Problems with 2000 Ford Explorer TIRES

It was raining but i was driving slowly on right side. suddenly, i realized that the explores hydroplane and hit the left hand side guard rail. then the air bag went off and i heard a big noise. the car hit the front left first and the bank. after that it croosed over to oncoming traffic and slided all the way to far side guide rail. it slided for another 5 meters before coming to rest finally. i noticed that tires were off the rim and tear apart.( dot number: )

Brought vehicle with firestone tires. fear of driving with the tires on the car.

Heard a loud sound that sounded like an explosion, then felt wheel losing control and about to go over the ramp, vehicle hard to control, stopped just in time , tire on the driver side exploded.

Firestone: there was a recall on this vehicle for the tires and this car was involved in a roll-over the tires may have contributed to the accident. (claim# 52-2406-471) *mw

Pe00-020: was traveling 67mph when without warning had heard firestone wilderness tire exploded. tire tread had separated from tire on passenger's right rear. wheel was damaged. had 2,600 miles on vehicle. changed the tire & went to firestone first. could not help. went to ford dealership & had tire exchanged. firestone wilderness tire were originals, size p235/75r15. *ak

While driving, firestone wilderness at tire p235/75r15 dot 8xhl 1py was making a clunking noise, then went flat, inspected tires and found right rear tire had a hole where it meets the sidewall. *slc

Pe00020; tire tread separation: tire on the rear passenger's side bubbled and split. tire size p25570r16, original tire equipment. tire was taken to a tire dealership. tire was replaced with a new wilderness tire at owner's expense. owner has replaced all tires with kelly tires. please provide any further information and dot# if possible.*ak firestone wilderness at p255/70/r16 *mw

Going down the highway, my tire went flat. i went across the highway dodging oncoming traffic. two men witnessed this and stopped to help. i did not file a report because the damage was not severe. i do have the trooper's name. god spared my life. will the next person be so lucky?( dot number: vncuipx tire size: p255/70r16 )

Tire blew out after getting underway after a traffic light( dot number: vd3705 tire size: lt255/7516 )

Please send any info available on this vehicle rolling due to tire blowouts. also anything availbale from firestone wilderness tires. vehicel was on freeway tire blew out and vehicle rolled both passengers at casa grande hospitla with injuries no other vehicle involved. (claim# 03-3158-203) *mw

Tire tread separated when driving on highway in normal conditions. drove to the shoulder of road while trying to keep control of vehicle. reported problem to ford roadside assistance. a highway courtesy vehicle stopped & guy switched out tire. took shredded tire to firestone (los colinas) for replacement. firestone dealer said, "there was probably a nail in there somewhere." the bad tire had shredded tread but the inner tube part looked intact - no nail and alittle bit of air. replaced tire with another wilderness at. none of the tires kept air well after 8,000 miles. replaced all tires with bridgestone dueler hl at another dealer. the wilderness ats on my vehicle were not the recalled tires but i have experienced the same problem.( dot number: tire size: p255r70/16 )

Left rear blowout at 75mph. 10:30am 1m north casa grande, az rt. i10 overturn 1 1/2 times. ford explorer xlt 2000 new at 416 miles. totaled. escaped thru rear gate. state farm insurance. *ak( dot number: tire size: p235/75 r1 )

On june 12,2000 i was traveling home from dallas to pearland. the weather was clear no rain, cement road in good condition. my right front tire thread separated from the rim with no warning. both sidewalls were still intact on rim. the dealership stated the tires and rim where not covered under warranty. the firestone dealership was reluctant to replace the tire with no cost. eventually the manager could not find any reason to cause the tire to separate and replaced it still charging me for balance and valve stem. he refused to say it was a defective tire but listed unknown reason for failure. it is only because of previous extensive driving classes (police officer training) is why i did not have a wreck and was able to control my vehicle. on the news is a lot of reports of failures of these same tires. both ford and firestone refuse to exchange my tires for safe tires and i cannot afford to change out new tires on a new vehicle. i can go into better detail about this incident if you wish to contact me. do i have a legal course of action at this time? *ak( dot number: tire size: 23575r15 )

