The design of the Ford Explorer has been criticized because of its short wheelbase and the distribution of weight in the vehicle build. What is a more frightening issue is that Ford recommended a low tire pressure of 26 psi for the Explorer. The reason for the recommendation was to "compensate for the stiff suspension". Using a lower tire pressure would create a more comfortable ride for the passengers in the vehicle. Two consequences of the under inflated tires were that the tires became overheated and the vehicle became more difficult to control. Those conditions led to increased tread separation incidents and increased rollover incidents, respectively.
Was this case of tread separation an isolated incident? Not hardly. Twelve years prior to the start of the year 2000 investigation, Firestone had been fined a half of a million dollars for withholding safety data, concerning their tires. The fines followed a recall of 14.5 million tires. Due to the improper use of an adhesive, which bonded the tire's rubber shell and the steel bands together, 500 tread separations and blowouts were recorded. In Firestone's defense, they weren't the only tire manufacturer suffering safety issues. The Ford / Firestone case has opened the eyes of the public, and we now know that tire defects have been an industry wide problem for the past quarter century. Documented tire recalls, issued by various tire manufacturers, include:.
v 1974 - B.F. Goodrich recalled 1 million tires for improper inflation/installation.
v 1976 - Kelly Springfield; 300,000 tires were recalled for tread separation.
v 1979 - General Tire recalled 187,000 tires because of exposed belt wire.
v 1980 - Uniroyal recalled 2 million tires due to tread separation.
v 1988 - Cooper Tire recalled 156,000 tires because of bead flaw.
v 1988 - Kelly Springfield recalled 500,000 tires because of sidewall cracking.
The thing to note in these incidents is they all resulted in tire recalls, which means the tires passed tire plant quality inspections and were sold to customers.