Problems with 1999 Ford Expedition TIRES

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford expedition equipped with firestone wilderness p265/70/r16 dot8x72 tires. the contact stated that the drivers side rear tire blew out while driving 65 mph, causing the vehicle to crash into a cement divider. the contact suffered injuries to the face and mouth. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 127,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford expedition with cooper discover lfx tires with dot number 4909. the contact stated the rear passenger side tire was replaced twice. the contact had a rear alignment performed on the tire, but the side walls burst on each tire. the contact had the same tire placed on the vehicle by the manufacturer after the original one split. the failure mileage was 250,000.

The flared portion of the terminator fob on the retaining/retracting cable for the spare tire fractured and separated on my 1999 ford expedition eddie bauer (i am the original owner). *tr as a result, the spare tire and the metal crosspiece retainer dropped onto the street pavement, and in front of oncoming vehicles, which swerved and avoided colliding with the loose spare tire. i am just glad, and fortunate, that the spare tire did not bounce into the air, or end up crashing through the windshield of an oncoming vehicle. there are numerous reports of similar, if not identical incidents of this spare tire cable breakage posted on the internet. according to the owners manual, the crank mechanism is driven using the jack handle, and it is supposed to "ratchet" when the spare tire becomes snug against the vehicle undercarriage, preventing over tension on the crank mechanism and cable. upon inspection, there were no signs of rust, or corrosion, or attempted theft or tampering. a small collar portion of the terminator fob remained on the cable, while flared portion broke and slipped off of the end of the cable. there are not any additional safety devices on the vehicle that retain the spare tire in the event the cable fails. during the 2001 firestone tire recall, the dealer replaced all five tires, which included the spare tire. otherwise, the crank mechanism has not been used. i searched but failed to find a reported government recall of this cable at http://www.recalls.gov/search.html. to repair the cable end, i created my own terminator fob using an electrical split-bolt sized to the diameter of the cable. i fashioned a j shape in the cable to form a loop and placed a small screw through the loop to prevent pull-through, added a few drops of blue locktite to the threads of the split-bolt, and cinched up the split-bolt. *tr

Well me and some of my family members was heading to destine we was on i-10 south when the covering of the tire came off and bent the finder. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford expedition. the vehicle has firestone wilderness at tires. while driving 70 mph, the spare tire blew out. the contact was able to drive the vehicle to a repair shop and had the tire changed. it was also discovered that the fender was folded under the vehicle near the fuel line. the tire size and dot number were unknown. the failure mileage was 200,000. updated 8/10/09 *cn updated 08/13/09. *jb

Purchase 4 new interco tsl/thornbird tires about 1 1/2 years ago. purchased in murrieta ca at the time of residence. june 2008 moved to yuma az. on 9/2/08 a big chunk blew out the center of the tire in tucson az. contacted ramona tire via email. explained what happen . they were suppose to get back in touch with me to tell me who to take it to. never returned a message. on 11/28/08 another tire did the same thing. *tr

My ford expedition was outfitted a little over 3 years ago with goodyear wranglers by ford due to the firestone tire failure. recently, while washing the vehicle i noticed failure in the sidewall of the driver's side rear tire. all around the rim approximately 1/2 to 3/4" from the rim there are cracks in the rubber sidewall opening up as the earth does during an earthquake. these are approximately 2-3" long and a little over 1/8" deep so far. this is highly unusual for three year old tires. these will be removed before the next long trip as i will not wait for failure and put my or my family in danger. *jb

The spare tire cable snapped on ford expedition at high speed and almost caused several accidents. the tire crossed the median, after being narrowly missed by the person behind me, and went into opposing traffic.*ak thankfully, no one was hurt or injured but i was extremely lucky!

