Recalling of Firestone tires impacts CSULB students

By Jeff Dusing
Daily Forty-Niner

As Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. proceeds with its recall on an estimated 6.5 million tires sold with many Ford and Mazda trucks and sport utility vehicles, there is still much confusion among vehicle owners.

"They don't contact you, you have to do it yourself," said Cal State Long Beach senior Jaret Uyeda, the owner of a 1991 Mazda Navajo. "They said they were back ordered for 2 weeks. I don't care, as long as I get my free tires."

Others said their car companies did contact them.

"I got a letter from them, that my tires are not affected," said junior Juan Carlos Ahumada, a recent buyer of a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac.

Whether car owners were contacted or not, some are wondering if their vehicles are affected, and what they should do.

"If you think your car may be affected, bring it in and we'll check it out for you," said Bernie Hendrix, manager of a Firestone Tire store in Orange County. "There is no need to make an appointment. We will give a priority to those who are in need of immediate replacement."

Hendrix also added that his store currently has a list of approximately 900 customers who are waiting for replacement tires.

"Firestone is flying in huge crates of tires as fast as they can," Hendrix said.

Vehicles that may be affected by the recall are: 1991-2000 Ford Explorers; 1996-2000 Mercury Mountaineers; 1991-2000 Ford Rangers; 1991-1994 Ford F-Series; 1991-1994 Ford Broncos; 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Tracs; 1994-2000 Mazda B-Series; and 1991-1994 Mazda Navajos.

Of these vehicles, all that have Firestone Radial ATX tires size P235/75R15 will apply, while only some of those bearing Firestone Wilderness tires size P235/75R15 will apply to the recall.

According to the official Firestone web site, in order to deal with the overwhelming demand for replacement tires, Firestone has agreed to reimburse customers for the replacement of tires by another manufacturer.

Firestone is offering to compensate these customers for up to $100.00 per tire, according to Hendrix. This reimbursement is also retroactive for those who have paid for the replacement of recalled tires in the past.

People that are interested in seeking reimbursement are urged to contact Firestone either by phone or through their Internet site for the specific requirements.

For consumers who would like to know more about this recall, both Firestone and Ford have detailed information available on their web sites as well as they have set up toll-free numbers for questions. Firestone can be reached at (800) 465-1904 or www.firestone.com, while Ford can be reached at  (800) 660-4719 or www.ford.com.  While visiting their web sites, look for the links on the home page.