2001 Ford Ranger Tires & Wheels Problems

WHEN DRIVING OUT OF DRIVEWAY THE SPARE TIRE UNDER THE CAR CAME LOOSE. UPON INSPECTION THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF RUST ON THE UNDER CARRIAGE. THE REST OF THE VEHICLE IS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE AND WITHOIT RUST. MY FRAME SHOULD NOT BE RUSTING LIKE THIS. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE, NOT ONLY IN HAVING PARTS FALL OFF BUT ALSO THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLES STRUCTURE MAY BE AFFECTED

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD RANGER EQUIPPED WITH COOPER COBRA RADIAL G/T TIRES, SIZE P225/60R15. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHIMMY AND THEN SPUN OUT OF CONTROL IN CIRCLES ON THE HIGHWAY. THE POLICE OFFICER NOTICED THAT THE TIRE TREAD WAS COMPLETELY SEPARATED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT RELATED TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 06T016000 (TIRES). THE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED. THE TIRE AND VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,405.

TRAVELING EAST ON INTERSTATE 10 WEST OF INDIO, CA WHEN THE KUMHO SOLIS K21 REAR PASSENGER TIRE EXPLODED. RANGER PICKUP SWAYED BACK AND FORTH UNTIL THE PICKUP WENT DOWN A 15' EMBANKMENT. ROLLED AT LEAST 3 TIMES WITH INJURIES TO BOTH PASSENGERS. THE PICKUP WAS A TOTAL LOSS. TIRE WAS PURCHASE 11/22/2010 AND WAS A P225/70R-15. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH I SLOWED TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN AND ALMOST WENT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION INTO THE WOODS. I THOUGHT THAT THE TRUCK MIGHT ROLL. UPON INSPECTION, MY LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS NEARLY FLAT. WHEN I BROUGHT THE WHEEL/TIRE TO GET IT REPAIRED I WAS TOLD THAT THE WHEEL HAD RUSTED THROUGH AND THE TIRE WAS OKAY. THE FOLKS AT THE WHEEL & TIRE PLACE SHOWED ME HOW THE WHEEL WAS DESIGNED TO TRAP WATER AND WERE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM. I NOTIFIED FORD, WHO IGNORED THE DESIGN-FLAW ASPECT, AND TOLD ME I WAS OUT OF LUCK SINCE THERE WAS NO SAFETY RECALL. I HOPE THAT CHANGES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD RANGER. THE CONTACT HAS GOODYEAR WRANGLER RTS TIRES ON HIS VEHICLE. HE REPLACED THE DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE HAS A CRACK NEAR THE BEAD AND SIDEWALL. HE FEELS THAT IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE TIRE CAN BLOW OUT AT ANYTIME. THE TIRE HAS APPROXIMATELY 45,000 MILES. THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES. THE TIRE DOT NUMBER AND VIN WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 80,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. UPDATED 12/12/07 *BF UPDATED *JB

MY 2001 XLT HAD THE FACTORY FIRESTONE WILDERNESS HT TIRE SIDE WALL BLEW OUT ON THE FREEWAY. I ALMOST LOST CONTROL. THE TRUCK ONLY HAS 053265 MILES ON IT, THE TIRE TREAD WAS GOOD AND TIRES HAVE BEEN ROTATED AND BALANCE EVERY 6000 MILES. I E-MAILED FORD AND FIRESTONE, I HAVE PICTURES OF THE TIRE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE VIBRATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ADDITIONALLY, THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT OF RECALL CAMPAIGN # 01X001000, CONCERNING THE TIRES. HOWEVER, THE DEALER DID NOT REPLACE THE TIRES UNDER THIS RECALL; THEY SUGGESTED THE CONTACT FILE A SAFETY COMPLAINT. UPDATED 04/11/06. *JB

ON FEBRUARY 27,2004, I PURCHASED FOUR (4) NEW TIRES (HOOSIER TIRES - DOT ADYK 9J0037) FROM A K&D OFFROAD AUTO ACCESSORIES,702 S.COLLINS STREET, PLANT CITY FLORIDA, 33563 (MIKE TAYLOR-OWNER). ELEVEN MONTHS LATER (JANUARY 15, 2005), MY VEHICLE SHOWED SIGNS OF SEVERE TIRE VIBRATION IN THE RIDE AND HANDLING. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST TIRE SERVICE COMPANY, LONG TIRE & AUTO SERVICE (AUTHORIZED GOODYEAR DEALER) AND WAS TOLD THAT BOTH FRONT TIRES SHOWED TIRE SEPARATION AND ALL FOUR (4) TIRES HAD CRACKING AS A RESULT OF DRY ROT FOR AGE. THE TECHNICIAN INDICATED THAT THE TIRES WERE ORIGINALLY MANUFACTURED IN 1997, APPARENTLY, SEVEN (7) YEARS BEFORE THEY WERE SOLD TO ME AS NEW TIRES IN 2004. *NM

