1997 Ford F-350 Tires & Wheels Problems

WE WERE TRAVELLING 65 MPH ON THE 91 FREEWAY TOLL ROAD WHEN MY LEFT REAR TIRE TREAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE CASING CAUSING MY VEHICLE TO SWERVE AND JUMP AND CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE, INCLUDING DAMAGING THE FUEL FILL LINE. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO FUEL LEAKAGE. THE TIRE DID NOT DEFLATE SO THERE WAS NO PUNCTURE OR OTHER EXTERNALLY CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE TIRE OR VEHICLE. I TOOK THE TIRE TO A BF GOODRICH DEALER ON 10/19/14 FOR INSPECTION, THE TIRE WAS STILL FULLY INFLATED. THE DEALER DEFLATED THE TIRE OUT OF SAFETY CONCERNS. HAD THIS BEEN A FRONT TIRE THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGE AND INJURY WOULD HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED. THE TIRE WAS PURCHASED IN JULY 2012 AND WAS JUST OVER 2 YEARS OLD. TIRE DOT# IS BFW8 0211 0712. *TR

REAR DRIVER SIDE TREAD SEPARATED FROM TIRE AT 75MPH IN THE STATE OF NEBRASKA.22HRS. LATER IN THE STATE OF OHIO THE PASSENGER REAR SEPARATED. CONTACTED FIRESTONE AND THEY WILL NOT TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR INCIDENT. *TR

FIRESTONE STEELTEX FAILURE ON A 1997 FORD F350. ON JUNE 20, 2005, THE LEFT FRONT OEM FIRESTONE STEELTEX TIRE FAILED AT SPPED ON I-95S BETWEEN AVBERDEEN AND CHURCHVILLE MARYLAND. SINCE THE TRUCK IS DRIVEN VERY LITTLE, ALL TIRES HAVE 40,000 MILES ON THEM AND HAVE SUBSTANTIAL TREAD REMAINING. ALSO, I METICOULSLY MAINTAIN PRESURES. WITHOUT WARNING AND AT ABOUT 65MPH, THE TREAD SEPERATED FROM THE TIRE CARCASS CAUSING VEHCILE TO BE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. NONETHELESS, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF-ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT. TIRE CLEARLY SHOWS THAT THE TREAD SEPERATED FROM THE BODY OF THE TIRE CAUSING INSTANT PRESSURE LOSS AND SIDEWALL FAILURE. JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE WHY PROBLEMS WITH THESE TIRES ARE NOT LIMITED TO SUVS OR THE LIMITED BATCHES THAT WERE RECALLED.

WHILE DRIVING, THE LEFT REAR TIRE WENT FLAT. AFTER INSPECTING THE TIRE, THE TREAD HAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED.*AK *JB

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH RIGHT REAR PASSENGER TIRE EXPLODED. DRIVER WAS ABLE PULL OVER TO SHOULDER. THEN, DROVE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR STATION. FIRESTONE, STEEL TEX RADIAL, 23585/R16. *AK

WHEN DRIVING 65 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED CAUSING A BLOWOUT. DEALER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED. SIZE#23585R16.*AK THE TREAD WAS WRAPPED AROUND THE AXLE, BREAKING THE HOUSING FOR THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE RIM WAS DAMAGED IN ADDITION. *PH *JB

TIRE DEVELOPED A LARGE BUBBLE OR BLISTER WHERE THE TREAD AND SIDEWALL MEET. TIRE THEN BLEW WITH ONLY APP. 6000 MILES ON IT. FIRESTONE DEALER ONLY WANTED TO SELL ME NEW TIRE AND OFFERED NO EXPLANATION OF TIRE FAILURE. *AK (TIRESIZE: LT23585R16)

DRIVER'S REAR INSIDE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED WITH A TIRE BLOWOUT. TIRE HAD 2/3 OF TREAD LEFT BEFORE THE BLOWOUT. VEHICLE WAS GOING 25MPH AND HEARD A BOOM. THEN, CONSUMER SAW TREAD FLYING OFF THE TIRE. 1997, FORD, F350 CLUB CREW CAB, USED TIRES CAME ON VEHICLE, SIZE P235/85R16, APPROXIMATE MILEAGE UNKNOWN.*AK FIRESTONE STEELTEX RADIAL R4S, P235/85R16, FAULTY TIRE CAUSED DAMAGE TO VEHICLE, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT AND FOR TIRES TO BE REPLACED. *SLC

