1997 Ford Explorer tires problems

“ON 7/29/2013 WE PURCHASED A SET OF 4 KUMHO SOLUS KR21 TIRES. THE CAR IS USED PRIMARILY FOR HIGHWAY TRAVEL ? ONCE WEEKLY WORK COMMUTE AND FOR VACATION ROAD TRIPS. WE HAD NOT YET DRIVEN IT OFF PAVEMENT WITH THE NEW TIRES. ON 4/16/2014 I STARTED THE CAR TO GO TO WORK. I HEARD AN ODD NOISE FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE, ALMOST LIKE A RHYTHMIC POPPING SOUND, BUT IT STOPPED, AND SINCE IT WASN'T IDENTIFIABLE I PROCEEDED TO LEAVE MY DRIVEWAY. ABOUT A BLOCK AWAY, I HEARD THE NOISE AGAIN, BUT AGAIN IT STOPPED. AT THIS POINT THE CAR WAS HANDLING FINE. AS SOON AS I GOT ON THE FREEWAY (APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES FROM MY HOUSE), I NOTICED I WAS HAVING TROUBLE ACCELERATING TO SPEED (65MPH). I ALSO BEGAN TO HEAR A RHYTHMIC BUMPING NOISE, SO BEGAN TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER. BY THE TIME I GOT OVER, I COULD FEEL THE BUMPING AND KNEW I HAD A FLAT. THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL HAD SUFFERED A COMPLETE SIDEWALL SEPARATION (SEE PHOTO). THE TIRES ONLY HAD 6,624 MILES ON THEM ? ALL PAVED ROAD, NO DIRT. THEY WERE SUPPOSEDLY WARRANTIED TO 85,000 MILES. IN RETROSPECT, I BELIEVE THE SOUNDS I HEARD IN MY DRIVEWAY WERE THE INITIAL SIDEWALL SEPARATION. THE SEPARATION DID NOT CAUSE IMMEDIATE LOSS…”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD EXPLORER WITH WINSTON WIN WINNER AT TIRES, SIZE: 255/70R16. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SIDE WALL OF THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE WAS LEAKING AND THE OTHER THREE TIRES HAD DEVELOPED CRACKS THROUGHOUT THE TIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED AND THE TIRES WERE REPLACED BY THE CONTACT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE AND TIRES WAS 170,000. THE DOT NUMBER WAS NOT AVAILABLE.”

“1997 FORD EXPLORER, VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. *BF THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT. THE DRIVER PULLER OVER AND NOTICED THE TIRE HAD CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE AND EVENTUALLY THE ENTIRE VEHICLE BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES. OHIO TRAFFIC REPORT # 10-0298-89.”

“I JUST DISCOVERED THE TIRES I HAVE ON MY CAR HAVE HAD THE DATE CODE BUFFED OFF. IT'S A GOOD JOB, BARELY NOTICEABLE UNLESS VIEWED WITH A SLANTING LIGHT SOURCE, BUT ALL FOUR ARE THE SAME. IS THIS A VIOLATION OF SOME FEDERAL LAW PERTAINING TO TIRES? *TR”

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD EXPLORER. THE VEHICLE HAS COOPER TRAILCAT ALL SEASON TIRES (235/75R15). WHILE REPLACING THE BRAKES ON THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED SIDEWALL SEPARATION ON ALL FOUR TIRES. HE WAS INFORMED THAT HIS DOT NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 01T014000 (TIRES:SIDEWALL). THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 75,731 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,700.”

“ON NOVEMBER 10TH I REPLACED THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE ON MY 97 FORD EXPLORER WITH THE SPARE TIRE THAT WAS UNDER THE TRUCK. ON DECEMBER 18TH ON MY WAY TO WORK TRAVELING SOUTH ON 95 AT APPROX. 5:40AM I HEARD A VERY LOUD NOISE, IT WAS LIKE A BOMB WENT OFF. A SECOND AFTER THE NOISE MY TRUCK WAS OUT OF CONTROL AND FLIPPING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. MY TRUCK WAS TOTALED, BUT I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO LIVE THROUGH THIS ACCIDENT. THE TIRE WAS A FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT, WHICH I HAVE FOUND OUT HAD A RECALL ON IT BECAUSE OVER TIME WOULD FALL APART AND THE TREAD WOULD COME OFF THE TIRE CAUSING ACCIDENTS THAT COULD RESULT IN INJURY'S OR DEATH. *TR”