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON THE FREE WAY AND WHEN EXITING HEARD A GRINDING SOUND. WHEN CONSUMER LOOKED AT VEHICLE HE NOTICED THE ENTIRE FRONT SUSPENSION DROPPED DOWN. THIS HAPPENED DUE TO THE RIM OF THE WHEEL BREAKING INTO PIECES. THIS WAS A STANDARD RIM FROM THE MANUFACTURER. BRAKE CALIPER BEHIND THE RIM WAS DAMAGED. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO HIS HOME BECAUSE THE VEHICLE'S WARRANTY EXPIRED. *AK

DAYTON TIRE SEPARATED FROM VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED FATAL AUTO ACCIDENT THAT KILLED MY DAUGHTER (TAMMY RENEE EGBERT) ON 21 APRIL 2004 IN ROCKLEDGE, FLORIDA, BEVARD COUNTY ON HIGHWAY INTERSTATE 95. *LA

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN MAY OF 2001. TODAY I WAS CHECKING THE AIR IN THE SPARE TIRE WHEN I NOTICED THE TIRE IS 15" ON A 15" WHEEL. THE OTHER WHEELS AND TIRES ARE ALL 16". THESE TIRES WERE ALL CHANGED FROM FIRESTONE TO GOODYEAR WHEN THE SCARE APPEARED. THE DEALER CHANGED THE TIRES AND SURELY HAD TO KNOW THE PROBLEM, BUT NO ONE MENTIONED IT OR CORRECTED IT. WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO GET A PROPER SIZED WHEEL AND TIRE? I'M SURE THIS COULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD OR CAUSE ME PROBLEMS IF I HAVE TO USE THIS SPARE. *JB

CONSUMER STATES BOTH REAR AND ONE FRONT RIM ARE COMPLETED RUSTED FROM INSIDE TO OUTSIDE. DEALER NEVER SEEN BEFORE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION (PICTURE). *PH

THE RIGHT REAR TIRE SEPARATED ON MY 2001 FORD RANGER PICKUP, WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 58 MPH ON I-5 SOUTH IN PORTLAND, OR. CONTACTED THE LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALER IN VANCOUVER, WA & THEY PASSED THE BUCK TO FORD, STATING THAT THEY DO NOT COVER A WARRANTY FOR THE TIRES, THAT IT FALLS UNDER THE AUTO COMPANY TO COVER THE WARRANTY ON THE TIRES. (TIRESIZE: P225/70RX15 A/S OWL TIRES. *AK)

THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM FORD 10/01 ABOUT A DEFECT WITH THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES. THE DEALER SAID THE TIRE PROGRAM HAD BEEN DISCONTINUED (MANUFACTURER RECALL # 0NP01B77; NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 01X001000). *NLM *TS

GOODYEAR WRANGLER RT/S FRONT TIRES CUPPING BADLY, RECOMMENDED TIRE ROTATION CAUSED ALL FOUR TIRES TO BE BADLY CUPPED RESULTING IN SERIOUS VIBRATION AND DIFFICULTY IN CONTROL ON WET OR ICY SURFACES. INTERNET SEARCH SHOWS MANY PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. TIRES WERE A REPLACEMENT BY FORD OF FIRESTONE TIRES WHICH WERE OEM. IT SEEMS THAT TIRE FAILURE OR ACCIDENTS MAY WELL RESULT WITH THE CUPPING OF GOODYEAR TIRES. FORD DEALER SAYS TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE BUT THE WARRANTY HAS RUN OUT AND FORD IS NOT RESPONSIBLE. FORD DEALER (TASCA FORD CRANSTON, RI) RECOMMENDED ALL TIRES BE REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE! THESE TIRES HAVE ONLY 14,000 MILES ON THEM! *JB

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE SPARE TIRE IS TOO SMALL FOR VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

FIRESTONE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A GOOD NAME BRAND. THEY HAVE HAD SOME PROBLEMS AS OF LATE. I DID NOT LIKE THESE TIRES ON THIS TRUCK WHEN I BOUGHT IT. NOW I'M JUST STUCK WITH THEM UNTIL SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS. DT

THE VEHICLE FISH TAILED WHILE DRIVING, BECAUSE THE TIRES WERE DESIGNED FOR A PASSENGER CAR NOT A TRUCK.*JB

THE WALL ON THE TIRE SHREDDED. THE TREAD HAS COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE RIM ON THE OUTER WALL. DT

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STARTED TO VIBRATE IN THE FRONT END. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TIRES WERE ROTATED BUT THE VIBRATION BECAME WORSE (225/70R15100S M/S RADIAL TUBELESS). *MR *NLM