Regulators Order Recall of 3.5 Million Firestone Tires
Federal regulators concluded for the first time Thursday that certain Firestone tires are defective and prone to shred at high speeds and temperatures and ordered 3.5 million of them recalled.
The government also said it is ending its 18-month investigation into Wilderness AT tires made by Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. that were involved in accidents that left at least 271 dead and more than 700 injured.
The number of fatalities disclosed Thursday is 75 more than previously recognized by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration as connected to crashes involving suspect Firestone tires, most of which were fitted on Ford Motor Co.’s Explorer sport-utility vehicles.
NHTSA did not make public that it had demanded the recall, but an agency source who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed the order.
Two previous recalls--one issued by the tire maker, one by Ford--were voluntary; in neither instance had NHTSA ruled that the tires were defective.
“I think NHTSA made a good decision to get the worst tires off the road,” said Joan Claybrook, president of the consumer group Public Citizen in Washington.
“The significance here is that Firestone, after disputing this all this time, has agreed to do this recall; that NHTSA has made a determination of a defect, which shows that the agency is taking a tough position on this issue; and that they will continue to evaluate the number of tires that don’t show a real problem today but could in the future because it’s a time-related issue and they’re going to continue to watch them.”
In a statement, NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey W. Runge said, “The American public is well served by removing defective products from the road without delay. We are pleased that Firestone has taken this approach in lieu of lengthy court proceedings, moving us quickly to a safe solution.”
Bridgestone/Firestone noted its opposition to NHTSA’s conclusion. “We do not agree with NHTSA’s findings,” said John T. Lampe, chief executive of the Nashville-based subsidiary of Bridgestone Corp. of Japan.
“Our testing and science show our tires perform extremely well,” Lampe said in a statement. “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.”
The latest recall covers 15- and 16-inch Wilderness AT tires with the designations P235/75R15 and P255/70R16 that were manufactured before May 1998.
The tires were sold as original equipment on certain 1995 to 1998 models of the Ford Explorer and its twin model, the Mercury Mountaineer, as well as tires purchased as replacements for SUVs.
In August 2000, Firestone recalled 6.5 million tires, including all 15-inch ATX and ATX II models and those 15-inch Wilderness AT tires made in Decatur, Ill., after scores of deaths were traced to accidents in which those models lost their treads and the vehicles crashed, often rolling over and crushing their occupants.
In May, Ford said it would replace 13 million additional Wilderness AT tires that it said could be at risk of shredding.
Thursday’s recall covers 3.5 million Wilderness AT tires made in North Carolina and Canada before May 1998, when Firestone switched to a thicker rubber wedge used between the tire and tread, making the tires more robust.
Bridgestone/Firestone estimates that some 768,000 of those tires still are on the road, but a source at Ford who would not be quoted by name said Ford believed the number to be much higher.
About 1 million Explorers and Mountaineers were sold with tires recalled Thursday, and Ford has replaced about 6 million Wilderness AT tires, or half the number still on customers’ vehicles.
“It’s kind of a nice way to clean it up,” said Brett Hoselton, an auto industry analyst with the investment bank McDonald Investments in Cleveland.
By attempting to close the book on its tire nightmare, Bridgestone/Firestone can try to rebuild its brand and image, he said.
