. I installed a cab high shell on the bed of the truck and the largest load that I ever carried was my duffle bag and footlocker, by the time I has 8,000 miles on the truck ALL FOUR tires had pealed the tread. When I complained to Firestone they said "you have passenger car tires on a truck, thats why they pealed" I replied that I was using the PU as a car and did not haul loads in it and besides I bought the truck new and it came with these tires on it. Firestone replied "We just sell the tires to Ford...we don't tell them where to put them.

I said "Well let me tell you where to put them".......and I did. I have not run a Firestone tirn on any of my Vehicles to this day, nor will I ever buy one again! :(

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"Lead, follow or get the HELL out of the way."
 
I've had a number of sets of Firestones which have been on used vehicles I've purchased.
I've had trouble with every single tire. The thread either bubbles up or it detaches from the tire.
I would never buy one.
 
I called the lawyer who will defend Firestone in one of our local law-suits. He faxed me a copy of the accident reports since they are public record. My original Nissan came with Firestone FR480's on it, never had a problem. Went directly to the Firestone coorporate headquarters for the part about the tires for the trucks being made in Mexico. It seems to me that Firestone will be admitting to a faulty product, but they will probably begin shipping tires to the Explorer assembly plant in Mexico vice using the local Mexican made tires.

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"Government is not the solution to the problem, Government is the problem!"--Ronald Reagan

[This message has been edited by DOCSpanky (edited August 08, 2000).]
 
I have two Explorers, a 1991 four door and a 1996 sport. Both have firestone tires and I have had no problems with either set of tires. The 96 came with Goodyear tires that did have a problem with tread separation. The goodyears lasted only 50,000 miles.

My 91 is on its third set of Firestones, has 170,000 miles( the last set was purchased at 150,000 mi).

Had a 91 ranger that came with firestone tires and the tires were still going at 100,000 miles! Replaced them with another set of firestones and sold the truck with the second set at 200,000 mi and they were still good!

Sounds like another case of overactive lawyering to me.


Geoff Ross

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One reason to vote in the next Presidential election.

It's the Supreme Court, Stupid!
 
I had a set of Fireston firehawks on my Dakota that peeled after only 15k miles..

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Big Guns again
No speakee well
But plain.
--H.C
 
I have had Firestone Wilderness HT tires on my pickup since it was new and that was 95000 miles ago. I am on my second set. I wouldn't have anything else and thats pretty good coming from me as I worked for Michelin for 20 years!
 
I have wilderness ht on my ranger pu 2wd and besides they dont last 60,000 miles they are some of the best traction tires I have ever had, colorado snow dont slow them down at all , if they keep selling repacements to me for $ 29 each I will keep using them.
 
This sounds too much like their 500 tires that came unglued back in the late 70s. Had one separate while doing 70-plus north of L.A. Did a number on the rear fender off the car, too. Owner of the car got no satisfaction from Firestone, so sued them and won in small claims court.
 
I am a former employee of a chain of independent Firestone service centers. I can honestly say, that in my six years with them, I have seen less than five tires that appeared to be defective. My experience has led me to believe that most seperated belts are caused by either an object cutting the belts (such as getting a flat tire in the wrong part of the tire and getting it plugged) or by impacts with solid objects (like ramming a curb...this also causes an impacted sidewall). Neither of these are a manufacturing defect but a form of customer abuse (even if unintentional). I even had a woman try to tell me once that it was Firestone's fault that a nail was able to penetrate her tire that had barely 100 miles on it. It seems that Saturn had a habit of lieing to customers and telling them that their tires came with a road hazard warranty at no extra charge.
 
Don't that just chafe your loins! :mad: I guess they were gonna hold out to the last second. 24 hours ago it was, "Its not our fault" Now its "It may be our fault, and we recalled the same tires in several other countries by the way" :rolleyes:

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"Government is not the solution to the problem, Government is the problem!"--Ronald Reagan
 
Tried looking at the Firestone webstite about 8 CDT this morning - couldn't get in. Too busy, I guess. The original ATX's on my Explorer went 56,000 miles, and still had tread left, before I replaced them with ATX II's, which now have 13,000 miles. I thought this was pretty good, since I never got more than 35,000 miles from a set of Goodyear's Wranglers. Now I guess it's a matter of "wait and see" what "deal" Firestone will offer. I hear they either replaced or "discounted" Michelin tires in other countries...any idea of what the equivalent tires are in other brands?
 
I just purchased a 2000 Explorer XLS on July 19th. It has Wilderness AT tires. This morning I had heard on the radio that Firestone had issued a recall. I called my local Ford dealer this morning to ask what was going to be done. The service manager that I spoke to hadn't heard that a recall had been issued, only that Firestone was to hold a press conference this morning to announce their decision. He also didn't know how a potential recall would be handled--would I bring the truck to Ford to have the tires replaced or be sent directly to a Firestone dealer.

BTW so you don't have to check my profile, I am located in Bloomington, IN


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Kim

NRA Millenium Life Member
 
Probably direct to a Firestone retailer. If it even covers you. Rumor has it that they will only recall in southern states?????

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"Government is not the solution to the problem, Government is the problem!"--Ronald Reagan
 
My wife's car, my car, my kid's car -

we all had Firestones that explosively
came apart when driving on the freeway.

The first two happened in the 70's.
We had gotten the tires before the two
blowups.

My kid's was two years - ago. They were
new with the car and I thought that after
25 years, Firestone would have it together.

I replaced all of hers. That's good enough
for me.
 
a friend of my younger brother, and 5 others were coming home to Houston from Austin ~2weeks ago. Ford Explorer, with Firestone tires. They were doing about 70 when the vehicle flipped, for no apparent reason. 3 recieved various cuts and bruises, one girl broke her thumb, my brothers friend wen't to the Emergency room in Brenham, and was Discharged THAT DAY. The next day his mother took him to the hospital here in Houston because his neck hurt. Doctors in Houston said his neck probably hurt becaus it was BROKEN! They did surgery & put a metal plate on the inside of his neck, behind his throat Owww! The last passenger, a girl they had just met a day or two before, suffered a broken back, and was life-flighted (sp?) to Houston. The last my brother heard about her, she was paralyzed from the waist down.

According to the DPS Officer at the scene, he thought it was probably a case of the tire tread separating.

I won't own any Firestone's ever, but I know someone who might own a big chunk of 'em soon.
 
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