Ford Explorer Rollover - Contact SUV Rollover Lawyer, Houston ...
Ford Explorer was it soon became a marketing dream the perfect vehicle for a baby-boom generation Ford Explorer Rollover - Contact SUV Rollover Lawyer, Houston, Texas Attorneythat wanted it all. You could use it as your family car, and it had the rugged, adventurous image of a truck. Reports, memos and other documents concerning the design of the Explorer have been produced by Ford in response to discovery demands in dozens of lawsuits stemming from rollover crashes, some involving tire failures and some not. Documents previously disclosed by The Times show that as the 1990 launch of the Explorer approached, Ford engineers were concerned that the vehicle be at least as stable as the Bronco II compact SUV that the Ford Explorer would soon replace.
Firestone tire recall and problems with Ford Explorer tire failure
The ATX tire was original equipment (OE) on the Ford Explorer when first produced in 1990. Earlier versions of the tire were designed with aggressive shoulder patterns and were more of an on-off highway tire. In the latter part of the 1980's, Ford Motor Company asked Firestone to make a tire that looked like a truck tire but performed like a passenger car tire. Firestone's James D. Gardner, former Director of Product Analysis, testified in his deposition in December 2000, that Ford Motor Company was at the top of sophistication as a customer, with its own engineering staff and its own tire people. The ATX tire was designed for a maximum of 35 psi. The Ford Explorer was first produced in 1990 to replace the Bronco II starting in the 1991 model year. The Bronco II was known to have a dangerous tendency to flip over during typical emergency turning maneuvers. During the development of the Explorer in the late 1980's, Ford's engineers noted the Explorer's static stability factor (ssf) - one measure of a vehicle's propensity to roll over - was worse than that of the Bronco II.
Introduction And Background
Firestone (BF) began production of a specially-designed, 15-inch ATX tire to be used as original equipment on the Ford Explorer that was being introduced in the 1991 model year. This tire was used as original equipment on several other Ford models and was sold directly to consumers as a replacement tire.
Automobile Recalls - Tires - Tire Recalls, Warnings & Alerts
ABC News reported that Firestone officials knew as early as 1997 that there were concerns regarding the company's Wilderness tires, but apparently took no action to correct the problems. Additionally documents uncovered by ABC News reveal that Saudi Arabian Ford dealership notified Firestone and urged the tire maker to recall tires fitted on Ford Explorer vehicles.
Recalled Product - Tires
On August 9, 2000, Ford and Firestone announced the recall of 14 million defective tires. The recall covers Firestone ATX, ATX II and Wilderness Tires, including Ford Explorer SUVs. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration received reports that treads on the tires peel off causing damage, injury and death. Investigations suggest that tires fail because of poor design and inadequate quality control in the manufacturing process. Investigations also suggest that the design of the Ford Explorer may rollover when a defective tire fails. Firestone president John Lampe told CNN that Ford has not been forthcoming in its dealings, suggesting that the design of the Ford Explorer makes it prone to rollover, and that Ford is partially at fault for traffic injuries and deaths.
Ford Explorer Rollover - Online Lawyer Source
Ford Explorer rollover risks are the pinnacle of concern regarding SUV safety. A federal study found that Ford Explorer rollover risk is sixteen times greater than the risk of rollover in passenger vehicles. Rollover is the second most fatal type of accident that can occur in an auto accident, following head-on collisions. The Ford Explorer was then introduced on the market in 1990. Shortly thereafter, reports surfaced indicating that Ford Explorer rollover risks rivaled those of the Bronco II. Ford Explorer rollover tests showed that this SUV also tipped onto two wheels or rolled over completely at low speeds. Concerns about Ford Explorer rollover and other SUV safety risks impelled the government to institute a comprehensive vehicle rollover rating system which would determine SUV rollover risks. The Ford Explorer rollover risk was found to be at least three times higher than other motor vehicles, a figure consistent with similar SUVs of its class. In January 2002, Ford released a re-designed Explorer (consistent with the changes that were suggested originally).
We are not an official site of ford. We are just adepts of ford religion. We own ford cars, we drive ford cars, we want to read about ford cars and finally we want to tell you what news we found about our cars. All trademarks you can find on this site are belong to their respective owners. ford is trademark of Ford Motor Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates. You can find official ford information at official web site.
© Copyright 2005. Info About Ford