1997 Ford Ranger

BELT SEPARATION ON 2 TIRES IN ONE MONTH TIME SPAN. FUSION TOURING 195 70R14 91T. THESE TIRES HAVE 8/32 TREAD REMAINING. FAILURES WERE FRONT RIGHT, THEN LEFT READ ONE MONTH LATER. CAUSED DIFFICULTY STEERING AS THE CAR WAS ALL OVER THE ROAD PLUS BUMPY RIDE. THE TIRES ARE VISIBLY BULGING BALOON. I FELT TIRE TEMP WITH MY HAND. UNIFORMLY WARM EXCEPT AT THE BULGE WHERE IT WAS SO HOT AS TO BURN MY HAND. WOULD NTSB LIKE ME TO SAVE A TIRE FOR EVALUATION? THIS SECOND TIRE FAILURE OCCURRED AT 70 MPH ON I-94 IN MICHIGAN WHEN A SUDDEN VIBRATION OCCURRED AND I OBSERVED THE LEFT REAR FENDER BOUNCING UP AND DOWN. I STOPPED TO INVESTIGATE AND FOUND THE BULGE AND HOT SPOT.

REAR BRAKES PULLED, SERVICED, REPORTED UNVERIFIABLE, BEGAN LOCKING UP IN SHORT BURSTS WHEN STOPPING, REPORTED, FOUND FAULTY , REPLACED COMPLETE REAR ASSEMBLY. WINDSHIELD CRACKED ACROSS CENTER WHILE DRIVING FREEWAY AT 65 MPH, STARTED AT TOP STRIP PASSENGER SIDE SPREADING ACROSS TO DRIVERS SIDE IN JUST MINUTES. DOOR AJAR SWITCHES FAILED CAUSING DOME LIGHT TO REMAIN ON MAKING NIGHT TIME VISIBILITY IMPOSIBLE. TRANSMISSION BEGAN SHIFTING ROUGH IN SECOND GEAR HARD TO DOWNSHIFT, VERIFIED, REPAIRED BEARINGS IN SHIFTER. REOCCURED A FEW MONTHS LATER, SERVICE CLAIMED UNVERIFIABLE, WORSENED STUCK IN FOURTH GEAR IN TRAFFIC, HAD TO BE PUSHED TO SHOULDER , AND DISENGAGED. FOUND TO BE FAULTY, AND TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT ,NO NOTICABLE CORRECTION , RETURNED TO SERVICE, CLAIMED UNVERIFIABLE, CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY CORPORAT OFFICE, ADVISED TO GO TO DIFERENT DEALERSHIP , WHILE INVESTIGATED INTERNALLY. DID SO, DEALER REPORTS UNVERIFIABLE, DROVE WITH SUPERVISOR OF SERVICE DEPT, WAS THEN VERIFIED, AND ORDERED REBUILT FOR 2ND TIME.EPAIR, SAME TIME AS EXTENDED WARRANTY TOOK EFFECT, REPAIRS DONE, NO NOTICABLE DIFFERENCE, IN FACT NOW WORSE, ALL GEARS NOW EFFECTED.AND AT TIMES, DIFFICULT TO SHIFT. CONTACTED FORD MOTOR CORPORATION ONCE MORE, IN EFFORT TO GET HELP WITH EXTENSIVE RENTAL CAR COSTS WHILE VEHICLE BEING SERVICED, WAS TOLD NOW THAT TWO INCIDENCES WERE IN NO WAY RELATED NOW THAT EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS IN EFFECT TOO MUCH TIME PASSED, THOUGH EVEN ONLY LESS VTHAN 1000 MILES, IS STILL UNREPAIRED TODAY. *AK