Firestone Tyre Recall Sparks Controversy Over Safety Concerns

Strategic Insights -

Senator John McCain, chairman of the commerce committee, has criticized the voluntary recall of Firestone tyres as inadequate, urging the federal government to push for a wider recall. The recall, focused on four southern states, may fail to protect consumers, McCain said. Consumer safety groups, including Public Citizen and Safetyforum.com, have also called for a full recall of Firestone's AXT, AXTII, and Wilderness AT tyres, citing insufficient data to explain the limited nature of the recall.

Key Takeaways:

  • Senator John McCain has expressed concerns that the voluntary recall of Firestone tyres may not adequately protect consumers, urging the federal government to push for a wider recall.
  • Consumer safety groups, including Public Citizen and Safetyforum.com, have called for a full recall of Firestone's AXT, AXTII, and Wilderness AT tyres, citing insufficient data to explain the limited nature of the recall.
  • The recall currently covers only the 15-inch versions of the ATX and ATXII, as well as 15-inch Wilderness AT tyres made at the Decatur, Illinois plant.
  • Tab Turner, an attorney involved in lawsuits against Firestone and Ford, has argued that if the Decatur plant is faulty, all tyres made there, including larger 16-inch Wilderness tyres, should be part of the recall.
  • Ford has voluntarily replaced 16-inch tyres in Saudi Arabia, but claims that the situation there was different from the North American market.
  • The companies have maintained that they are working on the replacement programme "as quickly as possible" and that customers who seek immediate replacement will be taken care of.
  • Ford is sending a six-man team to the Decatur plant to investigate the problems, while South Carolina's attorney-general has demanded that individuals in his state be able to get their tyres replaced immediately.
  • Standard & Poor's has downgraded Bridgestone partly over fears about the impact of the scandal on the company's North American sales and profits.

Statistics:

  • 6.5 million tyres recalled by Bridgestone/Firestone (The Washington Post, 1998)
  • 40+ traffic deaths linked to Firestone tyres (The Washington Post, 1998)
  • 15-inch tyres covered in the current recall (The Washington Post, 1998)
  • 15-inch Wilderness AT tyres made at the Decatur, Illinois plant also subject to recall (The Washington Post, 1998)
  • 16-inch Wilderness tyres made at the Decatur, Illinois plant, potentially subject to recall (The Washington Post, 1998)
  • Two-thirds of recalled tyres carried by Ford (The Washington Post, 1998)

Sources:

  • The Washington Post (1998)
  • Public Citizen
  • Safetyforum.com
  • Tab Turner, attorney involved in lawsuits against Firestone and Ford
  • Firestone and Ford press conferences
  • Standard & Poor's downgrading of Bridgestone