Other Restraint System Info: Seat Belts: 3-point belts in all outboard positions.
Plant City: Lorain
Plant Country: United States (USA)
Plant State: Ohio
Seat Belts All: Manual
Vehicle Type: PASSENGER CAR
Model year
COMPONENT
Complaint
1996
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH TREAD ON FIRESTONE TIRES SEPARATED ON REAR DRIVER'S SIDE,CAUSING DAMAGE TO WHEEL WELL AND FENDER/BUMPER. *AK *ML
1997
TIRES
AT 4;30 AM ON OCT. 15, 2000, I WAS DRIVING SOUTH ON I-95 IN SOUTHERN GEORGIA ON A RETURN TRIP FROM LOUISVILLE, KY. TO POMPANO BEACH, FL. WHEN I HEARD A NOISE IN THE REAR OF MY CAR AND REALIZED THAT I HAD A TIRE PROBLEM. AT ONCE I KNEW THAT THE TIRE HAD NOT DEFLATED AND THAT I WAS IN CONTROL OF THE CAR. I REDUCED MY SPEED AND TURNED ON MY EMERGENCY BLINKERS AND COULD HEAR A FLAPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE LEFT REAR. SINCE THE ROAD WAS VERY DARK AND THE TRAFFIC VERY FAST I FELT LIKE IT WAS SAFER TO PROCEED THAN TO STOP AND CHANGE A DRIVER SIDE TIRE ON THE INTERSTATE AT NIGHT. I DROVE SLOWLY SEVERAL MILES TO THE NEXT EXIT WHERE I REPLACED THE TIRE WITH THE SMALL SPARE. I FOUND THAT AN 8 INCH SECTION OF THE TREAD HAD COME OFF. ALTHOUGH MY TIRES ARE NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL, I BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. TWO OF THE THREE REMAINING TIRES HAVE HAIRLINE CRACKS AT THE EDGE OF THE TREAD AND COULD BE READY TO DO THE SAME THING. I CONTACTED A LINCOLN-MERCURY DEALER WHO SAID HE COULD NOT HELP ME (OTHER THAN SELLING ME NEW TIRES) AND SENT ME TO THE FIRESTONE DEALER WHO SAID HE COULD SELL ME A NEW SET OF TIRES AND GIVE ME A 20% CUSTOMER SATISFACTION DISCOUNT. I'M STILL TRYING TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO AND STILL HAVE THE THREE REMAINING TIRES ON MY CAR AND THE FAILED ONE IN THE TRUNK. I'M WONDERING IF OTHERS HAVE HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH THE FR 680 AND IF IT WILL ALSO BE COVERED BY A RECALL.*AK (DOT NUMBER: W2M3 IPN 2 TIRESIZE: P215/70R15)