1999 ford expedition left rear tire blew out. *ts the consumer lost control of the vehicle rear ended a truck and then struck a guard rail. *jb

While consumer was driving on the expressway at 75 mph spare tire cable broke, and the tire flew off. there was no report of accident/injury. *ak

Defective tires, resulting in need for replacement had tread seperation from steel belts on all four tires manufacturer id on tires (3) 4bcuc6wr1201, (1) 4bcuc6wr3900. *jb

While the vehicle was parked spare tire cable broke. this caused the tire to fall off from underneath the vehicle. consumer drove the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the spare tire cable assembly needed to be replaced. *ak

While driving the vehicle suddenly began to shake. the consumer stated they heard a pop and pulled over on the service road. upon inspection the consumer noticed that the passenger side right front tire had shredded completely. she said her husband changed the tire. she tried to get a replacement for the shredded tire, she was told no, because that was not on recall. the tire was an original equipment firestone wilderness at p265/70 r 17 which had about 20,680 miles on them. the consumer feels that this is a safety issue especially since the tire blewout during heavy traffic. *nm *nm

I own a 1999 ford expedition. i was driving home when i heard a bump in the back of my vehicle. i looked in the rear view mirror to see my spare tire bouncing off another vehicle and rolling down the street. if i had been going at a faster rate of speed, someone could have been seriously injured if not killed. i stopped to retrieve the tire when i noticed that the cable holding the tire had just snapped. after a little research on the internet i have discovered that this is not an isolated incident. when i called the dealer to see if there had been a recall they said there had not, but they could sell me a replacement for $78. this is not just about money, it's about a known problem that ford needs to fix. as i said before, "someone can be seriously injured by this problem". can you look into this problem? thanks. *ak

Purchased a new set of yokohama geolander at tires size 265/70/17 mounted on 1999 ford expedition. tires were rotated with every oil change, and after 17,000 miles have completely worn out.

Consumer states tires sidewall is cracking without warning. *ak

3of3 - bridgestone dualer at t9802 d693az p265/70r16 set of 4 purchased 2/2/2001 - this tire sn? enlj jld0700. failure occurred @ 37 months and 39000 miles after purchase. no uneven tire wear, 1/4" tread depth, tires inflated to mfg spec, 1999 ford expedition 2wd 4.6l. this is 3of4 tires to fail. purchased a set of michelin ltx m/s 3/16/04... sr-101 northbound (west phoenix) end of a trip from san diego, 10pm, airtemp 78f, dry, speed=65 mph. gradual increase in "shake" and steering getting "squirrely". felt this before! was able to pull off to side of road before a catastrophic tread separation of the left front tire occurred. was able to limp home @ 30 mph. *nm

2of3 - bridgestone dualer at t9802 d693az p265/70r16 set of 4 purchased 2/2/2001 - this tire sn? enlj jld2100. failure occured @ 37 months and 38kmiles after purchase. no uneven tire wear, 1/4" tread depth, tires inflated to mfg spec, 1999 ford expedition 2wd 4.6l. this is 2of4 tires to fail. i-10 westbound, 20 miles west of phoenix, 2pm, airtemp 92f, dry, speed=75mph. gradual increase in "shake" and steering getting "squirrely". was able to pull off to side of road before a catastrophic tread separation of the right front tire occured. *nm

While driving 65 mph rear driver's side tire separated. as a result, the rear end was damaged. *ak

1of3 - bridgestone dualer at t9802 d693az p265/70r16 set of 4 purchased 2/2/2001 - this tire sn unknown. failure occurred @ 31 months and 33000 miles after purchase. no uneven tire wear, 3/8" tread depth, tires inflated to mfg spec, 1999 ford expedition 2wd 4.6l. this is 1of4 tires to fail. i-10 eastbound, 60 miles south (east) of phoenix, 5pm, airtemp 105f, dry, speed=75 mph. 15 seconds of "shake" preceded a catastrophic tread separation of the right rear tire. entire right side of car suffered body damage, except for the right front fender. as of 3/16/04, currently under subrogation via st. farm. *nm

