Problems with 2001 Ford Explorer TIRES

An accident occurred wherein a young man was severely injured. he survived, but has a plate in his jaw, and severe scarring on his face. his sister was also a passenger and was injured, but less severely. the right rear tire appears to have blown out, causing the crash. a witness immediately behind the car at the time of the accident stated: "i noticed what looked like one of the right side tires bend to the side and suddenly explode. at that point the driver lost control due to the tire explosion and swerved to the center divider and crashed. information on the tires is as follows: radial sxt all terrains. dot number on the tires were xfa 0307 and the tire size was 75/16. all tires passed inspection three months before, with a tread of 6/32. the officer noted the tread separated from the tire. *tr

Cpsc#i12a0111a. 2001 ford explorer. consumer stated that a day after she brought the car it broke down. *ln the consumer stated there was a problem with the engine, as well as a hole in gas tank, which had rusted out, the bearings needed to be replaced, the tire were dry rotted, as they kept going flat, the driver's door did not lock, the rear doors did not open from the inside, the rear driver's door did not open at all, the outside handle was broke, the rear hatch would not close, and most of the time it had to be slammed shut.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford explorer with goodyear wrangler rt/s tires, size p255/70r16. the contact noticed the rear passengers tire was flat and the remaining three tires exhibited signs of dry rotting. the vehicle was towed to a local tire shop. the mechanic advised they would take partial liability for three of the four tires and the fourth would be replaced at the owners expense. the contact believed the tire manufacturer should take the liability for all four tires. the dot number was unknown. the tire failure mileages was 32,985. the vehicle failure and current mileages were 112,461.

While driving on interstate, tire tread separated from the right rear tire causing vehicle to come into contact with gravel along the edge of the highway resulting in vehicle turning over several times. driver and passenger injured and vehicle was a total loss. *jb

The tread peeled off of the tire while the consumer was doing 55 miles per hour. the consumer made her way off of the freeway this tire included in the tread separation nhtsa recall 01t016000. *nm

Driver seat recliner bolt, the seat back/recline/forward broke, replaced several times. *bf the oil filter had come with a hole too large, the driver's side seat handle broke, the tires blewout and caused an accident that totaled the vehicle. *sc

The consumer noticed the rear passenger 's side tire was flat. when the consumer changed the tire, he noticed that the spare tire was a goodyear wrangler p26570r17. this tire was not the same tire that was on the truck. the tire that was flat was a coreovan wild track radial suv ms p2657017. please fill in additional information on the #dot number. *jb

Driver's rear tire experienced tread separation while driving 70 mph on a ford explorer 2001 vehicle. the tire remain inflated. original equipment, tire size 275/60r17, and dot# adt044t0101. *ak

I have had bf goodrich tires seperate and lucky for me i did not have an accident i had a auto shop tell me about it before an accident occurred. *ak

2001 explorer lost tire tread and blew out. *ts *jb

No summary. dt

Vehicle was parked, and consumer noticed that right front tire tread had separated from vehicle. firestone, wilderness, p235/75r15. dealership was aware of problem.*ak

Re brakes: they have replaced the brake shoes/pad twice ands rotors once. re tire/wheels they could not get them to balance out tried 4 times ( goodyear tried twice) total of 6 times. again a week and a half later, it pulls left when braking, and vibration is back again. i have spoke with wayne ( service mgr) and al mc donald ( general sales mgr). i have informed them of the nevada lemon law # nrs 597.630 he said to inforce that i would have to get a "lawyer". please note i only marked the first time of the problems i have full doc's of every visit on these items. please help! thank you, crystal del giudice. *ak (tiresize: p235/75r15)

Nhtsa recall 01x001000 concerning firestone wilderness at tires. consumer contacted the dealer, and was informed that the parts were not available. it has been three years, and the dealer does not have the parts available. *ak

Nhtsa recall # 01x001000, manufacturer's recall 01x001000. no size and date available while driving around 40 mph on wet pavement. vehicle hydroplaned due to tires. also stated tires recalled and have not be replaced yet.*ak

Firestone, wilderness at tires mounted on ford, explorer ,2001. while traveling at 35-40 mph consumer hit a construction site and passenger rear tire fell off, then vehicle rolled over. contacted dealer, and dealer was not willing to do anything.*ak analyst is unsure ofcomponent, possible tire failure, possible lug, nut, and bolt failure, causing rollover, consumer was injured in accident. *slc

