1995 Ford Aerostar

AT APPROXIMATELY 12:00 AM 6/23/06, I WAS DRIVING FROM ALBANY, TX TO DALLAS, TX ON HIGHWAY 180... AND THE TREAD ON MY RIGHT REAR TIRE SEPARATED FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE. THE TIRE IS A BRIDGESTONE TURANZA. I WAS DOING BETWEEN 70 AND 75 AT THE TIME AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO REDUCE SPEED TO ABOUT 25. INTERESTINGLY, THE REMAINING TIRE DID NOT GO FLAT. IT WAS STILL INFLATED WHEN I CAME TO A HALT. THE TREAD TORE OFF PART OF MY REAR BUMPER AND MARKED UP THE REAR SIDE PANEL OF MY VEHICLE. I HAVE TAKEN MANY PICTURES OF THE TIRE AND OF THE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE. THIS IS THE THIRD TIRE OF A 4 TIRE SET THAT HAS GIVEN ME PROBLEMS. THE FIRST TWO DEVELOPED RIDGES IN THE TREAD. I REPLACED THEM LAST AUGUST. THE REAR TIRES AT THE TIME SEEMED FINE. NOW, TEN MONTHS LATER... HERE I AM ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE TREAD SEPARATES. I COULD HAVE EASILY DIED OR BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. IF THERE HAD BEEN TRAFFIC AT THE TIME... THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT AS MY VEHICLE WAS ALL OVER THE HIGHWAY UNTIL THE SPEED WAS REDUCED AND CONTROL COULD BE REGAINED. *JB

BLOW OUT AND TREAD SEPERATION ON A BF GOODRICH RADIAL T/A (P215/70SR14 96S M+S) AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. APPROX 34,000 MILES ON THE TIRE. WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH SOUTH ON THE SAWGRASS EXPRESSWAY (SUNRISE, FL) BETWEEN MILE MARKER 4 AND 5, MY RIGHT REAR TIRE MADE A POPING SOUND AND WENT FLAT ALMOST IMMEDIATLY (3 TO 4 SECONDS). I WAS ABLE TO GET MY VEHICLE SAFELY TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE OUTSIDE OF THE TIRE SHOWED ABOUT A 4 TO 6 INCH TREAD SEPERATION. AFTER AAA REMOVED THE TIRE, THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE SHOWED ALMOST COMPLETE TREAD SEPERATION (IT LOOKED LIKE THE TIRE HAD EXPLODED). THE SIDEWALLS APPEAR TO HAVE FAILED AS WELL. I HAD HAD THE TIRES CHECKED ABOUT TWO WEEKS PRIOR AFTER HAVING A NAIL REMOVED AND PATCHED ON THE LEFT FRONT. INFLATION WAS NORMAL. THE TEMERATURE WAS ABOUT 68 DEGREES AND I HAD BEEN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES. THE TIRES HAD ABOUT 34,000 MILES OF WEAR ON THEM. THEY WERE REGULARLY ROTATED AND INSPECTED. THE VEHICLE IS A 1995 FORD AREOSTAR XLT. I WAS NOT ABLE TO KEEP THE TIRE, BUT I WAS ABLE TO TAKE 13 DIGITAL PICTURES OF THE FRONT, BACK AND TREAD OF THE TIRE. I WILL MAKE THEM AVAILABLE AT YOUR REQUEST (CD-ROM OR ELECTRONICALY).

TREAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM TIRE WHICH HAS A WARRANTY ON THE TIRE OF 80,000 MILES AND ONLY 35,000 MILES WERE PUT ON THE TIRES BEFORE THE BLOWOUT. THE STEEL RADIAL TORE THE BUMPER OFF OF THE VAN, THANKFULLY MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHEN THIS HAPPENED AND WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. WHEN I TOOK THE TIRE TO THE FIRESTONE DEALER HE WANTED TO SEE THE TREAD FROM THE TIRE SO THAT THEY COULD DETERMINE HOW MUCH TREAD WAS LEFT, BUT THE TREAD FLEW OFF (COMPLETELY SEPARATED) ON THE HIGHWAY AND WE DID NOT GO BACK TO RETRIEVE IT AS IT WOULD ENDANGER OUR LIVES TO BE ON THE INTERSTATE AFOOT. THE FIRESTONE STORE DID REPLACE THE TIRE BUT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO TREAD I HAD TO PAY FOR HALF OF THE TIRE AND THEY DID NOT OFFER TO HAVE THE BUMPER REPLACED (IT WASN'T THEIR FAULT). I HAD TO HAVE THE TIRE SO I PAID FOR IT AND FEEL THAT FIRESTONE SHOULD HAVE REPLACED IT FREE OF CHARGE AND SHOULD ALSO HAVE REPLACED THE BUMPER. WHAT BOTHERS ME MOST IS THE FACT THAT THERE ARE SO MANY TIRES BEING RECALLED, BUT I HAVE NOT SEEN THE AFFINITY ON THE RECALL LIST BUT IT DID THE SAME THING THAT THE WILDERNESS TIRES HAVE DONE. ARE THERE OTHER TIRES INVOLVED IN THE RECALL THAT FIRESTONE DOESN'T WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW ABOUT? PLEASE ADVISE. THANKING YOU IN ADVANCE, RITA CANTRELL( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P215/70R14 )

RECALL 94V239000 FOR "SPARE TIRE CAN CONTACT BRAKE LINES" WAS FOR VEHICLE MFG. IN OCT AND NOV. 1994. MY VEHICLE WAS MFG. ON DEC. 8, 1994. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED TO ME. I PAID FOR THE REPAIR IN AUG. 1999 AND JUST NOW FOUND OUT ABOUT THE 94V239000 RECALL. THIS SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE MY VEHICLE AND POSSIBLY OTHERS. FORD IS NOT INTERESTED IN THIS PROBLEM, BUT SOME RESEARCH SHOULD BE DONE TO SEE HOW MANY OTHER VEHICLES BUILT AFTER NOV. 1994 HAVE FAILED. *AK