Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TIRES | |||||
| 9852 | 04/13/1998 | 601290 | Information on tire company telephone numbers for customer assistance. *yc | 07/17/1998 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| TIRES | |||
| 10/12/2010 | 80000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 1998 ford windstar with star fire flite line iv all wheel drive tires size 215 /70 r15. the contact stated the tires tread peeled off of all four tires. the failure occurred with less than 18000 miles on the tires. the place where the tires were purchased told the contact that tires only last five years and then should be replaced. the dot number was not known at the time of the complaint. the vin was not available at the time of the complaint. the failure mileage on the vehicle was 80000.rl | |||
| 01/15/2007 | 134000 | 2 | 07/09/1998 |
| Tl*- the contact stated that while driving his 1998 ford winstar at 35 mph on june 26, 2005 the passenger side front tire came off the vehicle and fell to the ground, the vehicle ran over the tire. on january 15, 2007 the passenger side front tire fell off and went behind the vehicle then hit a fence across the road. the front passenger side went into the ground and the vehicle spun around once and came to a complete stop. the vehicle was towed and repaired on both occasions. *ak | |||
| 03/09/2006 | 99000 | 1 | 05/02/2001 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was parked for six hours, the left front tire exploded. also, the tread had separated. the dealership inspected the tire and determined the contact over inflated the tire, resulting in the tire exploding. the dealership replaced the tire, but refused to give the damaged tire back to the contact. the tire was size: p21570r15. the brand name was an all season cooper dominator. | |||
| 01/17/2003 | 2 | ||
| Purchased 2 cooper trendsetter se tires, tire identification no. 2utm3c2j4702, on january 17, 2003. since that time, tires have not held air and have suffered loss of trend and traction causing a dangerous condition. returned to retailer in march of 2005 and tires were taken off and resealed at a cost of $15.00 but tires still continue to loss air. since the date of purchase, only 23,000 have been put on these tires. *nm | |||
| 05/15/2001 | 37000 | ||
| This van has all the defects and complaints listed on thegovt. recalls the nhtsa site and others ihave too much info to put on this site if there is anyone i can send my complaint to please let me know iam putting it back into the shop again ive been thru a nightmare along with trying to assure my 4 kids that they were safe in this van thankyou angela wallace and by the wat the dealer that sold me this van will not cooperate at all | |||
| 07/15/2002 | 80000 | ||
| The transmission failed after having the fluid and pan gasket changed within the previous 6 months. since it is a '98 and although it has the same transmission as earlier years (whose transmissions have been replaced at no cost to the owner because of either recalls or secret warranties) ford refused to replace this transmission at cost. | |||
| 06/19/2003 | 97000 | 1 | |
| While driving 10 mph the vehicles right front tire fell off. *nlm | |||
| 06/20/2003 | 3 | 01/01/2000 | |
| While in motion, the left rear tire tread peeled off and caused extensive damage to the vehicle. size p215/70r14, dot 30913urbw16895-1, original tires with 10,000-15000 miles on them. *ak the left rear tire tread exploded. the consumer was passing another vehicle in the left passing lane when the tread separated. the consumer pulled over and saw the tire was not deflated and the tread was tightly wrapped under the vehicle. the consumer's wife brought to his attention, the other bad experiences with the tires. one had blown out through the tread and the second tire developed a bulged that caused a wobble in the steering. *scc *jb | |||
| 07/30/2000 | 91477 | 4 | |
| Tires are goodyear integrity. consumer had all four tires fail on four different occasions. *jg *jb *nlm | |||
| 2 | 06/24/1998 | ||
| When shifting from 1st to 2nd gear, the van would vibrate. the dealership stated they replaced the motor mounts, however the condition still persists. the motor mounts were replaced again due to the same problem of unknown vibration. nlm *jb the passenger side front tire wore out. the tie rod ends were replaced. *jg | |||
| 11/18/2001 | 1 | 01/01/1998 | |
| Tire blew up while i was driving on the freeway. *ak (tiresize: p20570r15) | |||
| 11/01/1998 | |||
