NHTSA complaint: FIRESTONE WILDERNESS — TIRES:TREAD/BELT
I WAS DRIVING ON I-95 AT APPROXIMATELY 80 MILES AN HOUR WHEN I HEARD A 'POPPING' SOUND AS IF MY TIRE WAS FLAT. THE NOISE CAME FROM THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT. MY TRUCK (A 98 FORD RANGER) WAS PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND INTO THE GRASS ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. AS SOON AS I HEARD THE NOISE, I ATTEMPTED TO SLOW DOWN BY APPLYING THE BRAKE AND CONTINUED TO DO SO AS I MOVED ONTO THE GRASS. UNFORTUNATELY WHETHER THE GRASS WAS TO WET, OR FOR WHATEVER REASON, MY TRUCK DID NOT SLOW DOWN AND I RAN INTO A TREE- RENDERRING MY TRUCK UNDRIVEABLE. I LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE TREAD OF MY FIRESTONE P225 70R15 WILDERNESS TIRES HAD PEELED. THERE WAS STILL AIR FILLING THE TIRE, BUT THE TREAD HAD PEELED OFF. *AK
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation