2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac Tires & Wheels Problems

I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 65MPH WHEN MY LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW A FLAT. WHEN I CAME TO A STOP SAFELY, THE TIRE WAS COMPLETELY SEPARATED ON THE SIDEWALL AND THE TIRE WAS SMOKING! COULDN'T BELIEVE MY EYES. I'VE NOW BEEN READING THAT THIS MICHELIN TIRE WAS RECALLED IN OTHER SIZES. THIS EVENT OCCURRED ON 8/17/2016 AND THE TIRE HAD 35,000 MILES ON IT.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WERE NO OBVIOUS ROAD HAZARDS OR DEBRIS. UPON INITIAL INSPECTION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE TIRE HAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED ALONG THE TREAD AND SIDEWALL AREA. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 01T016000, REGARDING THE TIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE ALERTED. THE TIRE WAS A FIRESTONE WILDERNESS A/T P235/75R15.

DT: SPLITTING OF THE SIDEWALL ABOUT AN INCH UP FROM THE BEAD. TIRES HAVE NOT HAD A BLOW OUT. CALLER WAS LOOKING AT VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT ALL 4 TIRES HAD THIS PROBLEM. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET.*AK

TIRE RECALL FIRESTONE WILDERNESS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 50-60 MPH VEHICLE VIBRATED. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE VIBRATION WAS CAUSED BUT TIRE TREAD SEPARATION. *AK *NM

I HAVE THE GOOD YEAR WRANGLER TIRES, AND I JUST WANT TO STATE THESE ARE BY FAR THE WORST TIRES THAT I HAVE EVER DRIVEN ON. I FELT LIKE I'M ON ICE WHEN THE ROAD IS A DAMPED. I HAVE NOT BEEN IN A WRECK BECAUSE OF THEM BUT I ALMOST DID. I OWN A FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC, AND FOR SUV THEY NEED BETTER TIRES. *LA

WHEELS STUCK, CANNOT REMOVE WHEELS TO CHECK BRAKES OR ROTATE TIRES. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO IF I GET A FLAT TIRE.*AK

WHEN THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES WERE RECALLED AND FORD SPONSORED THEIR VOLUNTARY RECALL PROGRAM, WE TRIED TO HAVE OUR TIRES REPLACED. AT THE TIME, THERE WAS A TREMENDOUS BACKLOG AND WE WERE TOLD TO WAIT; THAT THE PROBLEM WOULDN'T AFFECT US UNTIL THE TIRES WERE 3 OR MORE YEARS OLD. AFTER WAITING FOR 2 YEARS, WE TRIED AGAIN TO GET THE TIRES REPLACED, BUT WERE INFORMED THAT FORD WOULD NOT HELP US IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER--WE HAD MISSED THEIR DEADLINE (WHICH WAS NEVER MENTIONED IN THE ORIGINAL MATERIALS AND WHICH IS NOT MENTIONED IN ANY WEB-SITE OR NHTSA ANNOUNCEMENT WE COULD FIND). DURING A RECENT TRIP FROM ATLANTA TO FLORIDA, WE WERE FLAGGED TO PULL OVER BY ANOTHER MOTORIST WHO NOTICED THAT OUR LEFT-REAR TIRE WAS SMOKING. WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OFF IN TIME TO REPLACE IT WITH THE SPARE WITHOUT ROLLING THE VEHICLE OR OTHERWISE ENDING UP DEAD. NOW WE ARE TRYING TO FIND OUT HOW TO GET THE REMAINING TIRES REPLACED. PLEASE HELP. *NLM

AFTER 15,000 MILES AND MORE THAN 50% TREAD REMAINING, THERE IS ZERO WET TRACTION ON THESE TIRES. IT SEEMS THAT THE TRACTION GRADE ON THIS TIRE IS EITHER WRONG, OR THERE NEEDS TO BE A CHANGE IN THE SYSTEM TO EVALUATE AND PUBLISH HOW THE TIRES WILL GRADE AFTER SOME WEAR AND NOT BRAND NEW. *LA

I AM HAVING A TIRE CUPPING PROBLEM WITH MY 2001 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. I HAVE HAD THE TIRES ALIGNED AND ROTATED AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. THE DEALER WANTS ME TO SPEND APPROXIMATEY $500 FOR A NEW SET OF TIRES. I AM CURIOUS IF OTHER FORD SPORT TRAC OWNERS HAVE NOTIFIED YOU OF A SIMILAR PROBLEM. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO HELP ME WITH THIS SITUATION? THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

WHEN GOING 50 TO 55 MPH WHEN PUT FOOT ON BRAKE STEERING WHEEL AND TIRES VIBRATED. - I HAVE HAD BACK TO DEALER 4 TIMES LAST TIME THEY SAID IT WAS TIRES SO HAD TO PAY TO REPLACE TIRES SOMETHING IS VERY WRONG BECAUSE IT IS STILL HAPPENING MY TRUCK ONLY HAS 38000 MILES ON IT SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM I NOW KNOW IT IS NOT A PROBLEM WITH THE TIRES BUT THERE IS A DEFECT SOMEWHERE IN THE VEHICLE ITSELF. *AK

SEVERE TREAD SEPARATION (DOT NUMBER: 8XCU TIRESIZE: P255/70R16)

WHILE TURNING AT LOW SPEEDS THE FRONT FIRESTONE TIRES SET UP A VIBRATION THAT PASSES TO THE STEERING WHEEL, THE STEERING RODS AND JOINTS SEEM TO MOVE AND MAKE NOISE, THE DEALER STATED THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE TREAD, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THE TIRES ARE TOO HEAVY FOR THE STEERING SET OR THE STEERING LINKAGE IS TOO LIGHT FOR THE TIRES. NLM