| I went to purchase 2 new tires after an average road hazard blowout at costco for my fwd windstar w/ antilock brakes. they refused to put the new tires on the front, even though the tires not being replaced had good tread wear remaining. they sighted an article on the counter and a handout from michelin stating it was their policy to place the tires on the rear. this makes no sence!. it appears to be a ploy to sell more tires by leaving old tires on the front where they wear faster, extend the warranty on the new tires by letting them wear less on the rear, and decreasing possible tire liability by having the new tires not control (steer) the vehicle! do you have any information that this practice is safer or is it a marketing ploy that is out of control??. | |||
| 09/01/2001 | 0 | ||
| Consumer took vehicle to repair shop because front tire tires were balled inside. mechanic told consumer that upper ball joints and tire rod ends were defective. consumer replaced them. there was no accident. *ak | |||
| 08/20/2001 | 06/01/1999 | ||
| My wife pulled out of the driveway onto the road and heard a horrible screeching/squealing sound and smelled rubber burning. she pulled into the center lane, approximately 50 feet from our driveway and stopped. she asked our daughter to get out of the vehicle and see what was wrong. she said, mom, the tire is touching the rear bumper. my wife turned the vehicle around in the neighbor's driveway and drove back into our driveway. she called me out and i looked at the rear right control arm on the rear axle assembly. it was completely severed and pulled approximately 3 inches apart. the rear right tire was scraping the bumper and had gouges in the tread (the tire is ruined). the left wheel was pushed slightly forward. i know if she had made it to the expressway and this piece had broke at 70 mph, my child, her 3 friends, and my wife would be dead. i am worried that anybody with the same style and year vehicle could have the same defect, and i want it made aware to all. i am petrified to think what could have occurred. i also have digital pictures of the defect which could be e-mailed at your request. | |||
| 01/01/2000 | 3 | ||
| Consumer experienced problems with three goodyear tires size: p215/70r15, dot: 4bn3ddwr037 on 1998, ford, windstar. first tire had 23,000 miles on it, and belts bunched up in it, distorting the shape of the tire, egg shaped. second tire had 30,000 miles on it, and the steel belt came through sidewall of tire. third tire had 46,000 miles on it, and steel belt bunched up, allowing a bubble to form in tread of tire. *ak goodyear invicta gs. *slc | |||
| 07/24/2001 | 1 | 12/01/1999 | |
| Purchased tire from t & t tire on 6/23/2000. tire separation at 75 mph. store sold tire to me as new when it was 9 years old. michelin is working with me on it but store owner doesn't seem to feel that he is responsible for damage done to vehicle and future debts to be assessed to get body damage repaired. do not feel this is right and would like to see changes made to hold the store owner liable for all damages when knowingly sell a tire that should have been removed from stock. *ak (dot number: 1991 tiresize: p215/70r15) | |||
| 06/01/2001 | 0 | ||
| Right passenger's side tire veered to right. dealership was aware of problem. had tires replaced with brand new ones. dealership changed the tires to left. *ak | |||
| 03/09/2001 | 1 | 06/01/1997 | |
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak (tiresize: p215/70r15)( dot number: tire size: p215/70r15 ) | |||
| 05/11/2001 | 1 | ||
| Front right coil spring broke while consumer's daughter was driving at approximately 10 mph. when coil spring broke, it caused front right tire to blowout. consumer replaced original tire with a spare, resulting in spare being destroyed because of broken coil spring. *ak *jb | |||
| Just an angry citizen who hopes that maybe you can steer me in a proper direction. i was traveling through california to santa cruz for vacation. i own a 1992 mazda extended cab 4x4 and was the last of four cars in a very serious accident in which a brand new looking (i don't know the actual year) blew a tire (or lost front wheel) and flipped. my vehicle is totalled and it will cost me thousands to replace since my insurance will not cover all damages. police filled out reports, people taken away in helicopters.... yet my insurance company can't seem to find any police reports. do i have any rights to pursue as the consumer? shouldn't ford or the insurance company of the minivan pay for my losses? i don't mean to sound selfish or cold since many people were hurt, but i am currently being partially covered by my insurance for losses that were not of my fault.*ak | |||
| 10/17/2000 | 1 | 10/31/1997 | |
| Front left firestone tire on ford, windstar, 1998 blewout. *ak firestone fr680 p205/70r15, dot# e4027490, consumer received notification from claims precessing stating consumer would receive a decision within 30 days, however has heard nothing, consumer states 1 person was injured. *slc | |||
