Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
TIRES
03031000206/01/200410012160Use of correct installation procedure for loose hubcap assembly. this service bulletin replaces 030310002. *eh02/16/2005
020310001A01/01/2005020310001B10012149Spare tire is different size than other tires. this service bulletin replaces 020310001. *eh update. *tt02/15/2005
TIRES - TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE
0207601/01/200410007773Recent shipment of flexible spare tire hoist tool. service vme. *tt07/09/2004
0184801/01/200410006583Spare tire flexible tool availability. *mr05/06/2004

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
TIRES
08/11/2007101/28/2004
 On august 6, 2007 my husband and i purchased a set of used 265/75/r e firestone steeltex from myers tires in morgan city ,la. we did buy them used. the owner told us that they just took them off of a ford pickup a few days before. so we had him put them on our 2000 gmc siera stepside pickup truck. on saturday august 11,2007 my husband and i along with my 11 year old son was on hwy 90 going to houma la from patterson la the tire that was on the rear driver side tore apart and destroyed the driver side of the bed of our truck and we could not open the drivers side back door and it almost fliped us on the highway. we let the owner know what happen and he is not helping us with nothing. i asked him if he can pay for damages done and replace the other 3 tires and he refused. he told me to get an attorney. no one was injured but now i can barly get my 11 year old son in the truck and i am scared to even drive it. we now have 4000.00 in damages to our truck.*jb
340001
 Three weeks ago vehicle was taken to the dealer because pieces of steel were sticking out of the rear driver's side tire. dealer said, the tires were fine. presently, while driving at highway speed consumer heard a loud explosion. rear driver's side tire had separated. *ak
08/16/2002109/01/2000
 Consumer noticed massive tire undulation on three of the four tires on the ground. vehicle was taken to a firestone dealer, who only adjusted the tires with the tires that would be the same as the failed tires. consumer had purchased a new set of tires by another brand. consumer states the dealer had shown them a letter stating the firestone tires are built to gm specifications. model/steel tex tire 245/75r16 e *scc
08/04/20011
 While driving, left front tire blewout, causing consumer to lose control, spin counterclockwise, and hit the median barrier, there were no injuries, also there was no specific tire information given. (ohio traffic crash report) *slc
10/01/2001
 Initially patched the tire in the center of the tread, the next problem was at least two to three inches away and was bursting on the internal wall of the tire.
01/23/2002105/01/2000
 Tire blew out, exploding sidewall, complete tire failure. *ak (dot number: vncuird019 tiresize: p255/70r/1)
11/11/2001102/01/2000
 Tire experienced belt to belt separation. *ak (dot number: w273 tiresize: p26575r16)
08/04/20011
 While driving, left front tire blewout, causing consumer to lose control, spin counterclockwise, and hit the median barrier, there were no injuries, also there was no specific tire information given. (ohio traffic crash report) *slc
07/25/2001105/01/2000
 Tire split on the inside & outside surfaces. general tire-amer1550, lt245/75r16m+r dot adttdoa030
 The vehicle came equipped with tires that were inadequate for trailer towing and off road travel, the dealer refuses to change the tires because the consumer did not request the change at the time of purchase (firestone wilderness at p265/75r16 max load 2601 lbs at 44 psi, 4 ply load rating b). nlm
06/10/2000510/01/1999
 I had no trouble with the tires until late may, 2000. during the last week of may through the middle of june 2000, i had five flats on these tires. apparently, the temperature in texas was a factor. there was never any foreign object in the hole in the tire. the holes were always of a rupture type, never a clean puncture. the flats always occurred when i was driving on gravel roads. the last flat was on the right front tire. i was again on a gravel road and was forced to brake suddenly. immediately upon braking, i experienced a rapid, almost instantaneous, deflation of the right front tire. the tire was not repairable, as the star shaped hole was approximately 2-3 inches in diameter. after this failure, with less than 12,000 miles wear on them, i replaced all four tires on my truck. at that time, nothing had been made public about problems with firestone tires. *ak (dot number: w273wma279 tiresize: p26575r16)
11/05/2000108/01/1999
 While travelling on the highway. i had a blowout on the front driver side. the blowout caused me to crash into the highway. divider. i was the only occupant and the only vehicle involved. i was not transported to a hospital but was severley sore and bruised. i did miss one day of work. the tire was a replacement tire bought in november 1999. the tires had approx. 15,000 miles. at the time of the accident i was travelling approx. 65 mph. the accident occured about 1:00 a.m. i do have pictures of the tire and of the truck. i also still have the tire.*ak (dot number: w273wma349 tiresize: p265/75r16)
202/26/2000
 Tire blowout while driving, spare tire would not release from carrier, as a result consumer had to purchase two new rear tires. nlm
07/28/2000109/01/1999
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak (tiresize: lt24575r16)( dot number: tire size: lt24575r16 )
08/21/2000211/01/1999
 Driving southbound on tx sh 123 in outside lane. suddenly, my truck felt like it was nudged from behind, lifted up and went into a backwards slide across 3 lanes into the outside northbound lane. i was struck there by a chevy astro van, and pushed off the road into the barditch. both vehicles were totataled, but no injuries. one driver in each vehicle, no passengers in either. both drivers wore seat belts. her airbag deployed, but mine did not, since i was headed backwards. upon inspection, both rear tires were blown out on my truck.( dot number: jrom184303 tire size: p265/75r16 )
11/01/1999
