Congress To Grill Ford Over Tire Tests
Sept. 20 -- Ford Motor Co. can expect another tough day before Congress Thursday as one of its toughest critics is expected to grill company officials on how the automaker tested potentially dangerous tires.
Rep. Billy Tauzin, the chairman of the House Commerce consumer protection subcommittee, plans to examine the tire testing methods of Ford, as well as those of Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. Tauzin, R-La., is expected to ask executives why tires were not tested on actual Ford Explorers, sources familiar with Tauzin’s plans said.
Ford representatives are likely to respond that they repeatedly tested the tires on a testing device called a “mule,” a simulation vehicle programmed to act like an Explorer , the sources said. The tires, Ford has claimed, passed the mule test.
Ford has come under fire since Bridgestone/Firestone voluntarily recalled 6.5 million 15-inch sport utility vehicle tires on Aug. 9. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration advised consumers to replace an additional 1.4 million tires on Aug. 31.The tires under the recall, ATX, ATX-II and Wilderness AT tire, are found mostly on Ford Explorers, and investigators believe Ford knew about defects in the tires long before the recall and chose to hide it from the public.
Missing Tests
Thursday’s hearing comes the day after the Senate Commerce Committee approved a bill to consider raising penalties for automakers that withhold safety data. Federal investigators previously said important 1996 testing results on Firestone tires couldn’t be found.
Sponsored by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the bill would require automakers and their suppliers to share more safety information with the federal government and significantly strengthen penalties for those who withhold key data. Tauzin will propose a similar bill in his hearing that also aims to get more safety information.
Congressional sources said Tuesday Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. may have known about tire problems back in 1996.
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