This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Tire tread layer separated from the steel-belted layer creating a 15-by-5-inch flap. We were lucky....we caught the problem before the tire blew.( dot number: )
I've had three Wilderness AT tire failures. One resulted in blowout at interstate speed. The last two were caught in the tread bubble up stage by me before a blowout.( dot number: Tire size: 235X15 R75 )
I was driving 75 mph on the interstate when the right rear tire had the entire outer tread separate from the rest of the tire. The tire had about 45,000 miles of use. I then paid to replace the remaining tires at big O tires.( dot number: Tire size: P235/75R15 )
PE 00020: Consumer was driving 35mph & turned onto another road, when right front tire blewout, causing vehicle to go into a ditch. Had no prior warning. Checked the tire & found tread had completely separtated. Still had the tire for the lawyer. Firestone wilderness P235/75R15 with 25,000 miles on it.
I have had two different "thread peels" on these tires. In one case, the tire blew and I almost lost control of the vehicle. Damage that time was $924 because the thread caused damage to my left rear panel. Firestone replaced the tire and paid for the damage. This was around Jan of 1999. This January, 2000, I lost another tire but this time the tire went down more slowly and did not cause any damage. Firestone again replaced my tire and I was paid this April 2000. In both cases, I was driving at 70mph and the tires went out after I was driving over 350 miles. I have asked Firestone to remove these tires and replace them with another brand. I have an appointment with Firestone wed.( dot number: )
- Phoenix, AZ, USA
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Tread separated from the tire. I don't have the dot numbers and tire size since I had to replace all 4 tires when I noticed the defect in the first one. It wasn't worth taking any chances.( dot number: Unknown tire size: 15 )
While driving home from jackson, ms on interstate 20 on sat. July8,2000, our car started vibrating and making a noise. My daughter asked what was wrong and what to do. I told her that I thought we had a blow out. I instructed her to brake and slow down as much and as fast as possible and try to keep the car on the road. The vehicle was slowing down and she was maintaining control until something stopped the car from rolling and she lost control as if something was physically pulling the wheel hard to the right. She then lost complete control and the car started turning to the right. We then hit a bridge abutment on the driver's side, the car spinned completely around from the first impact with the bridge and then we hit the bridge on the passenger's front side, we were knocked clear of the bridge and headed down an embankment toward a large stand of pines and the car came to rest just past the driving lane on the highway. We had a witnesses from dallas, Texas, also driving an SUV, who told us that they saw the entire accident and that there was nothing my daughter could have done differently because they could see the steel belt of the tire get caught up in the mechanism under the car and then she lost total control. We were told by the state trooper who accompanied us to the emergency room that he was glad we hit the bridge like we did because if we had not we would have probably rolled or hit the stand of pines after going airborne head on. He stated that he had seen numerous occasions in a situation like ours that the occupants of the vehicle were critically hurt or killed. My husband and I feel that the Firestone company and/or the Ford manufacturer should replace our vehicle with a new one and at the least, pay our medical expenses which were minimal according to the terrible accident we had. We are lucky to be alive! we will not stop until every one we are acquainted with knows how negligent the manufacturers are in this matter.