 I have firestone wilderness at 265/75 r16 tires on my pick-up. i am a disabled person and i am very concerned about the firestone tires that came on my gmc truck. it is my understanding that the have been problems with the 16 tires along with the 15 tires wich firestone has been recalling. i urge you to make firestone tire co. recall the 16 tires also. because of these tire problems i do not feel secure in driving on these existing firestone tires. thank you
TIRES - SIDEWALL
08/14/200434040104/10/2000
 Firestone steeltex a/t, lt245/75r16, load range c, original equipment installed on 2000 gmc sierra 1/2 ton, 4wd, pickup, purchased new by me, april 2000. on aug 14, 2004, approx 12:00noon, i was driving about 30mph , pulling a boat/trailer on a state maintained gravel road in lewis & clark county, mt., when the right front tire suddenly went flat with no sound of blow-out. after immediately stopping, i noticed the tire was comletely shredded. the entire outer sidewall had separated from the tread area by about 95%. the wheel was slightly bent. no other damage. no injuries. nothing done to correct as yet.*ak
04/06/2002112/01/1999
 I was driving when the left front tire went flat from a small, sharp piece of gravel. i changed the tire and drove home. at home i inflated the tire to determine the cause of failure. along with discovering the gravel puncture, i observed 3-4 spots around the sidewall of the tire that were raised above the rest of the sidewall. the raised places can be described as large blisters of 6-8 square inches in size. the bubble spots were found only on the outside sidewall. none were observed on the inside sidewall. i then observed the other tires on the vehicle and found depressions or unevenness in the sidewall of the other tires.*ak (dot number: w273 wma tiresize: p265/75r16)
2
 I had one blow-ut, on the right front, and after further investigation, of the remaining tires, the left front tire was defective also...the core was coming thru the sidewall, and the 2 rear tires were showing signs of premature cracking in the sidewalls. i contacted firestone about the problem, and there reply was....the only tires affected, were those that were on ford vehichle's only. i have waited long enough to see that the problem has been more widespread, than they had originally anticipated. that is the reason for my contacting you. any assistance you can provide, in getting my refund, for replacing the tires will be greatly appreciated.*ak( dot number: )
TIRES - TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE
08/08/200488000105/01/2003
 The spare tire cable under the vehicle snapped, causing the tire to fall to the ground. *ak *sc
105/01/2000
 Spare tire cannot be removed due to the tire pushing up on the tube that the tool goes into from the rear bumper, causing the tool to be misaligned with the spare tire winch. this situation could be hazardous on the highways due to the frustration of trying for hours to get the tire down. ****dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis ****760787. *ak *jb
 Consumer can not get emergency spare tire out of vehicle with tools that are provided by manufacturer due to a bent plastic shaft that was bent during assembly. please provide further information. *ak
TIRES - TREAD/BELT
06/22/200759989108/30/2006
 Tl*the contact owns a 2000 gmc sierra 1500. on june 22, 2007, the front driver side tire blew out. the tire was the original firestone wilderness at i equipment that was on the vehicle when it was purchased. the contact stated that one side of the tire was shredded. the current mileage was 60,000 and failure mileage was 59,989. updadated 08/02/07. *jb
10/17/2003370001
 While driving steering wheel pulled in either direction. consumer managed to pull over, and saw that both front tire treads separated. firestone tires size p265/75r16. *ak
09/01/20021
 Please add tire model and dot code, p235/75r16, original equipment on a 2000 gmc sierra with 25000 miles. front passenger tire experienced tread separation at 75 mph.*jb the consumer and his lawyer sent two petitions requesting that nhtsa reopen its previous investigation into firestone steel tex light truck radial tires due to an alleged defect in their design and perfomance taking into consideration those tires installed on ambulance and emergency response vehicles. the consumer replaced all five tires including the spare tire that only had 300 miles on it. *tc
07/21/200112/01/1999
 Under tire inspection noticed that the tire tread was separating on all tires., *ak (dot number: w273wma369 tiresize: p265/75r16)
02/29/2000102/28/2000
 At 26k miles the tires handled poorly in wet and snowy weather, the treads are low for the vehicles mileage (goodyear wrangler st p235/75r16 - dot t3024545). nlm
12/15/2000109/01/2000
 There are two differant dot # on four tires .i am almost certain that the dealer will replace the tires for me. but firestone dealer was contacted and refused to even look at the tires. gmc dealer says there are belts that are separated in the tires. dot on two tires are vn73 the other two are w273.*ak (dot number: vn73-w273 tiresize: 265/75r/16)
09/01/2000102/15/2000
 Pe00 020; consumer was inspecting tires and noticed that left rear tire had tread separation. he took it to firestone, and the attendant told him that the tire wasn't on recall. firestone wilderness#at p265/75r16 and dot # 73wma479 made in canada. there were no injuries. *ak the customer has requested the firestone company to include p265/75r16 wilderness at to the recall list. *yh
09/14/2000
 Original equipment with firestone, wilderess at, p26575r16. while driving 5 mph braking system did not stop vehicle, may have been due to tires. tread design did not give off traction which may have caused extended stopping distance and crash. please provide further information. *ak
2
 Pe-00-020; original equipment on a 2000 gmc, sierra, tire size p26575r16, dot # vn73wma489. two separate incidents when driving between 65-70 mph right rear tire blewout. second incident, while driving replacement tire tread came off. consumer has contacted manufacturer. tires had around 16 thousands miles of wear on them. *ak