1993 Ford F-150

AT 60MPH, A TIRE BLEWOUT WITH NO WARNING DUE TO TREAD SEPARATION. THE TIRE SIZE 3110R15LT, DOT UNKNOWN. THE CAUSE IS UNKNOWN, AND THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK THE CONSUMER STATES THAT HE WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE GOING 70 MPH, AND WHEN HE SLOWED DOWN TO 60 MPH TO EXIT, TREAD FROM THE BACK DRVER SIDE TIRE SEPERATED IN TO TWO PIECES. ONE PIECE WRAPPED AROUND THE AXLE, AND THE OTHER WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE TIRE SPUN AROUND AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLES BODY. THE TIRE DID NOT LOSE AIR PRESSURE DURING THE INCIDENT. *SCC

THE ORIGINAL TIRES ON THE TRUCK FAILED AT 36K MILES. THEY CAUSED AN EXTREMELY BAD VIBRATION PROBLEM AT ALL SPEEDS. MY MECHANIC DIAGNOSED IT AS THE START OF A TREAD SEPARATION PROBLEM. I REPLACED ALL 4 ORIGINAL TIRES IN JUNE OF 2000, WITH NEW TIRES OF THE EXACT SAME TYPE AND BRAND. (ONLY ONE OTHER MANUFACTURER MADE A TIRE IN THIS SIZE AND TYPE, AT THAT TIME). THE VEHICLE IS USED VERY SPARINGLY FOR SHORT WEEKEND TRIPS. WITH 2000 MILES ON THE REPLACEMENT TIRES, THE VIBRATION PROBLEM IS STARTING AGAIN, NOT YET AS BAD AS BEFORE, BUT WITH FIRESTONE'S PRESENT TRACK RECORD I AM VERY CONCERNED. I WORRY ABOUT THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURES THAT OTHER FIRESTONE TIRES HAVE EXPERIENCED. I AM CONCERNED THAT DUE TO THE VERY LIMITED NUMBER OF THIS SIZE AND TYPE OF TIRE, WE WILL HAVE FALLEN INTO A CRACK IN THE GOVERNMENT'S INVESTIGATION! *AK (TIRESIZE: P27560HR17)

FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED IN SEPT, 1999 WHILE DRIVING WEST ON I-40 NEAR LEBANON, TN. SPEED WAS APPROX 70MPH, LOAD OF ABOUT 200 LBS IN TRUCK BED, 1 DRIVER, 1 PASSENGER. A BRIEF "VIBRATION" WAS FELT, FOLLOWED BY A LOUD, BRIEF BANGING FROM THE REAR OF THE TRUCK. I SAW IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR A PIECE OF RUBBER LANDING IN THE ROAD AND CARS SWERVING BEHIND ME TO MISS IT. I DIDN'T LOSE CONTROL OF THE TRUCK, BUT DID IMMEDIATELY PULL OVER. I OBSERVED THE LEFT REAR TIRE AND THE TREAD WAS MISSING, EXPOSING THE STEEL BELTS AND OTHER FIBERS. IT WAS STILL INFLATED. THERE WAS ALSO DAMAGE TO THE TRUCK'S QUARTER PANEL AND TRIM AROUND THE TIRE OPENING. I CHANGE TO THE SPARE AND CONTINUED ON. I HAD THE TIRE REPLACED WITH ANOTHER FR480 AT A LOCAL NASHVILLE, TN DEALER AND THE BODY DAMAGE REPAIRED. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED IN OCTOBER, 2000. DRIVING WEST ON I-10 NEAR TUCSON, AZ, AT A SPEED OF APPROX 65MPH, WE FELT A SLIGHT VIBRATION THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL. WE SLOWED TO ABOUT 55-60MPH AND THE VIBRATION SEEMED TO GO AWAY, COMING BACK WITH MORE SPEED. WE DROVE THE REMAINING 125 MILES OF OUR TRIP AT A SLOWER SPEED AND SAFELY RETURNED HOME. THE NEXT DAY, WHILE DRIVING TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP (LOU GRUBB IN SCOTTSDALE, AZ) I COULD FEEL THE STEERING WHEEL "SHIMMY" IN MY HAND, IN RESPONSE TO THE SPEED OF THE TRUCK. THE DEALER INSPECTED AND FOUND THE LEFT FRONT TO BE "SEPARATING" AND SUGGESTED IMMEDIATE REPLACEMENT. I DROVE A SHORT DISTANCE TO DISCOUNT TIRE AND HAD ALL 4 FR480 TIRES ON THE ROAD REPLACED WITH GOODYEAR WRANGLER'S. I STILL HAVE ONE FR480 AS THE SPARE. DOT # FOR THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS VDHL1M4808 AND THE SECOND TIRE WAS VNHL1PA413 (POSSIBLY VNHL1P4413). IT WAS HARD TO READ THE NUMBER. *AK (DOT NUMBER: VDHL1M4808 TIRESIZE: P235/75/R1)

BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE TIRES WERE ON MY NEW TRUCK AT TIME OF PURCHASE. I REPLACED THEM ON 09/20/97 BECAUSE THEY WERE BAD TIRES; THEY WOULD NOT HOLD AIR AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR A SERIOUS ACCIDENT OCCURRED. I HAVE A PHOTOCOPY OF MY RECEIPT AND THE ORIGINAL TIRES IN MY GARAGE. WHEN I CONTACT BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE, THEY WILL NOT ACCEPT A PHOTOCOPY RECEIPT. THE STORE CAN NO LONGER PROVIDE AN ORIGINAL RECEIPT. I FEEL THAT I AM ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT OF THESE TIRES BECAUSE I RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER AND THE FACT THAT I COULD STILL HAVE THESE TIRES ON MY VEHICLE, BUT DON'T BECAUSE THEY WERE DANGEROUS. PLEASE RESPOND. *AK (TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )