Firestone Announces Replacement Program
NHTSA Ends Tire Investigation
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (October
4, 2001) – Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. (BFS) advised the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today that it is replacing certain
of its tires mounted on sport utility vehicles in response to an announcement
by the agency of an initial determination regarding these tires. As
a result of BFS’ action, NHTSA informed BFS that it will close its investigation
into Firestone tires which was opened in May 2000.
Firestone will replace those P235/75R15 and P255/70R16
Wilderness AT tires produced before May 1998 that are still in use on
sport utility vehicles. Firestone’s replacement program applies to
tires installed as original equipment on certain 1995, 1996, 1997 and
1998 Ford Explorers and Mercury Mountaineers, as well as tires purchased
in the replacement market for Ford, Mercury and other sport utility
vehicles.
Commenting on the agency’s initial determination, John
T. Lampe, chairman, CEO and president of BFS said, “We do not agree
with NHTSA’s findings. Our testing and science show our tires perform
extremely well. However, we have decided that it is in the best interest
of our company, our employees, our dealers and our customers if we replace
the limited number of tires in question and close this chapter in the
company’s history.”
“We recognize that a lengthy confrontation with NHTSA
would continue to bring into question the quality of our products and
delay our on-going work of rebuilding the company. As I said when I
became CEO nearly a year ago, ‘I believe in this company. I believe
in our dealers. I believe in our people. And I believe in our products.’
While this was a very hard decision for us to make, I believe now is
the time for us to move forward,” Lampe continued.
The engineering analysis, the step before the initial
determination and the study upon which it is based, included almost
48 million tires at the time it was opened. NHTSA’s action today excludes
Wilderness AT tires fitted as original equipment on other sport utility
vehicles, such as those manufactured by General Motors and Toyota.
The company estimates that about 768,000 of the affected SUV tires were
in the market prior to Ford’s replacement program with about 700,000
of that number on Explorers and Mountaineers.
When mounted on pickup trucks, the tires that are
the subject of the field action announced today have demonstrated and
continue to demonstrate a solid record of performance and durability.
The company is aware, however, that the agency’s initial determination
may cause concern and confusion among drivers of those pickup trucks
with these same tires. In order to address those concerns and alleviate
any confusion, Firestone will replace any P235/75R15 and P255/70R16
Wilderness AT tires produced before May 1998 that are still used on
a pickup truck free of charge at the customer’s request. Firestone’s
dealers and company-owned stores will support this pickup truck customer
satisfaction program on the same basis as the SUV field action.
Tires which are subject to the replacement program
and which qualify for the pickup truck program are Wilderness AT P235/75R15
and P255/70R16 with DOT numbers ending in “4,” “5,” “6,” or “7.” In
addition, these tires with the last three digits of the DOT numbers
shown as 018 through 188 are also included in the field action and pickup
truck program. The company’s field action and pickup truck program
are available to consumers through January 31, 2002. Consumers with
questions about whether their tires are covered by either of the replacement
or customer satisfaction programs can visit a company-owned Firestone
Tire & Service Center or an authorized participating Firestone retailer
for assistance.
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