On 4/28/00 I had my tires checked at Firestone. Replaced front two tires. Mileage on vehicle was 56,405. Back two tires had plenty of tread and did not need replacing. Reason for replacing front tires was cupping on inside of front tires. On 7/12/00 the back left tire blew out on the interstate at 70 mph. Car went off road and flipped three times...totalling vehicle. Suffered broken ribs, concussion and other injuries.( dot number: Tire size: P22575R15 )
Tire blew out on major highway. Caused vehicle to spin out of control into oncoming highway traffic. Narrowly missed several head-on collisions. Truck was skidding on rims. Still have tire remnants. Exactly as described in usa today article. Police responded, but no report taken, as there was no collision.( dot number: Tire size: 235/75/10 )
Tire blew out on major highway. Caused vehicle to spin out of control into oncoming highway traffic. Narrowly missed several head-on collisions. Truck was skidding on rims. Still have tire remnants. Exactly as described in usa today article. Police responded, but no report taken, as there was no collision.( dot number: Tire size: 235/75/10 )
6 tire failures in the last 3 years on an average of every 5000 miles on the failed tires, under normal driving conditions.( dot number: Tire size: P225/70R15 )
While driving on the freeway I heard a thump from under car in rear. Less than two minutes later I heard another thumping. I looked into my rear view mirror and saw something roll to shoulder of road, but didn't hit anything. I decided to pull off to the side of the freeway to investigate. On my investigation I notice a large chunk (size of a large orange)of the rear passenger side tire missing. All the tires appear to have a line of seperation yet plenty of tread left on them.( dot number: 027477 tire size: P235/75R15 )
PE00020; tire tread separation: While driving about 65 mph tread on the driver's rear side tire came off. Driver was able to control vehicle, which was a 1997, Explorer. Tire was a Firestone wlderness ht, P22570ri5, original tire equipment with 36,800 miles. Owner has not been able to reach Firestone at the customer's service number. Dot #W2uu1P0187, 2 tires have experienced tread separation, one separation caused damage to the vehicle.
PE-00020, tire size P23575R15, dot-W2hl, original equipment on a 1997, Ford Explorer. While driving tread on passenger's rear tire separated. Firestone Wilderness AT P235/75/R15
After starting my trip to North Dakota, somewhere in Georgia, my SUV started to travel to the right as if the car was out of alignment. I drove to North Dakota and then back. When I arrived back in jacksonville, on the 24th of July, I read an article in the paper about my tires. I tried to find out some information about having them replaced, but could not find any. I went to a tire dealer and had all four replaced. The right front tire had a six-inch opening and wear showing tread peeling off. The other 3 tires had a crack that went all the way around the tire where the tread meets the sidewall. As there has been no official word, that I can find, about how to be reimbursed for my having to replace the tires, I am patiently waiting for such information. I could have been killed or still sitting in some ditch in one of the more uninhabited areas that I drove through on my trip. This is outrageous! I checked my air pressure religiously as it makes for better tire wear and gas mileage. I can't imagine the number of those tires that were resold when turned in for new tires. Thank you.( dot number: Tire size: P235/75/15 )
Tire failed on garden state parkway @65 mph, vehicle veered wildly but was brought to stop without crashing. Temperatures were mid to upper 80's, on a clear dry surface. New tire of same make purchased at gw tire, cookstown rd, cookstown, NJ.( dot number: Tire size: P235/75R16 )
Noted hairline fissure circumferentially at exact level of tread separation depicted in cbs news report of Aug. 8,2000. Told by local Firestone store manager this was "normal". offerred me a new set of tires at a discount. I believe this to be a safety defect which according to law requires free replacement. I have photos of defect.( dot number: ? tire size: P235/75R15 )
I am sending this form as I have had 2 wilderness tires peel apart while on the highway. I feel these tires are very unsafe, but, the cost of tires prohibit me from replacing. Both times the tires ripped apart while my baby girl was in the car and we were lucky that our swerving did not cause a major accident. I have no doubt these tires are unsafe and need to be replaced by Ford and Firestone.( dot number: )
The tread stripped off the tire, but the innertube remained intact..it still it full of air with no tread on it. The loose tread beat the underside of the wheel well, causing some visible damage. This is obviousely a tire problem and I think Firestone should be held responsible.( dot number: Tire size: P235 75R15 )
Pre-drive inspection of tire indicated many cords showing through where tread had disintegrated around both edges of tire. Middle of tire tread appeared normal as did other remaining original tire on opposite side of vehicle. Believed to have happened rather suddenly since tires are cleaned and inspected regularly. Also believe tire would have failed while driving had the condition not been noticed. Approximate tire life remaining on other original tire is 5,000 to 10,000 miles.( dot number: Tire size: P235/75R15 )
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Silverthorne, CO, USA