Sears Pulls Some Firestone Tires
H O F F M A N E S T A T E S, Ill., Aug. 4, 2000 -- Almost 100 years ago, Henry Ford chose Harvey
Firestone to supply tires for America’s first mass-produced
automobiles. It was the beginning of an enduring friendship and
fortunes that would outlive them both.
The companies that grew out of the relationship are trying tomaintain their solidarity in the face of a government investigationinto whether Firestone tires used on Ford Motor Co.’s popularExplorer have caused people to die.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has 193complaints, including reports of 21 deaths, that Firestone tirespeel off their casings, sometimes as the car they are on isbarreling down the road at speed.
Many of the Firestone ATX, ATX II and Wilderness tires areoriginal equipment on Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Nissan andSubaru SUVs and pickups, but most accidents reported to the trafficsafety agency have involved the Ford Explorer, the industry’stop-selling sport utility vehicle.
Probe in Beginning Stages
Concern about the tires prompted Sears Roebuck & Co. to pullthem from its store shelves starting Friday.
“There’s no recall, but until we have more information fromFirestone, the responsible thing to do is to discontinue sales,”Sears spokesman Tom Nicholson said Thursday.
Firestone’s ATX, ATX II and Wilderness tires will no longer besold at 780 Sears Auto Centers or the 350 National Tire & Batteryshops.
NHTSA’s investigation is in its preliminary stages, butsometimes such investigations lead to a recall by the manufacturer,which in this case is Firestone’s parent company, Nashville,Tenn.-based Bridgestone/Firestone.
Ford is looking into the case on its own. Company officials sayit’s too soon to say how they might respond, but spokesman Ken Zinosaid Ford’s decision probably would not involve dropping itslongtime tire supplier.
“I can envision no response to a problem, if there is one, thatdoesn’t involve working closely with Bridgestone/Firestone,” Zinosaid. “I think it’s extremely unlikely that this long-standingsupplier would not work closely with us.”
‘Unduly Concerned’
Bridgestone/Firestone has involved Ford in its crisiscommunications plan since the investigation began in May, saidChristine Karbowiak, spokeswoman for the tire company.
“We have a relationship with Ford. We’ve cherished it since1906,” she said in an interview from Akron, Ohio, where thecompany was celebrating the 100th anniversary of Firestone tires.
“We want to make sure our customer is happy, whether it’s Fordor it’s somebody coming in to buy five tires.”
Karbowiak said consumers had been “unduly concerned” by mediareports of the investigation, but the company is using the coverageas an opportunity to educate people about tire safety.
The company is encouraging owners to go to a Firestone Tire andService Center for free inspections of their tires.
“These things aren’t indestructible,” Karbowiak said. “Theyare made out of rubber. Every passenger car sold in the UnitedStates is sold with a spare tire, and they’re sold with a sparetire for a reason.”
Two Florida families sued Ford and Bridgestone/Firestone on July24, alleging tire treads on their Ford Explorers separated andcaused fatal accidents. Similar suits concerning the tires havebeen filed since 1996.
The Washington-based Public Citizen advocacy group alleges thatas many as 30 deaths have been caused by tire separation. StrategicSafety, an Arlington, Va.-based group that does research forplaintiffs’ attorneys, is recommending to Ford andBridgestone/Firestone that they recall tires on 1991 through 2000models.
Most Complaints From Southwest
According to NHTSA, 28 of the reports of tread separation notedthat the tire remained inflated, sometimes even after a crash. Intwo cases, the tire tread wrapped around the rear axle and lockedup the wheels.
Tread failure was reported at a speed of 20 mph, but 55 mph to75 mph was typical. Some tires that failed had been used fewer than2,000 miles, agency records show.
Most of the complaints came from Texas and southern andsouthwestern states with warmer climates. Heat can affect tiretread bonding and may be associated with an increased rate of treadseparation.
Ford has replaced Firestone tires for free on vehicles sold inVenezuela, Ecuador, Thailand, Malaysia, Colombia and Saudi Arabiaafter tires failed in those countries. It did not accept blame, butFord said it swapped tires “as a customer satisfaction issue.” Ithas not made a decision on replacing tires for U.S. customers.