Deaths Linked to Defective Tires Rise

The number of deaths linked to tread separations and blowouts of Firestone tires has climbed to 271 with more than 800 injuries, federal statistics showed.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration added 68 deaths to the total number, which was last updated in June, records showed.

The fatality figures were updated late last week after Firestone announced it would recall 3.5 million Wilderness AT tires installed as original equipment on certain Ford Explorers and Mercury Mountaineers, as well as tires purchased in the replacement market for Ford, Mercury and other SUVs.

That recall was separate from Firestone’s recall of 6.5 million ATX, ATX II and Wilderness tires the company announced in August 2000.

Most of the additional fatalities did not represent new complaints, but were added after safety investigators obtained new information on data.

Firestone, a unit of Japan’s Bridgestone Inc., and Ford Motor Co. each reported 37 fatalities.