Failed tires OK'd for Explorers
March 3rd 2006



Ford approved replacement tires for its Explorer SUV that made it just as likely to roll over as the originals Ford blamed for more than 200 deaths, reports the Detroit News. The evidence, introduced as part of an Explorer trial in Mississippi, may support hundreds of pending lawsuits claiming the vehicle is unstable and could flip over during evasive driving.

Source: Left Lane News

Are Ford buyers just idiots or what? This is another prime example that they don't care about, "the Ford Family".... they'd murder so called family members just for cash. This wouldn't happen with a Dodge might I add

 

Cheap fixes seldom work........

Dusty

 

Over 1.5 million sold and only 200 deaths because someone can't control a weight transfer during an evasive manuever. Tests showed that Motor Trend blew tires on purpose and even they couldn't couldn't get the Explorer to flip. The deaths could be attributed to other things as well. No longer a Ford supporter anymore but I think Ford got the short end of the stick on this one. The Pinto was a different story.

200 deaths accounts for .000133% of the Explorers sold could have caused a death.

 

Right and .000133% is ok? [sarcasm]It's only 200 people dead. That's ok, right?[/sarcasm]

Excuses suck and stupid excuses are worse...

 

Well dang, took the words right of my mouth. Also, excuses are like @ssholes, everyone has one and they all stink.

 

Having driven an Explorer or a daily basis and nearly owning one, it shouldn't take a rocket scientist to realize that they were prone to flipping. You didn't even need a blown tire to do it either, just a sharp turn or so, something any vehicle should be able to surpass.

 

I betcha I can flip a durango. Does that mean dodge wants to kill its customers?

That little news clip doesn't explain anything about what tires,etc. Is left lane news even a creditable site?

The only thing I can find is that Ford was REMOVING some of their previously approved replacement tires for having too many separation claims.

The problem with the abnormal incidents of flipping was the firestones that were prone to separation. Any vehicle with a high center of gravity is easy to roll over.

 

Hit the nail right on the head. What the buying public thinks is that their SUV is now a sports car. Notice how many SUV's and such come with ESP now. I bet I can flip a Commander over pretty easily too, but can't because Chrysler made ESP standard on it (probably internal tests showed that it needed it). And yes ANY VEHICLE with a high center of gravity can roll over, trucks are trucks not sports cars, unless modified in such a way that it's able to accept such manuvers (ie: SRT-8 GG, SRT-10 Ram)

 

any car can be flipped. I damned near flipped my '97 neon on stock suspension and stock tires. I was operating outside of what could be called regular use, but they could be reproduced in times of danger or alarm.

 

youd have to roll it up a median or a ditch to get a neon to roll over.....