While driving at 70 ph front and right rear tires developed a big blister of 9 inches in each tire. general, grabber aw, size p255/70r16, dot a3cu441458, dealer notified. *ak

While driving, the tires experienced tread separation. *ak *ph *jb

Defective spare tire cable assembly. *dt

Nar 3-11-03 the consumer has experienced several problems with his ford expedition, the side view mirrors have turned back from the inside, the top of the shift handle broke off, and all the tires had to be replaced before a firestone recall had been issued. the consumer feels that the dealership should be responsible for repairs since it's was a manufacturers defect and not a maintenance problem. *cb *jb

After reading a local newspaper and reading articles through the website regarding the recall of certain tires due to tread separation. the consumer was concerned about the tires on his 99' ford expedition (grabber aw p255 70 r16). the cosumer had similar tread separation problems that existed with the tires on the vehicle.*scc *cb *jb

Pe0 20; consumer was traveling 65mph on highway and heard a noise coming from underneath vehicle. she was able to pull over to shoulders/ got out of car, and looked at the tires. noticed that front tire had a blowout. firestone, wilderness at. *ak

Had spark plug coil go out on #4 cylinder, shakes at higher speeds tires wear unevenly burning oil smell after you drive it had it to dealership 3 times and they "couldnt locate a leak " ( maybe there techs should read these tsb's?) finally reconized as bad head and gasket replaced still was leaking then i told i needed a total engine replacement! now its outta warrenty and my problem according to ford dealership. even though had it in for burning oil smell when under 36,000 (dot number: na tiresize: 275r16)

Consumer was traveling 45mph on highway and heard a thumping noise. he was able to pull over to the shoulders, and noticed that right rear inner tire separated. firestone, wilderness at, 25575r15. dealership was aware of problem.*ak

Looked at tire at gas station and saw steel belts where tire was coming loose from itself. ford dealer i took vehicle indicated they were ready to separate ,and all 4 must be replaced. no tires found from dealer and called and found 4 tires at retail store. i still have the firestone tires and will be back home monday july 23rd if nhtsa wants to see them.*ak (dot number: unknown tiresize: p25570r16)

I experienced a tire blow out (left rear) wilderness at (p255/70r16) on a '99 expedition going approximately 55 mph. the outside sidewall came apart, completely separating from the rest of the tire. there is an area on the tire that had cracks on the tread close to the main part of the tire. i took the car to my ford dealer in grapevine first because they had just inspected the tires for me approximately 3 weeks ago. they recommended highly that i take the tire to firestone, that the only thing they could do for me was to sell me 5 new tires, costing more than $700 total. i then took the car to my firestone dealer where after i pointed out to my technician the damage, he tried to expain to me that a blow out is "normal" whenever there is damage to a tire and that the tire had been driven with low air pressure which is why the sidewall was torn up. i tried to explain that the tires have never been low on pressure, that i check them myself at a minimun of 1 time per week and never drive the vehicle until i have checked them, and ford checks them approximately every 3,000 miles and rotates them according to specs. he was not interested. i asked if my other 3 tires were safe in his opinion and without doing more than a quick glance said "they are as safe as any tire". i asked him again and explained that i have a 5 year old and all i wanted was to ensure the vehicle was safe, he stated that "i would be more uncomfortable about driving a ford than i would be about your tires". this is completely unacceptable to me and i feel that attitudes and reactions like this to an obviously realistic concern is criminal. i also asked them to return the damaged tire to me, which i had to remind them to do. i then took the car & tire to national tire and battery (whom i trust) and asked for their opinion on the tire. *ak (dot number: vncu1rd458 tiresize: p255/70r16)

