Bridgestone/Firestone To Retain
Independent Tire Expert
to Participate in Review Surrounding Recalled Tires
Nashville, Tenn., August
25, 2000
— Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. announced
today that it will retain a leading expert or experts to conduct
an independent analysis of incidents involving tires affected
by a nationwide voluntary, safety recall. Bridgestone/Firestone
is looking to experts in the tire industry, manufacturing and
academia to conduct a full and complete review of the situation
regarding the recalled tires and Bridgestone/Firestone processes,
including manufacturing.
“We are taking this step because we are
committed to finding out what, if any, problems may have led
to the incidents involving the affected tires,” said John Lampe,
Executive Vice President, Bridgestone/Firestone. “No one is
more interested in getting these answers than the people of
Bridgestone/Firestone. This is an extremely complex situation,
and though we have not yet determined a root cause or causes,
we continue to have a team of engineers and experts working
around the clock on this issue. We will rely on an independent
expert to examine and verify our own internal investigation
process.”
On August 9, Bridgestone/Firestone initiated
a voluntary, safety recall that included Wilderness AT tires,
size P235/75R15, manufactured at Bridgestone/Firestone’s Decatur,
Illinois plant, and all ATX and ATX II tires, size P235/75R15.
Bridgestone/Firestone initiated the safety recall based on data
that showed the number of incidents involving the recalled tires
is higher than with other similar tires. As of Wednesday, approximately
850,000 of the affected tires have already been replaced.
“We are doing everything we can to replace
these tires and find any root cause as quickly as possible,”
said Lampe. “Firestone engineers will work with an independent
expert during this fact-finding process.”
Nashville, Tennessee based Bridgestone/Firestone,
Inc., is the largest subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation of
Japan, the world’s largest tire and rubber manufacturer. Bridgestone/Firestone,
Inc., develops, manufactures and markets Bridgestone, Firestone,
Dayton and private brand tires. The company also produces Firestone
air springs, roofing materials, synthetic rubber and industrial
fibers and textiles.
