I PURCHASED A USED VOLVO WITH A VIRTUALLY NEW SET OF FIREWHAWK TIRES ON IT. AFTER DRIVING IT FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS, I NOTICED ONE OF THE FRONT TIRES HAD DEVELOPED A GOOD SIZED BULGE ON THE SIDE WALL. THIS WAS ABOUT A YEAR AGO. I WAS CONCERNED AND E-MAILED THE CONSUMER DIVISION OF FIRESTONE ABOUT THE PROBLEM. I DESCRIBED THE BULGE AND GAVE DIMENSIONS INCLUDING DIAMETER (APPROXIMATELY 2 INCHES) AND THE HEIGHT OF THE BULDGE (ABOUT 1/2 INCH). I ASKED IF IT WAS DANGEROUS TO CONTINUE DRIVING ON THIS TIRE AND WHO WAS RESPONSINBLE FOR REPLACEMENT. I RECEIVED NO REPLY FROM FIRESTONE. EVENTUALLY THE BULDGE RUPTURED WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 65 MPH ON AN EXPRESSWAY. FORTUNATELLY, THE TIRE DID NOT DEFLATE ALL AT ONCE, ALLOWING ME TO DRIVE A LITTLE DISTANCE AND PULL OFF THE ROAD. I REPLACED THE TIRE WITH THE SAME BRAND AND SIZE. ABOUT 8 MONTHS LATER, I NOTICED A SIMILAR BULGE ON THE SIDEWALL OF THE REAR TIRE. I REPLACED IT IMMEDIATELY WITH ANOTHER MANUFACTURER'S TIRE. THE FIRST DEFECTIVE TIRE WAS DISPOSED BY THE SHOP THAT REPLACED IT. HOWEVER, I STILL HAVE THE OTHER DEFECTIVE TIRE. AFTER HEARING THE RECENT PROBLEMS WITH FIRESTONE TIRES, I AGAIN CONTACTED FIRESTONE. IT TOOK A FEW WEEKS, BUT THIS TIME, THEY DID RESPOND. THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT HANDLE MY PROBLEM BY E-MAIL AND GAVE ME AN 800 NUMBER TO CALL. I HAVE NOT YET CALLED THIS NUMBER.*AK( DOT NUMBER: W2V9 JBB TIRE SIZE: P195 60R15 )
1989
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
CAR WENT INTO SUDDEN, UNCONTROLLABLE ACCELERATION. ACCELERATION WAS SO STRONG IT COULD NOT BE OVERCOME BY THE BRAKES. ACCELERATOR CABLE TORE AWAY FROM THE BACK OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL.