Firestone Tire Lawsuit

Firestone tires were standard equipment on the Ford Explorer, the world's best-selling sport utility vehicle and have been linked to at least 174 U.S. traffic deaths and over 700 injuries.

Ford Motor Co. plans to replace 10 to 13 million Firestone tires, an amount that far surpasses the large recall previously ordered last summer by Bridgestone/Firestone. This extended recall of up to 13 million Firestone tires will cost Ford $3 billion and force it to idle three plants to free up tires to use as replacements. Ford said it is taking the extraordinary step of recalling the huge number of Wilderness AT tires because it considers them unsafe, and their manufacturer, Bridgestone-Firestone Inc., refuses to recall them.

Ford will replace all 15, 16 and 17-inch Wilderness AT tires on its vehicles for free at Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealers, and reimburse owners who purchase them elsewhere for up to $130 for the 16 and 17-inch tires. Jacques Nasser Ford CEO's said "We lack confidence in the performance of any of Firestone's Wilderness AT tires. There are enough warning signs there, and we wanted to act in a precautionary sense."

With Ford recalling more Firestone Tires and Bridgestone/Firestone deciding to no longer sell tires to Ford, it is difficult for accident victims to know who to blame. This decision has caused an end to a 95-year relationship between Ford and Bridgestone and makes it clear that neither party will accept sole responsibility for the unusually large number of accidents involving Ford Explorer SUVs with Firestone tires. However, Ford is blaming Firestone Tires and has stated that the problem points to the design and manufacture of certain Firestone tires built in Firestone's Decatur, Illinois plant.