NHTSA ID Number: 728971
Incident Date: 2000-08-23
Manufacturer's Name: Ford
Motor Company
Vehicle/Equipment Make: FORD
Vehicle/Equipment Model: EXPLORER
Model Year: 1997
9999 If Unknown Or N/A
Vehicle Identification Number: IFMCU24X7VU
Vehicle Mileage At Failure:
Vehicle Speed: 65
Number Of Occurrences: 1
Was Vehicle Towed: No
Consumer Location: BALTIMORE, MD
Summary of Complaint
AFTER HAVING MY '97 FORD EXPLORER SPORT FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES CHECKED ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 22 AT 5:00 PM, I WAS GIVEN A PRINTOUT FROM BOB DAVIDSON FORD THAT CONFIRMED THAT MY WILDERNESS AT'S WERE NOT PART OF THE FIRESTONE RECALL AS THEY DID NOT HAVE THE NEEDED "VD" DOT CODE. THE DEALER'S REPORT READ, "NOT APPLICABLE TO RECALL. TIRES OF OK DOT (W2HL). I WAS LEARY ABOUT DRIVING THE EXPLORER ON INTERSTATE 95 FROM BALTIMORE TO DELAWARE BUT HAD TO JOIN MY WIFE WHO WAS ASSISTING HER 85 YEAR OLD MOTHER WHO IS RECOVERING FROM A BROKEN PELVIS IN WILMINGTON. RETURNING HOME AT ABOUT 10:15 PM FROM WILMINGTON, DEL. TO BALTIMORE, MD. ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, THE EXPLORER STARTED TO SWIM ON THE ROAD, NOTICEABLY SWERVING. JUST THEN A MAN IN A CAR ON MY RIGHT STARTED YELLING AT ME AND POINTING TO THE REAR OF MY VEHICLE. I REALIZED SOMETHING WAS VERY WRONG AND PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY. THE TIRE WAS FLAT. ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT A "BLOWOUT" AS HAS CAUSED MANY ACCIDENTS IN EXPLORERS OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, THE TIRE WENT FLAT QUICKLY, IN A COUPLE MINUTES AT MOST. WHEN I TOOK OFF THE TIRE AND LOOKED INSIDE, THERE WERE LARGE AIR BUBBLES INSIDE THE TIRE. IN ADDITION, THE TIRE WAS SHREDDED IN SEVERAL SECTIONS INSIDE. THE OUTSIDE OF THE TIRE WAS MUSHY AND SPONGEY. EARLY ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, I TOOK THE TIRE TO THE FIRESTONE TIRE CENTER AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT I HAD HIT SOMETHING ON THE ROAD THAT HAD CAUSED THE TIRE TO LOSE AIR. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO PUNCTURE AND THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE WAS OBVIOUSLY RIPPED APART RATHER EXTENSIVELY. WHEN WE CONSULTED WITH OTHER TIRE DEALERS ABOUT THE CONDITION OF OUR OTHER THREE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE THEY POINTED OUT THE CRACKS ALL ALONG THE EDGE OF THE TREAD, INDICATING THAT THE TREAD IS NOTICEABLY BEGINNING TO SEPARATE FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE. AS THE TIRES ARE IN "MID-LIFE" BUT NOT ON THE FORMAL RECALL LIST, WE ARE STUCK WITH TIRES UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY. WE HOPE THE RECALL WILL BE EXPANDED SOON.
Check if your Ford has a Recall
Complaint 728971 Documents
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CRASH: No
WAS VEHICLE INVOLVED IN A CRASH
FIRE: No
WAS VEHICLE INVOLVED IN A FIRE
INJURIES: 0
NUMBER OF PERSONS INJURED
DEATHS: 0
NUMBER OF FATALITIES
Was Medical Attention Required: No
Was Incident Reported To Police: No
Date Of Incident: 2000-08-23
(YYYY-MM-DD)
Date Added To File: 2000-09-05
(YYYY-MM-DD)
Date Complaint Received By NHTSA: 2000-08-24
(YYYY-MM-DD)
Date Purchased: 1996-12-01
(YYYY-MM-DD)
Was Original Owner: Yes
Product Type: Vehicle
V = Vehicle T = Tires E = Equipment C = Child Restraint
Specific Component's Description: TIRES
Anti-Lock Brakes: Yes
Cruise Control: Yes
Number Of Cylinders:
Drive Train Type: 4WD
[AWD, 4WD, FWD, RWD]
Fuel System: F
FI = Fuel Injection TB = Turbo
Fuel Type: Gas
BF = BiFuel CN = CNG/LPG DS = Diesel GS = Gas HR = HybridElectric
Vehicle Transmission Type [Auto, Man]:
(DOT) Department Of Transportation Tire Identifier:
Tire Size:
Location Of Tire:
FSW = Driver Side Front DSR = Driver Side Rear FTR = Passenger Side Front PSR = Passenger Side Rear SPR = Spare
Type Of Tire Failure:
BST = Blister BLW = Blowout TTL = Crack OFR = Out Of Round TSW = Puncture TTR = Road Hazard TSP = Tread Separation
Was Defective Tire Repaired:
Was Part Original Equipment:
Date Of Manufacture:
(YYYYMMDD)
Type Of Child Seat:
B = Booster C = Convertible I = Infant IN = Integrated TD = Toddler
Installation System:
A = Vehicle Safety Belt B = Latch System
Dealer's Name:
Dealer's Telephone Number:
Dealer's City:
Dealer's State:
Dealer's Zipcode:
SOURCE OF COMPLAINT CODE:
CAG = Consumer Action Group CON = Forwarded From A Congressional Office DP = Defect Petition,result Of A Defect Petition EVOQ = Hotline VOQ EWR = EARLY WARNING REPORTING INS = Insurance Company IVOQ = NHTSA Web Site LETR = Consumer Letter MAVQ = NHTSA Mobile APP MIVQ = NHTSA Mobile APP MVOQ = Optical Marked VOQ RC = Recall Complaint, Result Of A Recall Investigation RP = Recall Petition, Result Of A Recall Petition SVOQ = Portable Safety Complaint Form (PDF) VOQ = NHTSA Vehicle Owners Questionnaire
Incident State Code:
Vehicle Operator's Name:
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