1996 Ford Explorer Tires
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
WAS DRIVING 65MPH WHEN TREAD SEPARATED FROM TIRE. VEHICLE WENT INTO A SKID, ROLLED OVER TWO OR THREE TIMES, AND HIT MEDIAN. TIRES WERE STILL INFLATED. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. FIRESTONE, WILDERNESS AT WITH 43,000 MILES. P235/75R15.*AK
PE00 020; TIRES WERE CRACKING AROUND SIDEWALL, AND TIRES WERE REPLACED BY FIRESTONE. PROBLEM WAS SOLVED. *AK
ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 1996 FORD EXPLORER. TREAD SEPARATED FROM LEFT REAR TIRE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, RESULTING IN A ROLLOVER.*AK ONE PERSON WAS INJURED DUE TO THE TREAD SEPARATION, THE VEHICLE IS A TOTAL LOSS. *SLC
THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS TIRES HAD BIG BULGES IN THEM WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SHAKE BADLY WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER BELIEVES THIS DEFECT IS WHAT CAUSED THE WHEEL BEARINGS TO FAIL. NLM
PE00 020; WHEN CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY HE HEARD A WASH BOARD SOUND, TIRES WERE FALLING APART. HE TOOK VEHICLE TO A FIRESTONE RETAILER. AND THE ATTENDANT TOLD HIM THAT THE TIRES WERE UNSAFE. FIRESTONE WILDERNESS #AT P25570R16 #DOT NUMBER W2. *AK THE TIRES HAD 65000 MILES ON THEM BUT 25%-30% TREAD WEAR LEFT *YH.
CONSUMER REPLACED BOTH REAR FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES P225/70R15 DOT W2UU DUE TO TREAD PEELING, 15-20 THOUSAND MILES LATER, WHILE DRIVING, REAR TIRE EXPERIENCED BLOWOUT, CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO KEEP CONTROL AND PULL OVER, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT. *SLC
THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS TIRES ON THE VEHICLE ARE EXPERIENCING CRACKS AROUND THE TREAD. *MJS
I NOTICED IN SPRING OF 2000 THAT MY EXPLORER WOULD SHAKE WHILE DRIVING. MY HUSBAND TOOK IT IN TO HAVE THE TIRES BALANCED. MECHANIC, AS WELL AS MY HUSBAND WERE SURPRISED TO SEE THAT A HUNK (APROX. 5"/5") WAS GONE FROM THE TIRE! INSTEAD OF A NORMAL BALANCING, WE HAD TO REPLACE THE TIRE. I'M NOT SURE IF THIS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE RECENT FIRESTONE PROBLEMS, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THAT PART OF THE TIRE JUST CAME OFF. THE REST OF THE TIRE IS STILL IN VERY GOOD SHAPE. I PRIDE MYSELF ON BEING A GOOD DRIVER, ESPECIALLY WITH A 1 YR OLD, SO I DON'T THINK I HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR EXCESSIVELY HARD. WE STILL HAVE THE TIRE, IF THAT HELPS, OR IF YOU NEED TO SEE IT. THOUGH NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED, I DREAD TO THINK OF WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED, WITH MAYBE JUST A FEW MORE MILES DRIVEN.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )
THE TREAD PEELED OFF THE TIRE WHILE WE WERE TRAVELING FROM CHARLESTON, SC TO SAVANNAH, GA ON INTERSTATE 95 DOING 70 MPH. WHAT SAVED OUR LIVES WAS THAT THE TIRE STAYED INFLATED THROUGH OUT THE WHOLE ORDEAL. THERE IS NO DOT FROM THE TIRE BUT PICTURES ARE AVAILABLE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: N/A TIRE SIZE: 235/75R15 )
TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM TIRE CASING( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 23575R15 )
JUST WANTED TO ADD OUR NAME TO YOUR LIST OF INCIDENTS REPORTED ABOUT TREAD SEPARTION ON THESE FIRESTONE TIRES. WE FEEL VERY FORTUNATE THAT NO DAMAGE WAS DONE AND NO ONE WAS INJURED WHEN THE TREAD SEPARATED ON BOTH OUR REAR TIRES ON TWO SEPARATED OCCASIONS THIS SUMMER WHILE WE WERE ON VACATION. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )
TIRE SIDE WALL BLEW APART. LOOKED LIKE A DONUT. CONTACTED NEAREST FIRESTONE DEALERSHIP WHO WOULDN'T REPLACE ACCORDING TO TIRE ROAD HAZARD WARRANTY. CONTACTED ELK GROVE FORD (NEAREST DEALERSHIP) WHO COLLECTED TIRE AND SENT TO FIRESTONE WHO AS OF AUG. 4, 2000 HAS NOT REPLACED DEFLECT TIRES NOR REFUND MONEY SPENT ON DUE TO REPAIRS AS A RESULT OF DEFLECTIVE TIRE ACCORDING TO BIG-O EMPLOYEE ADAM. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235-75-15 )
TIRE TREAD DELAMINATED./VEHICLE ROLLED MULTIPLE TIMES. *AK( DOT NUMBER: VDHL1PM116 TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )
WAS LOOKING FOR NEW TIRES FOR EXPLORER, WHEN CAME UPON DESCRIBTION OF TROUBLES WITH FIRESTONE ATX'S. WE HAVE HAD THREE FAIL, AND THIS ONE TODAY WAS WHILE I WAS DRIVING. A PIECE OF THE TREAD CAME OFF, LEAVING A BARE TUBE(?). MANAGED TO GET HOME, AT THAT POINT, TIRE WENT FLAT. ?THESE ARE DANGEROUS TIRES!( DOT NUMBER: )
FIRESTONE TIRES WERE REPLACED DUE TO VIBRATION, THE CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT. *SLC
ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 1996, EXPLORER, P255/70R16 SIZE, DOT#VNCV1PL275. TREAD ON ALL FOUR TIRES HAS STARTED TO CRACK AT THE TOP OF THE TIRE.*AK THE CUSTOMER HAD FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT 16 WHICH WAS NOT ON RECALL AND HAD NO PROBLEM THAT OTHERS EXPERIENCED BUT GOT IT REPLACED BE ON SAFE SIDE. *YH
TIRES HAVE CRACKS ON AND ABOUT SHOULDER AREA, DRY ROT. THESE TIRES WERE REPLACED AND INSPECTED BY SEARS PERSONNEL. FIRESTONE PERSONNEL REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY PROBLEM WITH THESE TIRES; DID NOT INSPECT. I HAVE RETAINED ALL 5 TIRES. (DOT NUMBER: W2UU1MX295 TIRESIZE: P225/70R15)
ALTHOUGH THIS TIRE IS NOT INVOLVED IN THE RECALL, I ENCOUNTERED A PROBLEM SIMILAR TO THOSE DESCRIBED FOR THE RECALLED TIRES. THE TIRE, WHICH WAS THREE YEARS OLD AND STILL IN PRETTY GOOD CONDITION, AS FAR AS TREAD DEPTH, COMPLETLY SEPARATED AT THE SIDEWALLS AND DISINTEGRATED RAPIDLY. THE TIRE WAS ON THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. I WAS DRIVING IN BAJA, MEXICO ON A ROAD THAT WAS PAVED, BUT FAIRLY ROUGH. ALTHOUGH THE TIRE IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL OF FIRESTONE TIRES, THE METHOD OF FAILURE WAS VERY SIMILAR TO THOSE DESCRIBED FOR THE RECALLED TIRES.( DOT NUMBER: W2CU1PX TIRE SIZE: P255/70R16 )
REAR TIRE SUDDENLY BLEW OFF WHILE CRUISING AT 70MPH ALONG I-75 BRIDGEPORT, MICHIGAN. CAR THEN SWERVED ERRATICALLY. THANKS GOD I WAS DRIVING ON THE RIGHT LANE AND ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR AND PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER. ALMOST GOT AN ACCIDENT.PLEASE INVESTIGATE THOROUGHLY AS I HEARD REPORTED DEATHS WITH SIMILAR INCIDENTS. I WANT FULL REIMBURSEMENT OF MY EXPENSES FROM FIRESTONE. THANK YOU. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )
A 1996 FORD SUV BLEW A TIRE ON THE NJ TURNPIKE, HIT MY WIFE'S CAR AND CAUSED BOTH VEHICLES TO VEER OFF THE ROADWAY INTO THE WOODS. MY WIFE'S CAR LANDED ON ITS SIDE AND WAS TOTALLED AS WELL AS THE EXPLORER.FORTUNATELY, THE INJURIES WERE VERY MINOR. THE TROOPER WHO INVESTIGATED FOUND THAT THE TIRES ON THE EXPLORER WERE ATX FIRESTONES. WE WISH TO ADD OUR NAMES TO THE LIST OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN INJURED OR PUT IN SERIOUS DANGER FROM THESE TIRES. IF YOU CAN PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PENDING LAWSUITS, WE WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR CONTACTING US. THANK YOU VERY MUCH . ARNOLD & JUDY HOFFMAN( DOT NUMBER: )
WHILE DRIVING, FIRESTONE RADIAL ATX LEFT REAR TIRE P235/75R15 EXPERIENCED A TREAD SEPARATION, CAUSING A THUMPING NOISE, TIRE FAILURE ALSO CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT REAR QUARTER PANEL, TIRE WAS STILL INFLATED. *SLC
I AM WRITING TO INFORM YOU THAT I HAVE HAD TREAD SEPARATION ON THREE OF MY ATX RADIAL TIRES. ONCE THIS HAPPENED ON THE INTERSTATE AND NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE REPLACED ALL MY TIRES NOW BECAUSE THE DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING PROBLEM WITH THE TIRES MADE MY VEHICLE UNSAFE TO OPERATE. I WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE COST OF REPLACING MY TIRES. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )
THESE TIRES WERE RELETIVELY NEW BECAUSE THERE WAS PLENTY OF TREAD LEFT ON THEM. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )
I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT ABOUT 70MPH WHEN THE REAR TIRE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE FAILED. THE TIRE FELL APART . THE TIRE DID NOT EXPLODE IT JUST FELL APART. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )
FRONT LEFT FIRESTONE WILDERNESS TIRES SEPARATED AND WENT FLAT WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, CAUSING DAMAGES TO THE FRONT LEFT FENDER. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT 235/75/R15 *MW
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Quick Summary
The 1996 Ford Explorer has 551 Tires complaints on file. 97 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.