WHILE DRIVING DOWN A BACK ROAD IN A RAIN SHOWER, TRUCK BEGAIN TO PULL TO THE RIGHT.I STOP THE VEHICLE AND LOOKED AT THE TIRES AND THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE WAS FLAT.I CHANGED THE TIRE AND RETURNED IT TO THE FORD DEALER I PURCHASSED THE TRUCK FROM BECAUSE IT APPEARED TO ME THE TREAD WAS STARTING TO SEPERATE.AS THE TIRE ONLY HAD 900 MILES ON IT I FOUGHT WITH THE DEALER BUT LOST AND HAD TO PURCHASE A NEW TIRE TO REPLACE IT.I CONTACTED FIRESTONE DORECT AND WAS IN FORMED THAT THEY WANTED THE TIRE BEFORE THEY WOULD MAKE DO ANYTHING AND I INFORMED THEM THAT THE DEALER HAD THE TIRE BUT THAT THEY HAD A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THEIR TIRES IF THEY COME APART AT ONLY 900 MILES. THEY DID AGREE TO PAY FOR HALF THE COST OF THE TIRE ONLY, AND SENT A CHECK FOR APPOX. $45.00 AFTER I SENT THEM THE INVOICE.( DOT NUMBER: 027596 TIRE SIZE: P245/75R16 )
1999
TIRES
I JUST DISCOVERED THAT MY 1999 FORD RANGER 4X4 OFF-ROAD PICKUP, WHICH WAS FACTORY EQUIPPED WITH 16" TIRES, HAS A 15" SPARE. THE ENGINEERS AT FORD HAVE DECIDED THAT MISMATCHING TIRE SIZES POSES NO ADVERSE DRIVING CONDITIONS FOR CONSUMERS. I FEEL THAT EMERGENCY HANDLING WITH A 15" SPARE MOUNTED ON THE FRONT OF MY VEHICLE WOULD BE A CHALLENGE AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. I DOUBT THAT ANY TIRE MANUFACTURERS WOULD RECOMMEND OR SUPPORT THIS PRACTICE. WHAT DID THE DEALERSHIP OR FORD MOTOR COMPANY DO WHEN I BROUGHT THIS MATTER TO THEIR ATTENTION, YOU ASK? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! IT WOULD BE VERY INTERESTING TO SEE THE RESULTS FROM SOME INDEPENDENT TEST CONDUCTED BY A CONSUMER GROUP OR FROM ANY TESTS THAT FORD MAY HAVE PERFORMED. COULD THIS BE ANOTHER RECALL IN THE MAKING? I HOPE SO, AS I THINK THAT UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, DRIVING A VEHICLE IN THIS CONFIGURATION COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS! THIS IS NOT LIMITED TO THE 1999 MODEL YEAR. FORD HAS DONE THIS ON THE 2000, 2001 AND IS STILL DOING IT ON THEIR 2002 RANGERS EQUIPPED WITH 16 TIRES. APPARENTLY FORD HAS NO PROBLEM AGGRESSIVELY MARKETING AND UPGRADING THE STANDARD 15 TIRES TO OPTIONAL 16 TIRES. THEY JUST DONT SEE ANY NEED TO UPGRADE THE SPARE. I STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH FORDS ATTITUDE, AS I SEE A REAL PROBLEM WITH DRIVING MISMATCHED TIRES EVEN TEMPORARILY, AND ESPECIALLY ON THE FRONT OF MY VEHICLE. (TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)