Firestone Recalls Venezuelan-made Tires
Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. will recall 62,000 Venezuelan-made tires alleged to have defects that led to at least 46 fatal accidents here, Venezuela’s consumer protection agency said Monday.
The recall formalizes what began Aug. 6 as a “customer information notice” that the company would replace three models of tires produced in the U.S., but not those produced in Firestone’s Valencia, Venezuela, plant.
Samuel Ruh, president of the consumer protection agency, known as Indecu, said the tire maker agreed to recall its 15-inch and 16-inch Wilderness tires manufactured in the company’s Venezuela plant. Indecu suspects the tires may have defects that lead to tread loss and blowouts.
Most of the tires to be recalled are mounted on Ford sport-utility vehicles, including the popular Ford Explorer.
The recall comes amid mounting allegations in Venezuela and the United States that both Ford Motor Co. and Bridgestone/Firestone, a unit of Japan’s Bridgestone Corp., knew about the defective tires for two years before taking action.
“Venezuela consumers have won a battle,” Ruh said at a news conference. “But we insist that this does not mean an exoneration for Firestone.”
Venezuela’s attorney general is investigating both Ford and Bridgestone/Firestone for possible criminal negligence, following recommendations from Indecu. Indecu said last week that both companies had “shared responsibility” for the deaths linked to the allegedly defective tires here.
Ruh said Indecu will give Ford and Bridgestone/Firestone one week from today to arrive at a restitution agreement satisfactory to affected customers. If no agreement is reached by then, Indecu could impose fines of approximately $11,000 per case, Ruh said.
The recall, which begins Thursday, will cost Bridgestone/Firestone more than $6 million, Ruh said. The recall will be publicized through advertisements in local newspapers.
Under pressure from Ford, Bridgestone/Firestone recalled 6.5 million tires in the United States in August. But until last week, Bridgestone/Firestone had refused to recall tires manufactured in Venezuela, saying those did not have defects.
Bridgestone/Firestone has been criticized for limiting the recall. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last week issued an advisory saying an additional 1.4 million tires could be dangerous and should be replaced.
Meanwhile, U.S. Congress members have questioned why Ford recalled tires in 16 countries before taking action in the United States, where as many as 69 deaths have been linked to accidents involving the allegedly faulty tires.
Ford began replacing Firestone tires on its Explorers for free in Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador in May. Ford recalled 30,000 Explorers and replaced 150,000 tires.
The company’s Venezuela executives acknowledged that they knew of the tire problems two years ago but failed to take action because they were waiting for Bridgestone/Firestone to issue its own recall.
In a report released last week, Indecu also said the design of the Ford Explorer may have contributed to tire tread loss.
Ruh said Indecu received reports over the weekend of accidents involving Explorers that did not have Wilderness tires. He said the vehicles turned over, a result apparently common of blowouts due to tread loss.
The U.S. Congress opens hearings this week to determine whether both companies kept the tire problems a secret from consumers. Lawmakers in Venezuela have also motioned to begin a congressional probe.