TREAD SEPARATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. CLEAR HIGHWAY. NO ROAD HAZARD INVOLVED. SEPARATION WAS IMMEDIATE AND INVOLVED CENTER TREAD/ENTIRE TIRE. ADDITIONAL DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE TREAD CATCHING/FOLDING FACTORY INSTALLED MUD FLAP OVER THE TOP OF BOTH REAR DUAL TIRES. DAMAGE INCURRED TO WHEEL WELL/FENDER FRAME. IMMEDIATE LOSS OF CONTROL/SWAY INTO LEFT LANE OF TRAFFIC. *AK (TIRESIZE: P23585R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P23585R16 )

PE00040; ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON 1996, FORD E350, ON 1997 COACHMEN WITH DUAL REAR TIRES,FIRESTONE STEELTEX RADIAL R4S LT225/75R16, DOT VD1L1XB156. ON AUGUST 28, 2000, WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS A VIBRATION. CONSUMER PULLED OVER DUE TO PASSENGER'S FRONT TIRE TREAD COMING OFF, ABOUT 18 INCHES LONG WHICH ALMOST CAUSED A CRASH WITH 49,000 MILES ON VEHICLE. ON OCTOBER 3, 2000, WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE, DRIVER'S REAR INSIDE TIRE TREAD COMPLETELY CAME OFF WITH 51,000 MILES ON VEHICLE. FIRESTONE SAID THAT THEY WOULD PRORATE THE TIRES. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK *SLC

I AM VERY DILIGENT ABOUT CHECKING THE AIR PRESSURE IN MY TIRES. I DO NOT DRIVE OVER THE SPEED LIMIT, USUALLY AROUND 60 MPH ON INTERSTATES. FORTUNATELY MY TRUCK IS A DUAL WHEEL PICKUP AND IT WAS ONE OF THE DUALS THAT HAD THE SIDEWALL BLOWOUT. I WAS HAULING A HORSE TRAILER AT THE TIME. I HEARD YOU WERE INVESTIGATING THE STEELTEX R4S 16" TIRES.*AK (TIRESIZE: 16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 16 )

PER FRIENDLY FORD DEALERSHIP IN LAS VEGAS, THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE LEFT FRONT TIRE.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: T235/85R16 )

WHILE ON A TRIP TREAD SEPARATED ON 2 CONTINENTAL/GENERAL TIRES. VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED.*AK

TIRE BLEW OUT. AMBIENT TEMERATURES WERE HOT. TIRES HAD LIKE NEW RUBBER ON ALL WHEELS. I REPLACED ALL TIRES ON TRUCK. THIS WAS BEFORE THE RECALL ON THE EXPLORERS AND THE TIRES WERE NOT THE SAME TYPES AS THE CURRENT RECALL. BUT I HAVE NEVER HAD GOOD LUCK WITH FIRESTONE TIRES. (I HAD THE NATIONAL 500'S THAT WERE RECALLED YEARS AGO) I WAS TOWING MY 16,500# TRAILER WHEN THIS HAPPENED AND DID NOT WANT TO TAKE A CHANCE.( DOT NUMBER: UNKNOWN TIRE SIZE: UNKNOWN )

TIRE HAD 9/32" TREAD. BLEW OUT SIDEWALL AND PEELED TREAD @ 60 MPH WITH AMBIENT TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 95 DEGREES. TIRES WERE ALL PROPERLY INFLATED 2 DAYS BEFORE TRIP. I WAS TOWING MY RV AT THE TIME. FAILED TIRE WAS PART OF A SET OF DUALS.( DOT NUMBER: VNOP1WV256 TIRE SIZE: 215/85R16 )