The tires "float" or "hydroplane" in rain. our constant near wrecks and loss of control during the first 1400 miles driven caused us to replace the tires. my husband, don mcree, called steve formby to discuss the problem. the promised return calls never happened. these tires are extremely dangerous. they are standard equipment on explorer's in snow areas, yet they don't hold the road in light rain. they need to be removed from the market immediately.( dot number: tire size: p255/70r16 )

I was traveling at approximately 45mph when i heard a lound noise and realized that i had experienced a blowout on my right rear tire. i changed the tire and promply notified my ford dealer where i had purchased the vehicle. ford never notified me at any time that the tires were under possible investigation for defects. i believe that i experienced defective tires made by firestone that were only seven months old and had less than 13k miles on them.( dot number: )

We were driving along the road and then the back tire just blew out we did not hit anything and it was blown out the side like it had been shot at. this happened in july 2000 we called our dealer and he said it was not under warrantyso we brang it to a tire shop in lindstrom and had a new one put on.of course we did not save it at the time it was destroyed. should i be concerned with the other tires now and can we be reimbersed for the one we lost ? according to my recall notice my tires are not covered in the recall but ever since our tire just blew out for no reason i am very concerned. please notify me if i should have my tires changed or what i should do. thank you very much kevin eichten( dot number: w2hl tire size: p235/75r15 )

Tire blew while driving at 45mph, tread came apart. *ak( dot number: x8 tire size: 235/75/15 )

My vehicle was delivered with firestone wilderness at tires and i was advised that because they were not manufactured at firestone's decatur plant they are considered "safe". the recent govindjee report states that the wilderness at tires were equally problematic regardless of the plant in which they were manufactured in, meaning all plants including decatur , joliette, quebec, & wilson, nc. my wife and i continue to be concerned about the safety of our vehicle and the lack of objective evidence that only the decatur tires are at risk. i believe it is time for either ford or firestone come forward and take responsibility for all wilderness ats and responsibly recall & replace. how many more deaths need to occur? it appears that the govindjee report raises enough question for the nhtsa to take the lead and demand an immediate recall of all wilderness ats. based on this report it is clear to me i need to buy non-firestone replacements. the unfortunate situation is that the unsuspecting purchaser must pay the price, when ford/firestone is responsible.*ak (tiresize: p235/75r15)( dot number: tire size: p235/75r15 )

Pe00.020; consumer was driving on the freeway and was traveling about 65mph and heard a popping noise right rear tire tread separated from wheel. *ak

Pe00020; front left driver's side tire has air coming from that tire. tires were firestone #atx p235/75r15/105s. consumer put air in the tire, and three days later the tire was flat again. *ak

Tires cause excessive, violent side-to-side movement of vehicle when crossing a bridge with a steel grid deck, making it difficult to stay within driving lane and avoid hitting cars and side of bridge.( dot number: tire size: 23575r15 )

A bubble appeared on the firestone wilderness at tire p235/75r15 dot w2hl after driving about 700 miles at 70-75 mph, consumer states there was vibration, consumer also states that by the next morning the bubble went away, however the vibration is still in vehicle. *slc

We understand the national highway safety traffic administrations is investigating if the firestone tires on explorers are defective. fatality involved firestone wilderness 235/75r15 # 8xhl 1py apr trailmark p235/75r15 dot # pj. (claim# 03-3155-368) *mw

Firestone tire experienced tread separation, consumer requests reimbursement. *slc

Tire blew out while driving normally down the highway. *ak( dot number: )

Firestone wilderness tire dot w2hl experienced sidewall tread separation and went flat while consumer was driving, consumer is requesting reimbursement, consumer is requesting the recall extend to include these tires. *slc

Driving down road at posted speed limit, when the back tire blew out causing me to go into the center median causing damage to the rear of my vehicle( dot number: w2hl tire size: p235/75r15 )