Every month i check my tire pressure. in checking the tire pressure on april 6th, i noticed that on all four tires, there was a splitting/crack which ran about three-quarters of an inch from right to left right under the tread knuckle where the knuckle of the tread would happen to meet the sidewall of the tire. i immediately called the service manager at my ford garage which is venus ford in cudahy, wisc. he told me over the phone that i would have to contact an authorized firestone dealer. i contact muskego firestone in muskego, wi. they inspected the tires and i was told that all four tires were unsafe. after i asked the owner (keith) how safe the tires actually were,he told me "if those tires were on my vehicle, they'd be coming off." keith contacted firestone. firestone would not replace the tires free of charge i guess in doing this they would not admit to any default with the tire or with theie workmanship. the only thing firestone would do for me was to replace all four tires under a pro-rating system. don't get me wrong, the tires were wearing like iron and for having 34,600 miles on them, the actual tread wear looked like the tires only had 10,000 miles on them. the depth of the tires were measured by the firestone dealer and all four tires came in at 10/32. the tires before coming off of my vehicle were documented by the firestone dealer on some form which i had to sign. on this form, the serial numbers of all four tires were listed and the their actual position on the vehicle. the replacement tires firestone provided were again their wilderness at's and same size. my cost which included labor and tax came out to about $50.00 per tire. after seeing the splits/cracks in the tires i wanted these tires removed because it was my concern that there was definitely a safety issue here. especially with a family and this family vehicle going to be used very shortly for two separte family vacations.*ak (tiresize: 265/70r17)

Traveling on highway left, rear tire blew. after tire was changed, full sized, brand new spare blew 300 miles later. *ak (tiresize: p2657ur17)( dot number: tire size: p2657ur17 )

The left rear firestone tire lost tread and blew out while the consumer was driving. the consumer replaced all four tires.tire size p255/70r16 and dot # w2cuird438. *yh

While traveling 75mph heard a loud noise. tire had a blowout. maintained control of vehicle until able to stop. noticed left rear tire had lost its tread. spare had a bulge. tire had 41,000 miles on a 1999, ford, expedition, p255/70r16w2cu. *ak the consumer purchased four new tires and one used tire to replace the firestone ones. *yh

Right front tire blew during freeway ramp exit. vehicle hit a ramp curb. checked out tires after vehicle stopped. noticed right front tire had a split between sidewall and tread area. replaced tire with spare. 1999, ford, expedition, p255/70r16 with 30,000 miles.*ak

I would like to discuss with someone the problem that occurred on my vehicle on march 21st .while travelling on a local highway in florida when my car had a blow out at about 60 mph after examining the tire i found that the tread had come apart from the tire .once i saw this i took the tire to firestone for the second visit to show them the problem .they insisted that the problem was normal for blow outs.i then proceeded to ford to show them the tire who insisted the same thing .i then bought new tires from ford as i was afraid to put my family back in the vehicle. at this point before i discard the tire i would like to have someone from your agency examine this tire. please contact me as soon as possible. *ak (dot number: w2cu tiresize: p255/70r16)

While driving, consumer heard a booming noise, tire had separated and jerked vehicle into oncoming traffic, tire was firestone wilderness at, size p255/70r16, dot #w20u1rd. *slc

While driving about 30 mph suddenly lost control of vehicle while driving through trees, and ending on other side. airbags deployed, and right front tire went flat. consumer did not know what could had caused tire to be flat, and lose control of vehicle. no demage to vehicle exterior, just scratches. there was no curves on the road. *ak

While driving, right rear firestone tire p255/70r16 experienced blowout, consumer noticed a 3 inch tear on the inside of the sidewall, dot w2cu. *slc

As i was turning into a parking lot, my tire went flat. upon inspection of the tire it was discovered the tread is pealing off. there are two long parallel cracks approx 2-3 inches apart in the center of the tire. the tread between is peeling off and the belt treads are pushing out. if feel this is a manufacturing defect. with all the lives that have been lost from these tire defects i cannot rest until all my firestone tires are replaced with another brand. i will be contacting a ford dealer tomorrow in hopes of getting clearance to get these tires changed right away before someone dies. if i had been travelling faster my son and i could have been killed like all the others. i have a husband and 3 children to think about. *ak (dot number: w2t61re318 tiresize: r265s7or17)

