He Said -- She Said
The Ford and Firestone battle has weakened consumer confidence, not only within our legal system, but also in the trustworthiness of the companies that manufacture the vehicles we drive and the components that compromise those vehicles. In an unscientific poll conducted in this forum, 47% of poll participants thought both companies were covering something up regarding the tire/rollover incidents involving the Ford Explorer. Another 28% agreed with the NHTSA and thought that fault was with Firestone and not Ford.
To defend its position, Firestone is challenging the Explorer's safety record vigorously. However, Firestone's statistics may raise more questions than provide answers.
A few of Firestone's latest claims:
- A tread separation is not always a tire defect.
- The Explorer's under steer causes rollovers when tread separation occurs.
- If the Explorer has an 8 times higher claim rate than the Ford Ranger, are there 8 times more Ford Explorers on the road as Rangers? Wouldn't the Ranger be an unfair comparison, since it is a light duty pickup as compared to a heavier Explorer?
How Much Quality Can $1 Billion Buy?
According to published reports, a California judge has postponed a trial that could cost Ford $750 million to $1 billion to replace faulty ignition switches. Ford is trying to reach a settlement to extend the warranties on 5 million affected vehicles. Earlier this year, an engineer warned Ford of the possible failure due to high temperatures. Even a Ford report showed the problem could have been fixed for $4.00 per vehicle.
Don't think this is a Ford or Firestone isolated issue. The year 2001 could easily be the year of the recall. Check the NHTSA to see if your vehicle is in their Recall Database.