While driving, firestone wilderness at tire p255/70r16 experienced blowout due to tread separation, consumer was charged for replacement even though vehicle only had 9450 miles on it. *slc

Tire blew out at high speed, explosive decompression. was not in heat climate, happened only 3 minutes after leaving home.. tire was properly inflated.. both ford and firestone have blown me off.. made me pay full price for a replacement tire and discarded the defective tire. repeated calls to both companies have fallen on deaf ears.. i believe this tire size is also as defective as the 235's already recalled and should be also included in the recall. at minimum i think i should be reembursed for the new tire i was forced to purchase.( dot number: tire size: 255/70 r16 )

No summary listed for abov evehicle. *ak (dot number: 8xlh tiresize: p235/75r15)

All three tires, at 26 psi, dismounted in a side collision, causing the car to almost tip over. since then i have received a card from ford sayimg i should keep the tires at 30 psi, cold pressure. i comtacted ford to ask which was the correct cold tire pressure and got an answer saying that a "range" of 26 to 30 psi is correct. my problem is that i would like the door saftety placard to indicate a correct pressure. 26 pounds - or 30 pounds - or a "range" of 26 to 30 psi. i am communicating with fmc by e-mail. so far, they do not seem to be willing to supply me waith a correct placard. these tires are not part of the recall. ford has not admitted that the instantaneous dismnounting from the rim of these tires is in any way related to the tire pressure placard on the driver's door. i think that there is a huge diference between a cold 26 psi and a cold 30 psi inflation. i told ford that i would be writing you.( dot number: ? tire size: p23575r15 )

Tread started to split apart, replace

Pe00 020; consumer was getting ready to go out of town and noticed that right passenger's tire tread was beginning to separate. at this time he has contacted firestone. firestone wilderness#at p23570r15 d0t ity. *ak

Consumer lost control of vehicle and was rolled 3 times possibly because of the firestone wilderness at tires(p235 75 r15), at the time of the accident, consumer was not aware of firestone recall and now feels the accident occurred because of the tires, consumer was injured and is requesting reimbursement, possibly related to the suspension of the vehicle. *slc

My suv has hydroplaned on two occasions during interstate travel. this occurred once in light rain at approx. 65 mph & once during moderate-heavy rain at 55 mph. during the heavy rain, i slide into another lane (i was not braking at the time). i did not hit another car. during rain, the tires feel as if they are not gripping the pavement. this tire has not been recalled;however, after speaking with other explorer owners with non-recalled tires, i have heard many similar stories. something is wrong with this tire or it's the wrong tire for the explorer. i have called both firestone and the ford dealership. they are not interested. on 8/18/00, i paid $551.75 for new goodyear tires with special wet traction features. safety was the motivating factor even though this is an expenditure i can not afford. i firmly believe that these tires should be part of the recall!( dot number: w2hlipy020 tire size: p235/75r15 )

Tire blew out on 6-month old vehicle--highway driving, nearly caused collision and ruined tire. *ak( dot number: )

Ever since i picked up vehicle from dealer i have been hearing and feeling a thump coming from the front tires at high or low speed, car rocks when driving slow, very noisy with thump at high speeds, one tire very hard to balance requiring extra weights, (suspect this one is bad) last time i had tires balanced the mechanic sugested i get that tire replaced but store manager did not do anything about, tried to sell a set of 4 new tires even though my tire are fairly new. *ak (tiresize: p235/75r15)( dot number: tire size: p235/75r15 )

Passengener's tires were not adequate to be left on. rear tires broke from inside due to weight of vehicle. dealer was aware.*ak the tire which was used on the light truck was inadequate for the weight of the vehicle. but ford motor company was unwilling to help and the customer paid for replacing it. (p255/70r/16). *yh

2000, explorer sport with original tires; 2 rear tires had flats at 3,000 miles. ford dealer & firestone center didn't do anything. *ak ford put the customer on priority list to replace the tires but the customer stillwaiting after 4 weeks. *yh

