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N0KFQ > TODAY 09.08.15 15:18l 61 Lines 2886 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 63608_N0KFQ
Read: GUEST
Subj: Today in History - Aug 9
Path: IW8PGT<IZ3LSV<I0OJJ<N6RME<N0KFQ
Sent: 150809/1415Z 63608@N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA BPQ1.4.63
2000
Bridgestone/Firestone announces massive tire recall
On August 9, 2000, tire manufacturer Bridgestone/Firestone Inc.
announces that it is recalling 6.5 million of its model ATX, ATX
II and Wilderness AT tires; the move comes two days after the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration linked hundreds of
accidents and at least 46 deaths to problems with the tread on
the tires.
Founded by the Ohio-born Harvey S. Firestone, Firestone Tire &
Rubber Company began manufacturing automobile tires in 1904 and
put the first pneumatic (inflatable) tires on Ford Motor
Company's iconic Model T in 1908. Firestone's sale of thousands
of tires to Ford made it the top tire manufacturer in America,
and Harvey Firestone and Henry Ford were close friends as well as
business associates. Eight decades later, the company's financial
struggles led to its acquisition in 1988 by the Bridgestone
Corporation of Japan, the world's largest tire and rubber
manufacturer. Bridgestone/Firestone Inc., based in Nashville,
Tennessee, is Bridgestone's U.S. subsidiary.
In May 2000, the National Highway Transportation Safety
Administration (NHTSA) issued a letter to both Ford and Firestone
requesting information about the high incidence of tire failure
on the popular Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle (SUV).
Subsequent investigation by Ford revealed that the tread on the
15-inch ATX and ATX II models and Wilderness AT tires tended to
peel off, resulting in very high failure rates. When the tires
failed, the vehicles would roll over, sometimes killing their
occupants. After extensive conversations with the NHTSA and Ford,
Bridgestone/Firestone announced the recall of 6.5 million tires
that August 9.
The recall began in Southern and Western states, as the problems
seemed to be linked to hot weather. (A study published in May
2001 by The St. Petersburg Times found that at least 41 people
died in Firestone-related accidents in Florida alone since 1997,
more than reported by the NHTSA.) It would then move to other
regions and would be complete by the following year. In addition
to the recall, Bridgestone/Firestone also faced 50 lawsuits and a
federal investigation relating to the problem, as questions
lingered about how much both Ford and Bridgestone/Firestone knew
about the problems, and for how long, before they acted.
Bridgestone/Firestone, along with some observers, believed the
problem was not just the tires but the design of the Explorer
itself, which made it prone to tipping over. Ford fought back,
saying it would replace all Wilderness AT tires at its own
expense, including those not covered by the recall (a total of 13
million tires). Firestone responded by severing its relationship
with Ford, ending an association that dated back almost 100
years.
73, K.O. n0kfq
N0KFQ @ N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA
E-mail: kohiggs@gmail.com
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