Ihave lost controll of this vehicle several times due to the steering and overall handling ,my tires are also playing a roll in this i beleave this problem is much more pronounced in rain or snow . i feel this vehicle is very unsafe for myself and my children! i've already had the vehicle into auburn motor sales for 6 days for complaints of lack&surge of power,bad sulfer smell at idle rolling idle(up&down), extremely poor gas mileage. the dealership was unable to diognose problem. as of today i've lost 21 days of use ,on a vehicle i've only had about4 and a half months know they say i need an engine that i'm still waiting on. i told the dealership i didn't feel this vehicle was safe and wanted it replaced .i got know where, when they found out i got lemon law paperwork they told me ford would not do anything about it pursue it through the state. i don't see how they can tell you that you are stuck when you purchased a new vehicle and it has compromised your safety time&time again! my salesman told me to look at the bright side i was still here to talk about it!!! i don't find this very amusing ,i wonder if ford knows how he feels in my opinion he was telling me i could of been dead!!! brenda. *ak (tiresize: 255/70/16)( dot number: tire size: 255/70/16 )

Vehicle rollover accident march 25, 2001 in toledo ohio. approximate speed 25 mph. explorer rolled over 6 times with me as the passenger being ejected during the 3rd roll. driver and rear seated passenger were help in the vehicle and received lacerations a broken finger and chest injuries. front passenger ( me ) was ejected from the vehicle and came to rest against the front drivers side tire. vehicle at rest on tires. received 4 broken ribs, 5 broken , dislocated transverse process and multiple stitches for cuts and abrasions in arms and head. rear drivers side tire was flat after the accident and was the only tire damaged. pictures of the accident are available along with any other information.*ak (tiresize: p255/70r16)

Vehicle was going 30-40mph in 4 wheel with a light coating of snow. 4 vehicles lost control and started spinning out of control in front of the consumers vehicle, the consumer pumped the brakes lightly while the vehicle was in four wheel drive when the tire on the drivers side (both) experienced tread separation, the vehicle leaned to the left going out of control and ended up going down an embankment flipping on its left and right side before stopping in an upright position, the tires were original on a 2001 ford explorer, approximate 32,000 miles. consumer is currently waiting for tire from ford. *akdotp255170r16 firestone wilderness at size 16.*nlm

Pe00 020; consumer was traveling about 70mph on highway and heard a poppying noise. she was able to pull over to shoulders and noticed rear right side of tire was completly flat. firestone, p255/70r16 109s , dot vncu1r0090. firestone willbe notified.*ak

Blow out at 65mph no accident no tread separation (tiresize: p235/75r16)( dot number: tire size: p235/75r16 )

While driving down highway at about 50 mph and after hearing a noise, consumer then decreased speed to 40 mph due to problems with tires. this was original equipment. contacted dealer, dealer never seen it before. *ak

P25575r15, dot vdhl1rw050, rear passenger side of firestone wilderness ht tire exploded while at a stop, tire had only 9,000 miles. *slc

2 tire blowouts in less than 6 months is not normal... one while driving is unsafe..the 2nd while parked does not make sense. *ak (dot number: 8xhl ipy tiresize: 235/75r15)

I am not the owner of this vehicle, nor the driver. my brother-in-law was a passenger in the ford explorer and was killed at the scene. there is a question of whether he was wearing a seat belt and if it failed during the rollover of the vehicle. there is also a question of firestone tire failure. both of the rear tires were missing the valve stems. we do not know if this occurred during the accident or if they blew out previously and that is what contributed to the accident. the driver was speeding, performed an unsafe lane change, then overcorrected, lost control, crossed the median strip into the opposite roadway, rolled over and hit another vehicle where another person was killed as a result of this collision. the driver was found "not guilty" in his manslaughter trial. so it seems this accident was attributed more to vehicle failure, even though there was driver error also.*ak

2 tires blew out while driving, and caused truck to lose control, hitting curb. no serious injuries. *ak

Vehicle is confined to driveway. consumer has replaced tires 4 times. mr

The consumer stated, while traveling, the vehicle will wander into traffic. the vehicles tires, have been replace four times. dealer has been contacted. *nlm the consumer states that she must strong arm to maintain control on the bumpy roads. the consumer has experienced an unsusual case of wandering, clunking noise-bolt missing/4 visits of repair, tire wear/noise vibrations-6 occurences, and alignment/suspension issues-5 occurences, that will not repair. the consumer has had several to many of the same opinions and suggestions of/for repair, and has tried just about everything to remedy the problem(s) and keeps getting the same problems. all with no cooperation/consideration of ford. *scc

Clear, dry roadway, 50 mph, right rear tire blew out. vehicle performed very stably, i was able to stop and had tire changed. dealer replaced all 5 tires with goodyears at no charge at my request. tire looked like it had been sliced through from sidewall to sidewall. i took pictures, not developed. dealer has tires. (dot number: don't know tiresize: p235/70r16)

I was traveling southbound on hyw 99 on the afternoon of 9/24/2000 around 1:00pm. it was a clear sunny day. i was traveling at an approximate speed of 65 miles per hour in the right lane (slow lane). there were no objects on the freeway. as i was traveling on the freeway, i felt my car begin to fishtail and then all of a sudden my right rear tire came apart. fortanately, i was in the right lane and was near a shoulder so i was able to manuver and control my vehicle off the freeway to the shoulder. i was able to avoid an accident and there were no injuries. the firestone tire came completely apart. the chp took a report and pictures. my car is only three months old. it is a 2001 ford explorer sport. the tire should not have malfunctioned the way it did. the firestone tires are unsafe and i believe the recall should apply to all firestone tires not only the ones that were manufactured at the decatur plant. i was concerned about the firestone tires that were on my vehicle. i contacted the dealership where i purchased my vehicle and they would not return my call. when i did get a hold of someone i was told i was not part of the recall. i had my tires checked by big o tires. they checked the air pressure and it was fine. the dealership now is trying to tell me that road hazard caused my tire to blow out. there was nothing on the road that was a hazard and that would have cause my tire to come apart the way it did. then they told me that it was because of traveling long distance and having low air pressure in my tire. if traveling 15 miles is long distance then i would hate to see what would happen to the tires if i actually did travel more than 15 miles. i had the air pressure checked in my tires at big o tires and the air pressure was fine. it concerns me that i have a new vehicle and the tire comes apart so soon and it just happens to be a firestone wilderness at. ford and the dealership ...

Pe00 020; consumer was travelng about 65mph on highway and heard a banging noise, and vehicle jerked. she pulled over to side of the shoulders, and right rear tire had tread separation. firestone, wilderness#ht, p2357515. she replaced tires with firestone.*ak

Pe00 020; went to have tires inspected and noticed that left front tire was split. she went to goodyear, and had all firestone tires replaced. tires were firestone, wilderness#ht, p2357515 #dot vdhl1rw070. there were no injuries.*ak

Left front tire fell out. consumer thought that tire had exploded. *ak the left front tire became loose due to the front upper ball joint bolt failure. *yh

While traveling on i 275 i experienced a flat tire. as soon as i felt my explorer started to lose control i pulled over and found the right rear tire had gone flat. i installed the spare tire and the following day had the flat fixed upon reinflation i found that the sidewall had a buldge running from the rim to the tread of the tire. i took the tire to a firestone dealer and he informed me that the damage was my fault. that i must have hit something to cause the sidewall belts to break. i called firestone customer hotline and the told me to take it to a second dealer. the second dealer told me the same thing. i also ask them what there warranty covered and they said manufacturing defects i ask what a manufaturing defect was and he could not tell me. if you look at there warrenty you will find that they do not cover anything . it is written so that anything that goes wrong is the users fault. i belive that if you have a flat you should be able to get off the road and change it and not have to buy a new tire as a result of it. *ak( dot number: tire size: p255/70r16 )

Pe00 020 ; consumer discovered defect on tire when she had oem tires replaced at american tire company. she had a puncture on her thumb because there was steel ply sticking from the tire wall. firestone, wilderness #ht, p235/75r15 , dot#vdhlirw150. there were no injuries.*ak the firestone wilderness ht with less than 4000 miles was found by customer to have defects on the inside wall. *yh

Pe00 020; consumer was traveling about 25mph on a side street and heard a noise like a gun had been fired. then, noticed that his the front rear tire popped like a baloon. tires were firestone wilderness#at p23575 r16. tires tread separated.*ak

Vehicle vibrated at speed between 45 and 75mph. also, tires were wearing poorly. size o p235 r/15, the same ones that were on recall .*ak all the tires were replaced before the recall, because the tires caused noise, vibrationa and alignment problems. *yh

Tire side wall blew out at highway speed at night. tire had proper inflation and was not punctured. pressurs were checked by dealer at 3000 mi.the remaining 4 tires have the same dot # and show bubbling at the side wall. the steel wheel was damaged along outter edge due to the tire failure.( dot number: vdhlirw130 tire size: p235/75r15 )

