Ford, Bridgestone Execs to Testify

House lawmakers are expected to call executives of Ford Motor Co. and Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. back to Washington this week to answer questions about what they knew about defects in Firestone tires and when they knew it. Rep. W.J. “Billy” Tauzin (R-La.), who is overseeing a House investigation of the massive recall, has scheduled hearings for Thursday that will focus on whether the companies adequately tested the tires. Meanwhile, in another attack on Bridgestone/Firestone, Ford officials released data Sunday that they say show Ford Explorers involved in fatal rollover crashes in recent years were about 10 times as likely to have been equipped with Firestone tires than Goodyear tires. Ford produced the data, spokesman Jason Vines said, in response to Bridgestone/Firestone allegations at a congressional hearing last week citing figures for Ford rollover deaths. The Ford data did not include the actual number of fatalities during the period. “We have already stated that we had a tire problem and that’s why we had a recall,” Firestone spokesman Daniel Adomitis said Sunday. “This data just begs the question: Why is it that when the Explorer has a tire problem, the vehicle rolls over?”