Firestone wilderness p255/70r16 on this 2000 truck. sidewall separated after 40 minutes of driving and parking. firestone was contacted. *ak

Immediately after purchasing the car i noticed a large bulge in the sidewall of the l/r tire. i called the dealer and was told to go to firestone. i went to the firestone store in newark california and the mechanic pulled off the bulge and revealed a white element of the tire. the tire was replaced, but it was obvious then that the tire was defective and had manufacturing problems.( dot number: tire size: 255/70r/16 )

Firestone tire (p235 75 r15) failed, causing vehicle to crash and injure two people, the vehicle is now a total loss. *slc

I have had numersous complaints about this vehicle some have reoccurred, and some have never been fixed. no safety defect listed in summary. *ak( dot number: tire size: stock )

I have had numersous complaints about this vehicle some have reoccurred, and some have never been fixed. no safety defect listed in summary. *ak( dot number: tire size: stock )

Pe02000; tire tread separation: while driving 25/35 mph, rear tire on the driver's side blew up aftering being hit by another vehicle. driver lost control of vehicle, resulting in a crash. driver was the only passenger in the explorer, and sustained minor and major injuries. tire was a firestone, wilderness, original equipment. vehicle was totalled. firestone/ ford has not been contacted about the problem. please list tire size/dot # and any other information pertaining to crash. *ak

Sent an e-mail to for saying that my tires had turned green around the( dot number: vncu tire size: p25570r16 )

We were coming down the back of mt. lemon in tucson.az and the tire went flat. we had to drive until we came to a safe, level location in able to change the tire. we went to jim click ford in green valley, az and got a new tire and rim. in august when. *ak (tiresize: p235/75r15)( dot number: tire size: p235/75r15 )

3/10, one month after purchase. driving heard loud bang, looked to my back right and saw debri flying in the air. the truck began to shake, i pulled over and my tire was totally flat. , it exploded. 7/4 driving about 40, heard loud bang from front of car, car began to shake uncontrollably. manged to pull over to side and tire was totaly flat( dot number: vncu1px409 tire size: p255/70r16 )

We were on a drive, which is 90 miles one way, to my parents for dinner. it was 1pm on the 6th of march and the weather was between 95 degrees or higher. 10 miles into the drive, i noticed that the truck was not handling as crisp when changing from lane to lane and asked my wife if the ride felt different, especially since she drives it during the week. she did notice also that it seemed to be swaying when i changed from lane to lane but she thought that i was doing it. i, from past experience, thought i should stop and check the tires and just in time because when i pulled to the side of the road, the air rushed out of the tire. i examined the tire and noticed that it looked as if it had separated inside the tire but did not think anything of it. i put on the spare and continued on the trip. i let my father take a look at it and he immediately said that there was a problem with the tire. i asked him if he thought something might have punctured the tire but he, like i did, did not think so,,,,, especially since i stopped as soon as i noticed the problem. my father has 2 18 wheelers and changes the tires on them himself and if pretty knowledgable about anything that has to deal with a vehicle. i had my wife the next morning to take the tire to a local firestone dealer. i called and spoke with someone who told me they looked at the tire and that something punctured it. i asked the guy that i was driving and i know for a fact that i did not run over anything in the road. i am positive. nevertheless, it did not matter because i needed a new tire and they were not going to replace, although the dealer said that it should be covered under the road hazard warranty. although the guy running the desk said that the had a hole in it and puncture inside, the mechanic who changed the tire wrote on the work order "ran flat-inside chewed up" indicating that this was not just a hole puncture but something really did happen to ...

Driving to indianapolis on a cold march night--sudden collapse of right front tire--front face of tire completely seperated at edge of tred---not a decatur, il plant tire!--tow truck mechanic called for help via 911--said he never saw a similar blow-out--also, he removed lugnuts by hand because they were not tightened at the factory--incident reported to sales mgr. at bill mccoy ford in muncie, in. *ak (tiresize: p235/75r15)( dot number: tire size: p235/75r15 )