Ford / Firestone Case

Pacheco, Lester Allan

Esperanza, Rae
Tadioan, Joseph
Santosidad, James John


Brief History
In November of 1978, Firestone recalled 14.5
million tires due to tread separation

Tire Recall
On August 9, 2000 6.5 million Firestone Tires
were recalled in the United States. The three
different tire models included the 15 ATX,
ATXII and the Wilderness AT As of September
2001, 192 deaths and 500 injuries were
attributed to the Firestone tires mentioned
above.
What is Tread Separation?
Tread Separation occurs when the rubber
tread begins to separate from the steel belts
inside the tire. This occurs because it is hard to
adhere rubber to steel. Tread Separation
becomes more likely at high speeds and in
warmer climates.
Brief History
In May of 1988, Bridgestone took over
Firestone and saved them from bankruptcy
due to the 1978 recall.
In 1991, Bridgestone/Firestone ATX, ATXII and
Wilderness AT tires were being used on the
Ford Explorer

Brief History
In 1992, Ford started to receive complaints
regarding the Firestone tires.
In 1999, Ford began replacing tires on models
oversees without telling federal regulators.
In February 2000, the Houston, Texas
television station, KHOU did a story on tire
separation on Ford Explorer tires. After this,
many complaints were reported.
NHTSA
NHTSA stands for the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration
The NHTSA provides important information to
the consumer, such as crash test ratings and
vehicle safety information.
The NHTSAs Investigation found:
Belt-leaving-belt tread separations reduce the
drivers ability to control the vehicle. It is
especially dangerous when the separation
occurs on the rear tires.
The NHTSAs Investigation found:
Once the belt-edge separations have begun,
they will continue to grow resulting in tread
detachment. This tends to occur more
frequently at high speeds and warm climates.
A design feature known as a belt wedge is
used to prevent the growth of belt-edge
cracks. The belt wedge gauge in the Firestone
tires was found to be narrower than the peer
tires.
The NHTSAs Investigation found:
There were several weak spots around the
circumference of the tire due to a narrowing
of the wedge gauge at the shoulder pocket.
Due to the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle
Safety Act, the NHTSA has the burden of
proving defects do exist. The investigation
concluded that the tires manufactured mainly
at the Wilson and Joliette locations were in
fact, defective.
Deaths and Injuries Resulting from Firestone Tire Failure by State
(Current as of 2-6-2001)
Major Issue
Costumer Welfare and Product Safety.
As companies in the automobile industry one
must value the tire and breaks as the most
important component to consumers safety it
is unlikely not to notice if any problems arise
concerning this parts.
Both companies have knowledge on the
defects but no action was done earlier.
Major Issue
Failure to communicate and address the issue
in a timely manner.
Neither company had tire safety, testing and
database analysis program. These types of
programs provide early detection and
intervention of product defects.
Did not adequately test tires for proper
manufacturing specifications.