How can I check the reliability and rating of new car tires?

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We have a Ford Explorer. It wasn't one of the groups from the tire recall but they are replacing all Explorer tires. Now here is the thing. A mechanic friend of my husbands told us that the Goodyears that they are replacing with are worse then the Firestones we already have but that they have not publicize that fact. How can I look this up to see if it is indeed true? I'd rather keep what I have if this is right. Thanks for any information.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), September 28, 2001

Answers

Dee, First of all I don't work for Goodyear. Actually they were a competitor of mine a long time ago. But.

I have a 1993 Ford Explorer. 240,000 miles. I just changed out a set of Goodyear Tracker Radials, the light truck style, which is 6 ply versus 4 ply for passenger cars. These tires are only available at Walmart. Here is the neat part....... I got 100,000 miles on this set of tires! They are rated at 50,000.

I drive 50 miles one way to work. All but 1/2 mile is on country blacktop and city streets. The 1/2 mile is gravel and I take it real slow on that stuff. I got the tires balanced and rotated every 7,500 miles or so, religously. I also change the oil every 3,000 like clockwork.

Other than punctures from the shale on the gravel roads, they performed beautifully. I drive off road, too, unlike a lot of exploreres. And through snow and mud also. When it came time to replace the tires, I went right back and ordered another set of Trackers.

I used to travel for a living, and have never got this type of performance from anybodys tires. I guess you could look for consumer reports on tires, or maybe the National Transportation Safety Bureau has a site that would have information of the type you are looking for.

-- Rickstir (rpowell@email.ccis.edu), September 28, 2001.


Cooper tires are very good. I've had a set on my Volvo for close to six months and they barely look worn.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), September 28, 2001.

I took a set of Goodyears off of my truck and put on Michlin I got tired of the THUMP THUMP THUMP. They are smooth and quiet. No more Goodyears for me.

-- Mel Kelly (melkelly@webtv.net), September 28, 2001.

I own a '97 Ford Ranger. Came With Firestone ATX tires as origonal equipment. Replaced them about a year ago with 78,000 miles.I would have recieved better better mileage but the front end was out of alignment and wore them prematurely. Replaced them with Firestone ATX tires(new tread design).

My take on this whole deal is this: It's a design flaw in the Explorer with a few bad tires thrown in. From what I've read and heard,statisically(SP) most of the tread seperations were from a particular spot on the truck (I.E. right front, left front- not sure which). Heat also seems to have played a part( whether it was from ambient temperature or from extra friction caused from Fords recommened lower air pressure).

Firestone has admitted to flaws in manufacturing, on one size of tire, at one plant, over a certain period of time( the tires that were in the origonal recall). Some of the tires that are replacements have a worse record of seperations than the Firestones.

Firestone is a reputable company. I find it hard to believe they would intentionally put out a defective tire-one that could possibly bankrupt the company.

As a side note, Brazil (I think) is considering banning the Explorer. They replaced the "defective tires" a while back but are still having the same problems.

I would have kept better record of web sites, ect. but didn't think anyone else would be asking this question. I'll do a search and see what I can find.

Bruman

-- Bruman (bruman@bright.net), September 28, 2001.


Okay, I did what Rickstir suggested and looked up Consumer Reports. Believe it or not, the tires I have on now rated better then the Goodyear they want to replace it with but only by a little. They did say that Goodyear had better traction on ice. Thanks for the suggestions.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), September 28, 2001.


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