BBC Monday, 21 May, 2001, 14:33 GMT 15:33 UK

Tyre scare prompts Explorer recall

The Ford Motor Company is recalling 50,000 of its Explorer sports utility vehicles after fears that a production line fault has sliced into tyre treads.

The recall is the second in three months for the 2002 Explorer, which is meant to be a safer version of the vehicle at the centre of last year's Firestone tyre safety scandal.

Ford launched the model in the US in March after several months of delay during which engineers scoured the vehicle for potential faults.

But in April, Ford was forced to contact 56,000 Explorer owners after it discovered the rear tailgate window could break when being shut.

Now - in a fresh embarrassment for the US car giant - an assembly line conveyor belt which was too narrow for the wider 2002 model is thought to have cut into tyre treads.

'No accidents'

A Ford spokesman said about 9% or 10% of the 50,000 Explorers made at its Louisville, Kentucky, plant had cuts from 5 inches to 9 inches long and up to half an inch deep in the right tyre treads caused by the conveyor belt.

No Firestone tyres are involved in this latest recall. Explorers made at the Kentucky plant are fitted with either Goodyear or Michelin tyres.

The company plans to send a letter to all Explorer owners, the majority of whom live in the US, offering to check and replace damaged tyres free of charge.

A spokesman said: "It was the assembly line we had for the previous vehicle.

"The new model is 2.5 inches wider, so it's too narrow for the new vehicle... It's a cut that doesn't pose any immediate kind of safety concern."

Ford said it had received no reports of accidents or injuries involving the tyres.

It said it had fixed the problem at the Louisville plant after the cuts were discovered.

Explorers made at Ford's St. Louis plant were not affected by the problem.

Firestone debacle

Last August, Ford began recalling 6.5 million Firestone tyres, most on the Explorer, following reports of sudden blow-outs and tread loss.

Federal officials are investigating 174 deaths and more than 700 injuries linked to the Firestone tyres.

Earlier this month, Ford said it was considering asking Firestone to recall more tyres after the car maker said it found safety problems with other tyres installed on its vehicles, according to US press reports.

Ford admitted that the problems are not as severe as the ones that plagued the Explorer.

Nevertheless, the maker of Ford, Volvo and Jaguar cars says it is working closely with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to determine what steps it should take.

Since Ford began allowing customers to choose the tires for the new Explorers, only about 1% have chosen Firestone, which used to be fitted as standard equipment on the best-selling model.

-- Anonymous, May 21, 2001

Answers

Just read that Firestone is going to sever its business connections with Ford. They feel that Ford is sticking them with faults that rightfully belong to the vehicle, rather than just the tires.

-- Anonymous, May 21, 2001