This tire did not just go flat, it disitegrated. we were riding down an interstate and my 15-month-old was in the car. we just got lucky that we made it to the side of the road safely. the problem looks just like the ones seen in the 15 and 16 inch firestons tires that have been recalled. we saved the defective tire and we have pictures of it on the car before it was changed. we want to keep this from happening to other people who might not be as lucky as we were this time. please call for additional information. *ak( dot number: w2t6ire378 tire size: p265/70r17 )

We were traveling on i77 on our way to charleston,south carolina. our estimated speed at the time of tire failure was 60mph. the posted speed limit was 65mph. without any warning, the front left tire practically exploded and tore apart. i was able to control the vehicle as we moved into the emergency lane. upon exiting the vehicle, i found a disintegrated tire, without any explanation. i had my entire family in the car with me which included my wife and three young boys ages 10,5, and 1. the air pressure in all four tires were at recommended levels at the onset of our trip, what is the explanation of this misfortune?*ak (tiresize: p255/70r16)( dot number: tire size: p255/70r16 )

Tire number two explodes. firestone tires are bad news and kill people. *ak (dot number: ? tiresize: 16 inch)

While driving, rear driver side tire blewout, the consumer also had problems keeping air in tires, the dealer replaced the valve stems but that hasn't solved the problem, the vehicle does not ride well with the tires and vehicle has had a front wheel alignment already (firestone wilderness atx p255/70r16). nlm

Tire blowout due to tread separation at 65mph on i-95 at rush hour traffic. i was informed by both ford motor corp. and firestone that these tires were safe. i am thankful that i was driving the vehicle and not my wife with my three boys she would have most likely hit the brakes and roll the truck. i was extremely luckly i was able to steer the car into the median. they the situation made me very uneasy with the rush hour traffic passing at 65mph just feet from me. i experienced severe chest pain and was admitted to the hosiptal the following morning. *ak (tiresize: p255/70r16)( dot number: tire size: p255/70r16 )

Pe00 020; consumer was traveling about 65mph on a highway and heard a thumping noise. he was able to pull over onto the shoulders. he noticed that passenger's right rear tire tread had separated from vehicle. firestone, wilderness #at, p2557016. firestone was notified about tire,and attendant for firestone stated that no action would be taken because tires were not on recall or on advisory list. *ak

Complete tread separation occurred on this tire on the morning of 10/31/00 at 5:30am while i was on my way to work. i was driving on the sw fwy in houston. the road way is very smooth and level. it was dry and traffic was light. the tire did not sound like a typical blowout. i felt it rather than heard it but the control of the vehicle was immediately compromised. the vehicle swerved but i regained control, slowed as quiclky as possible and pulled over. the tread is in one separate piece and the carcas is torn, frayed, etc.*ak (dot number: 02-6555 tiresize: p255/70r16)

Rear passenger tire blow out, resulting in damaged wheel. one person in the vehicle no one hurt. vehicle did not roll over. did not lose control of the vehicle. the time was 11:20 a.m. the temperature was 81 degrees. the tires had been checked two days earlier for inflation to 35 psi. the tires had been inspected by a firestone dealer 3 months earlier and showed no signs of tread separation. *nlm **dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis*734311

Rear passenger tire blow out, resulting in damaged wheel. one person in the vehicle, no one hurt. vehicle did not roll over. did not lose control of vehicle. the time was 11:20 am. the temperature 81 degrees. the tires had been checked two days earlier for inflation to 35psi. the tires had been inspected by a firestone dealer 3 months earlier and showed no signs of tread separation. (dot number: vncu1rd079 tiresize: p255/70r16)

I took to ford and they said they would replace but then stated that tread wear was beyond.*ak (tiresize: 265/16)( dot number: tire size: 265/16 )