| 04/03/2000 | 1 | ||
| While driving 35 mph front two coil springs broke and vehicle's front dropped. *ak also a tire on the right side blew out. the spring was replaced. *yh | |||
| 06/01/2000 | 2 | 06/01/1998 | |
| Had two tires worn to steel belt within 3 months in same location. ford says its the tires! it seems odd to me that 2 tires in same location would wear down to belt in same spot . the 2nd time it happened within 3 months. this is dangerous and ford has been uncooperative in handling a serious concern! *ak (tiresize: 21570r15)( dot number: tire size: 21570r15 ) | |||
| 09/27/2000 | 3 | 04/01/1998 | |
| Two tires blew out and the third was caught just before failure. tread separation was evident on the third tire. all tires had been well cared for and had 67% tread remaining. tire pressure maintained between 30 and 36 psi. dealer who identified failure mode and replaced tires is: alpine tire co., 2750 s glen ave, glenwood springs, co (970)945-6662. the dealer was going to retain the tires for adjustment from goodyear (tiresize: p215/70r15)( dot number: tire size: p215/70r15 ) | |||
| 06/01/1998 | |||
| On 9/7/00 i went to the local firestone dealer telling them we were leaving for vacation in florida on the 9th and to please do an early oil change and rotate the tires, making sure the tires were in good condition (because of all the problems with firestone tires). i was told the tires were fine and actually watched while they rotated them. we got to fl and, because of the rocky ride down in the rain, my husband took the van to sears to get it aligned. he was horrified to learn that the two front tires were 'out of round' and that one of those firestone tires had tread that was on the verge of separating. this is what has killed so many people. our van is not on the recall list. we brought the tires back with us and they are stored in our garage, so i can get the necessary numbers, etc., for you if you wish. i took the tires to the firestone dealer. the manager agreed we should never have driven that far with that tire, and he apologized; however, his only action will be to adjust the cost of new firestone tires when we need them (we bought two new michelin tires). this tire only had 26,000 miles on it. we have a 2 1/2-year-old son, and we are petrified knowing this tire could have caused an accident and killed our entire family. when i called firestone this morning, they said no one else with a '98 ford windstar has reported this problem.*ak( dot number: ) | |||
| 06/01/1998 | |||
| On 9/7/00 i went to the local firestone dealer telling them we were leaving for vacation in florida on the 9th and to please do an early oil change and rotate the tires, making sure the tires were in good condition (because of all the problems with firestone tires). i was told the tires were fine and actually watched while they rotated them. we got to fl and, because of the rocky ride down in the rain, my husband took the van to sears to get it aligned. he was horrified to learn that the two front tires were 'out of round' and that one of those firestone tires had tread that was on the verge of separating. this is what has killed so many people. our van is not on the recall list. we brought the tires back with us and they are stored in our garage, so i can get the necessary numbers, etc., for you if you wish. i took the tires to the firestone dealer. the manager agreed we should never have driven that far with that tire, and he apologized; however, his only action will be to adjust the cost of new firestone tires when we need them (we bought two new michelin tires). this tire only had 26,000 miles on it. we have a 2 1/2-year-old son, and we are petrified knowing this tire could have caused an accident and killed our entire family. when i called firestone this morning, they said no one else with a '98 ford windstar has reported this problem. *ak( dot number: ) | |||
| 06/17/2000 | 1 | 06/01/1999 | |
| Tire blew out on a hot day while traveling after 1.5 hours.( dot number: tire size: 15/235r ) | |||
| 08/17/2000 | 1 | 12/01/1998 | |
| I have experianced rapid depressurization of the lr tire on my mini-van causing the vehicle to cross the centerline . i was able to return to the right side of the highway avoiding an accident. after i came to a stop there was a hole in the sidewall 11/2 in. wide by 3 high. these tires have not been abused, always properly inflated, not overloaded and properly rotated and inspected. the cause (per goodyear dealer) was ply seperation where the tread meets the sidewall.( dot number: tire size: p235-70r15 ) | |||
