UP TO 350,000 TIRES NOW REPLACED
SINCE RECALL BEGAN SEVEN DAYS AGO
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 18, 2000
– Seven working days into its voluntary
safety recall, an estimated 350,000 tires have been replaced
for customers through a variety of automotive retail channels,
Bridgestone/Firestone announced today.
“This tremendous progress is a tribute
to our many distribution partners, including Firestone-owned
tire stores, Bridgestone/Firestone authorized retailers, and
Ford, Lincoln Mercury participating dealers,” said Christine
Karbowiak, vice president of public affairs.
On August 9, Bridgestone/Firestone voluntarily
recalled all Firestone P235/75R15 Radial ATX and Radial ATX
II tires made in North America, and P235/75R15 Wilderness AT
tires made at the Decatur, Ill., plant.
Bridgestone/Firestone's U.S. plants are
doubling the number of tire molds and already are producing
about 7,000 more tires a day than they were a week ago. In
addition, the company is increasing imports and its retailers
are purchasing competitors' tires to augment their supply.
Customers can get their tires replaced
at any of more than 1,500 Bridgestone/Firestone-owned stores
and service centers, 8,500 authorized Bridgestone/Firestone
dealer locations and 3,100 participating Ford, Lincoln Mercury
dealers. This amounts to more than 13,000 places around the
country at which customers can be helped.
"We are very pleased to pass the
300,000 tire mark in the first seven working days since the
recall, and we are continuing to increase production and imports
so even more tires can be delivered to our retailers,"
said Karbowiak. "We're very grateful to our customers
for their patience, and to our retail partners for their quick
action and cooperation."
On August 17, Bridgestone/Firestone announced
it would extend indefinitely its reimbursement program. As
a result, customers may purchase a competitor's tires from any
tire retailer and be eligible for reimbursement up to $100 per
tire, including mounting and balancing charges and taxes.