Look like tread separation about 5 inches long on one of my wilderness ht tires. the tires came with my new explorer sport 2001. the car currently has 9400 miles on it. i went to a firestone dealer who inspected the tire and confirmed the defect. he recommended i change the tires for safety, but it will have to be out of my pocket since wilderness ht is not part of the recall. he confirmed the tires were manufactured in the decatur plant, and the size is the same as those in the recall. but since the model is different, firestone will not replace it. i am very concerned with this problem since i have to drive 100 miles each day roundtrip to work. i don't feel i should have to pay to replace defective tires if the products are at fault, but i don't want to put my life at risk when the firestone dealer has already inspected and confirmed that the tire exhibit sign of tread separation. i don't think this separation is due to the wear and tear since my car is new and the tires only have about 9400 miles on them. i have contact firestone directly and they are still telling me that my model of wilderness are not under recall, and any defect would not be firestone's responsibility.( dot number: vdhl tire size: p235/75r15 )

The belts on this tire separated with very low mileage and had to be replaced with the spare. had it come completely apart it could have caused a very serious accident.*ak( dot number: tire size: p235/75r15 )

I can't believe im seeing this in the news! they should have told us! i thought it was a unique incident so i just replaced the tire myself. i did mention it to a service rep at my dealer and he said it was my problem (before i knew about this irregular failures). i would like the tires replaced. i do not feel safe with the tires now. that day was a normal morning in miami and i was driving down the street when i was approaching the same bridge i do daily to get to work when suddenly i here a something hitting the back of the car. continuously. it acted as a loud bang. not like a flat. so i stopped and there it was, a blown tire. how upsetting!!! well i hope someone does something about this!*ak( dot number: )

The tires wobbled on our drive home from the dealer. after the recall, we took the car to the ford dealer, who exchanged the front tires, which they said were "outof round". the wobble continued and these tires were not included in the recall, so i had the tires replaced at my cost because we needed to go on a highway trip and we didn ot trust the tires. i would like for you to explore including the 16 inch tires in your recall--the ford dealer in bentonville, ar said they thought they would be recalled--seems like a lack of confidence from someone who knows more than i. thanks( dot number: tire size: p225/70r16 )

Since i bought this explorer i had problems with the tires, i contacted the dealer but they told me that my tires are not part of the recall and they cant do nothing about it , i explain to them that my explorer its been shaking a lot, a lot of vibrations and thomps that i was scared because its been few times that i almost lose control of my vehicle in the highway and regular streets and its been a year now and they keep telling me the same thing and now even more because my vehicle have approximate 28000 miles and they are telling me that i need tires as soon as possible but because of my millage they can't do anything now. i explain and gave them information that i have been taking my vehicle several times since i bought it but they never wanted to do something about it and now with only a year old my vehicle is shaking more than ever and they since a year ago dont want to repalce my tires just because there is no recall for my tires. i have the millage that i have because i went to tennessee for one week for vacation but i only work 15 minutes from my home, i go shopping , and visit my family and they live only 30 minutes from me it's not possible that with the care that i gave my vehicle that my tires went bad in only some spots like they are telliing me now if i warethem out should be in a complete side not in spots this is not an off road vehicle so i dont drive it that way. please i need a respond as soon as i'm worry for my safety and the safety of other people driving. *ak (tiresize: p235/75r15)( dot number: tire size: p235/75r15 )

#1 driving when tire blew out and #1 lost control and hit guard rail. the tire info on the iv is: firestone wilderness at 235 p 75r15 105 s mud + snow. (claim# 46-0320-408) *mw

Consumer has a 2001, ford explorer with 800 miles on the tires. passenger's front tire started to separate at sidewall. dealer said it was covered. then reneged & said the consumer hit something. dealer ended up ordering a replacement tire. consumer wanted the old tire back which the dealer refused & a conference call was done with firestone to demand that the the dealer refund consumer for the full value of the tire. tire size p255/70r16. dot unknown.*ak

When appyling brakes vehicle severely pulls to right. also, a grinding noise occurs, cause unknown. *ak in less than 15000 miles, brakes have been replaced 3 times, was told by dealer that this was due to a factory defect and brakes were applied incorrectly. tire experienced blowout, there was a large deformed air pocket on the white letter side, consumer did not give any tire information. *slc

No summary( dot number: tire size: p255 70 16 )

Bought 2001 explorer sport 3/14/2000, on 4/18/2000 was driving at crest of sunshine skyway bridge over tampa bay when right rear tire "blew". it had separated on the side and was shredded. tried to have dealer replace, told it wasn't under warranty. replaced, got warranties on all 4 tires. firestone dealer now says isn't part of recall. currently in md: 3817 crow rock rd, myersville, md 21773 , (301) 293-9503. plan to drive back to florida end of sept. will have to replace tires, with or without dealer recall, don't trust them after near-death experience! think they're making a mistake not recalling all wilderness at tires. mine blew after 1 month (new), and wasn't included in the recall. (had sent info in your "comments" section of this site a week ago, not sure if you got it. thanks!( dot number: 8xhl tire size: p235/75r15 )