Toyota Venza Forum

bigted · #1 02-06-2010, 11:16 PM

I have had my Venza for just over 3 weeks. I am really happy with my purchase even with the media feeding frenzy. It handles the snow like it isn't there and I can't wait for summer to open the roof!

squid · #2 02-06-2010, 11:46 PM

Yeah, they sure didn't make a big fuss when the Firestone tires were wrecking people in their Fords all over the place now did they?

Quote:

The Firestone tire recall is perhaps the most deadly auto safety crisis in American history. US regulators on 16 October, 2000 have raised the death count to 119 (the death count has steadily risen from 62, later to 88 and 101 deaths reported on 9/20/2000). Experts believe there may be as many as 250 deaths and more than 3000 catastrophic injuries associated with the defective tires. Most of the deaths occur in accidents involving the Ford Explorer which tends to rollover when one of the tires blows out.

In May 2000, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration issued a letter to Ford and Firestone requesting information about the high incidence of tire failure on Ford Explorer vehicles. During July, Ford obtained and analyzed the data on tire failure. The data revealed that 15" ATX and ATX II models and Wilderness AT tires had very high failure rates: the tread peels off. Many of the tires were made at a Decatur, Illinois plant. Worse, when the tires fail the vehicle often rolls over and kills the occupants.

Ford Officials estimate the defect rate is 241 tires per million for 15-Inch ATX and ATX II tires. By contrast Ford says there are no defects in 16 Inch tires per million and only 2.3 incidents per million on other tires.
On August 9 both companies decided on the recall. Ford and Firestone disagreed as to how to break the news. Bridgestone/Firestone officials wanted to read a statement at a joint briefing without answering any questions. Ford strongly disagreed with this strategy and warned of disaster if they refused questions. Ultimately questions were asked, many of them remain unanswered.

http://www.firestone-tire-recall.com.../overview.html

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