Bridgestone Firestone Tire Recall

In 2001, Ford Motor Company announced that it would replace 13 million Wilderness AT tires on its sports utility and pick-ups as a result of mounting concerns surrounding their safety. This followed orders from the U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration ("NHTSA") Bridgestone/Firestone to recall 6.5 million Firestone ATX and Wilderness tires following the death of 271 people and more than 700 injuries attributed to defective tire separation.

NHTSA found that Firestone’s ATX and Wilderness tires, which were predominately used as original equipment on Ford Explorer SUVs, had inferior belt wedge thickness, poor shoulder design and inadequate belt adhesion levels. Further analysis by outside experts found that the rubber used to manufacture the tires may have been contaminated and/or substandard.

2006 UPDATE: NHTSA Issues Consumer Advisory

On July 21, 2006, the NHTSA issued a follow-up consumer advisory to make the public aware that there are still considerable numbers of Firestone tires on the road which could suffer a tread separation.

Tires age and degrade overtime. Older tires that are still out there are especially dangerous though they may appear to be in perfect condition.

Owners of certain Ford Explorers, Mercury Mountaineers and Mazda Navajos SUVs, which commonly use the recalled Firestone tires as standard equipment, to check for recalled tires which the manufacturer will then replace for free. These tires include the P235/75R15 Radial ATX and certain P235/75R15 and P255/70R 16 Wilderness AT models manufactured prior to May 1998.

Though 95% of the tires recalled in 2000-01 have been collected, over 200,000 affected tires still remain uncaptured on vehicles or used as spares and pose a serious danger. In June 2006, a safety advocacy group from Massachusetts asked the NHTSA to renotify the public of tire tread dangers, citing at least five crashes in recent years involving recalled Firestone tires on Ford Explorers.

Recalled Bridgestone | Firestone Tires

Below is a list detailing many of the various names and models of Bridgestone | Firestone tires that have been subject to recalls:

Firestone Tire Recall Lawsuits: Allegations & Your Legal Rights

Lieff Cabraser has successfully represented plaintiffs in lawsuits against Firestone for producing defective tires. Injured drivers and passengers, and the families of loved ones who have died in car accidents and rollover crashes, have brought claims against Firestone for charges such as breach of express warranty, negligence and strict liability.

National Tire Recall and Tire Failure Attorney | Lawyer

If you or a loved one has been in a car, truck or SUV accident as the result of a defective Bridgestone or Firestone tire and would like to learn more about your legal rights, click here to contact a Lieff Cabraser attorney.

There is no charge or obligation for our review of your case. Alternatively, you may call Lieff Cabraser toll-free at 1-800-541-7358 and ask to speak to partner Fabrice Vincent.