| 02/27/2000 | 1 | ||
| On feb. 27 of this year, the right front tire blew out( dot number: tire size: p205/70r15 ) | |||
| 08/01/1999 | 08/22/1998 | ||
| Rear tire blew. | |||
| 12/12/1999 | 0 | ||
| While wife was driving tire blew out, and automobile accelerated. driver could not get automobile to stop.- vehicle went into a ditch and flipped over. driver was injured. *ak | |||
| 08/31/1999 | 100 | 09/01/1997 | |
| *since purchase new, one tire would go nearly flat weekly. took it to the dealer to have it checked when they checked the window mechanism and the abs sensor light--no problem found. took it to 3 different tire stores (2 goodyear)--no problem found. it went bald after only 18k and 2 rotations. no problem since purchasing 2 new tires. alignment was not a problem--done @ 10k & 21k. weather did not effect air loss, either. *drivers auto-down feature has never worked consistantly. has nearly caused accidents & is very frustrating. dealer has checked it too many times to count--same with the *abs light on the dash coming on and not going off. i think they changed fuses once--still happens, but not as often. would that effect safety? i don't know if the system will work properly while the light is flashing. *wiper problem is very intermittent--of course. when on slow intermittent (1 or 2) speed, will speed up on it's own to very fast & then must be turned off & back on again in order to get the correct speed set again. temp & time run does not effect malfunction at all--happens hot or cold & after 3-5 minutes or up to an hour. back wiper has always chattered when wiping--worse when cold. *can you change this window? it's hard to tell what you type and very hard to correct errors.( dot number: 97s ? tire size: p215/70r15 ) | |||
| 1 | 07/01/1997 | ||
| Tire rim leaking. yh | |||
| 10/11/1998 | 1 | 09/03/1998 | |
| Tires blew (firestone). *yc | |||
| 04/29/1998 | 3 | 07/05/1997 | |
| Tires blew out on highway speeds. | |||
| TIRES - BEAD | |||
| 11/01/2002 | |||
| While driving the vehicle's tire rod squeaks when wheel is turning. please provide additional information. ts | |||
| 05/15/2002 | |||
| Both front wheels show sign of cracks within beads of the wheels. manufacturer was notified. feel free to provide any further information.*ak | |||
| TIRES - SIDEWALL | |||
| 1 | |||
| Firestone fr680 tire (p205 70 r15) is experiencing sidewall separation. *slc | |||
| TIRES - TREAD/BELT | |||
| 07/25/2007 | 1 | 02/15/2007 | |
| Under normal driving conditions the tread of tire of my tire came off down the belts, the tire made the vehicle hard to drive and could of caused an accident, i was driving on the expressway @ 55 mph when this happened. i had to replace my tire. *jb | |||
| 07/01/2005 | 3 | ||
| I had three of the four subject tires separate on three different incidents. the first tore out the front end of the car causing $950 damage (july 2004). at this point we replaced both front tires. the second (left rear separated at highway speed) july 1, 2005. and the third separated a week later on the return trip home (july 9, 2005). the tires were mastercraft p794 205-70-15 something must be done to correct this problem. the treads were brand new and no visual warning signs were available. no year given mastercraft p22575r15 - tires:tread/belt : http://recalls.justia.com/auto-content-5303.html | |||
| 08/19/2004 | 1 | ||
| While traveling 65 mph right front tire tread separated. once stopped, air began to seep out. wheel weld along with the brake line were severed. consumer was aware of nhtsa recall 00t011000,concerning thin liner. *ak | |||
| 06/03/2004 | 1 | ||
| Cooper tire radial tire tread separation. i was driving with my family to murfreesboro to visit relatives when the tread separated. there was much damage to my van including body as well as fuel line. noboy was injured but it was very frightening. it happened on interstate 24 just before monteagle mtn. i drive a 1998 ford windstar van. i replaced the tire with a temporary and drove back to walmart at kimball exit to get new tires. because of the fuel line damage, i will not drive the van again until it is repaired.*ak | |||
| 04/26/2002 | 40000 | 1 | 06/10/1998 |
| While driving and with no warning, tread separated from tire. p20570t15. dot w2m01p1188. *tt | |||
| 08/25/2002 | 1 | ||
| The right rear tire tread separated while the consumer was driving at 70 mph. the incident resulted in body damage to the vehicle (firestone tublps fr680, tire size p205/70r15 and dot # w2m01p1118. tire mileage was 18000). *yh | |||
| 09/04/2002 | 1 | 10/01/2097 | |
| The tread separated all the way around the tire which has never been underinflated, overloaded or abused in any way.*ak | |||
| 04/26/2002 | 1 | 06/10/1998 | |
