Statement by Christine Karbowiak,
Vice President, Public Affairs
September 2, 2000
NHTSA has said that it made its decision
to issue the advisory based upon their perception that the
claims rate for these tires exceeds that of the originally
recalled tires. It is apparent that NHTSA has misinterpreted
our data, as well as the reason for our earlier recall.
Regarding the earlier recall, the decision
was based not just on the claims rate, but on a combination
of factors including an assessment of property damage cases;
statistical evidence that indicated an over-representation
among the reported incidents of the P235/75R15 Radial ATX
and Radial ATX II, and the Wilderness AT tires of the same
size manufactured in Decatur; the severity of the incidents;
and the application of these tires on certain vehicles especially
in hot climates.
While we continue to review the situation,
please note that claims data is not as reliable an indicator
as warranty adjustment rates, the standard that the tire industry
has long used to reflect the quality level of tires in the
market. Our analysis of the warranty adjustment rate shows
that the rate of adjustment on the tires identified by NHTSA
is generally within the range of our other tire lines, considering
the uses and applications of these tires. In addition, there
is insufficient data on claims for these tires to make a valid
statistical analysis.
We will continue to review this situation
and will continue our communications with NHTSA on this matter.
However, we want to stress that Bridgestone/Firestone takes
the safety and satisfaction of our customers very seriously.
Every possible resource of this company is aimed at those
priorities.