PE00 040; CONSUMR WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH ON HIGHWAY AND FELT VIBRATION INSIDE OF VEHICLE. WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE SHOULDER. RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED, STEEL COILS WERE SHOWING ON ALL FOUR TIRES. TIRES WERE FIRESTONE, STEELTEX RADIAL #AT, P23585R16. *AK

THE TREAD ON THE TIRES SEPARATED FROM THE BODY OF THE TIRES, THE TIRES WERE STILL UNDER WARRANTY BUT WOULD HAVE COST MORE TO REPLACE UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE THE DEALER WAS SELLING THE TIRES CHEAPER THAN THE CONSUMER COULD BUY THEM IF HE MADE A WARRANTY CLAIM, CONSUMER PURCHASED DIFFERENT BRAND AND REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT (FIRESTONE STEELTEX LT2358516). NLM

TREAD PARTIALLY SEPARATED AND INTERNAL BELTS SHIFTED. I NO LONGER HAVE THESE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE, WERE REPLACED WITH MICHELIN AFTER THIS INCIDENT. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235/75R16 )

AT APPROXIMATELY 27,000 MILES, MY WIFE AND I DECIDED TO GO ON VACATION. WE LOADED THE TRUCK WITH OUR CAMPER (ABOUT 1800 POUNDS), SOME LUGGAGE AND SUPPLIES (ABOUT 250 POUNDS), AND A SMALL TRAILER FOR HAULING WOOD (LOADED ABOUT 3500 POUNDS). BEFORE WE LEFT, I INFLATED THE TIRES TO THE SIDEWALL RATING MAXIMUM OF 80 PSI. ABOUT 300 MILES INTO OUR TRIP WE HAD A BLOWOUT ON THE LEFT REAR TIRE. UPON INVESTIGATION, I FOUND THAT THE TIRES' TREAD HAD SEPERATED FROM THE CARCASS WHICH THEN CAUSED THE SIDEWALL TO OVERHEAT AND RUPTURE. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE OTHER TIRES TO DATE. I E-MAILED FORD WITH THIS QUERY, FORD RESPONDED BY SUGGESTING THAT I E-MAIL THE NHTSA WITH MY INFORMATION. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE FUTURE USE OF MY TIRES AND WOULD APPRECIATE ANY INFORMATION THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE ON THIS MATTER. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME. THANK YOU. *AK (TIRESIZE: LT23585R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: LT23585R16 )

I HAVE HAD TWO OF THESE FIRESTONE STEEL TEX R4S TIRES "BLOW OUT" WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE WITH MY FAMILY. THE FIRST ONE WAS IN AUGUST OF 1999 IN OHIO ON A WARM, BUT NOT HOT DAY. WE WERE DRIVING ALONG AND BOOM IT WENT. FORTUNATELY, IT WAS ONE OF THE REAR DUEL TIRES AND NOT A FRONT TIRE. I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AND GET IT SAFELY STOPPED. FIRESTONE REPLACED THIS TIRE. THE OTHER WAS IN MARCH OF 1999 ON A COOL DAY IN INDIANA. WE WERE DRIVING AND GOT A TERRIBLE SHIMMY AND THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO DRIVE. SUDDENLY, BOOM, ANOTHER REAR DUEL TIRE WENT. I AGAIN MANAGED TO GET IT OFF THE ROAD AND GOT IT CHANGED. FIRESTONE WOULDN'T GIVE ME A NEW TIRE ON THIS ONE. THEY ALLOWED A REPLACEMENT VALUE. I AM DISGUSTED WITH FIRESTONE TIRES. LAST MARCH, BEFORE THE MEDIA ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEM, I HAD VOWED TO NEVER HAVE ANOTHER FIRESTONE TIRE ON MY VEHICLES. I SHUDDER TO THINK WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED IF ONE OF THE BLOWOUTS HAD BEEN A FRONT TIRE ON THIS 14,000 POUND VEHICLE. PLEASE PURSUE THIS WITH VIGOR. I WANT NEW "NON FIRESTONE" TIRES THAT I CAN TRUST ON MY FUTURE TRIPS. THANK YOU. *AK (DOT NUMBER: VNILIX8 TIRESIZE: 225/75R16)