| While driving and without warning tire tread started to separate, causing vehicle to have a blowout. consumer had to pull over. dealer notified. size p20570r15, dot # w2mo *ak the blown out tire caused damages to the vehicle's side panel and mud guard. *yh | |||
| 07/01/2002 | 1 | ||
| Original tires, firestone 20570r15, consumer states while traveling at highway speeds heard a big boom, vehicle started to vibrate, and consumer states it was had to keep control of vehicle. the tread seperated from left rear tire. consumer states the weather was very hot. please provide any further information.*jb | |||
| 10/11/2001 | 1 | 03/01/1998 | |
| I noticed recently a vibration in the steering wheel while driving. from past experience, i thought one of the tires needed balancing, since i did not feel any problems with the brake rotors. i went to have the tires checked, and the goodyear dealer said the tires had a defect in the belts. he recommended replacing all 4 tires, because he said they all looked bad. i made an appointment for the next day (10/12/01) to have them replaced, but wouldn't you know it, i went to drive to work on the freeway on 10/11/01 and the rear passenger side tire blew up. i think that goodyear should replace these tires at no charge instead of pro-rating them, but that probably won't happen without a recall right? i would not want this to happen to anybody else driving on the freeway. what if they have bad tires, but did not notice any vibration like i did? can these tires blow up without any warning to other drivers?*ak (tiresize: p215 70r15) | |||
| 09/17/2001 | 1 | ||
| Tread on the front right goodyear eagle ls tire, size: p215/70r15, dot: unknown on a 1990, ford, windstar is starting to separate, there are approximately 44,000 miles on the tires.*ak consumer states the tire did separate and decided to replaced the left front tire which also had separated, consumer then replaced all four tires.*jb | |||
| 06/27/2001 | 3 | 05/01/1999 | |
| 3 of my 4 tires separated due to a factory defect - the belts separated, causing them to be unsafe enough not to pass virginia state inspection. the tread wear on all of them was 67%. my failed tires caused me to have to buy 4 brand new tires, even though the problem was a factory defect. we did not get into an accident - yet. these tires should be recalled if they are not safe. *ak (dot number: 4bm3ddwr38 tiresize: 2157015) | |||
| 05/13/2001 | 1 | 06/21/1997 | |
| Tire size p205/70r15, original equipment on a ford, windstar, 1998; while driving 60 mph tread on driver's side tire separated. *ak firestone tire dot number w2m01p1087. *yh | |||
| 09/10/2000 | 1 | ||
| While driving, firestone right rear tire p205/70r15 experienced tread separation, tire still had pressure after separation. *slc | |||
| 08/03/1999 | 06/01/1999 | ||
| I believe you should add the firestone tires that were standard equipment on the 1998 windstar to your investigation. the circumstances seem pretty similar.our tire shredded on highway at 70 mph . tread wrapped around rear axle. fortunately i was able to get the car to the side of the road and there were no injuries but this occured in a rural area in 100 degree weather. if not for mobile phone and service we could have died of heat stroke. car was towed by aaa to sheridan, wyoming goodyear dealer. we were told that it was definite tire failure. firestone dealer in las vegas examined tread and refused to replace at no charge or admit defect. after many calls and complaints, firestone customer service finally refunded us $40.00 and nothing towards the towing or other costs involved. *ak( dot number: tire size: p20570rx15 ) | |||
| 09/05/1999 | 3 | 10/01/1997 | |
| Original equipment on a 98 windstar, size p215/70r15, right rear tire tread separated at highway speeds. *ak 2 other goodyear invicta tires dot#pdm3dder317 experienced irrepairable bulges. *slc | |||
| TIRES - VALVE | |||
| 12/29/2000 | 10 | 11/30/2000 | |
| Consumer has experienced several problems with the transmission, dealer has replaced it once, however problems continue, consumer has filed for a request for arbitration, vehicle bucks, jerks, and jumps into gear before taking off. vehicle shimmies from one side to another upon acceleration, there is a thumping sound heard also at times while driving. vehicle experienced a speed sensor circuit problem. speedometer jumps. problem with power steering, dealer adjusted rack and pinion and made other repairs to steering mechanism. right side brake light bulb failed. battery failed. consumer stated it felt as if vehicle was going to stall sometimes, engine has no power at acceleration, engine belt was noisy and was replaced. tire had a slow leak due to loose tire valve. *slc | |||