Ford and Firestone Blame Game: A Rollover Safety Crisis

The Ford Explorer has been a bestseller for over a decade, but its popularity has been tainted by a series of rollover accidents, leading to the recall of 14.4 million Firestone tires. The NHTSA has linked the recalled tires to 119 American deaths and at least 50 fatalities in other countries. Both Ford and Firestone have pointed fingers at each other, but experts suggest that stability problems with sport-utility vehicles are exacerbated by big, muscular tires that appeal to consumers but contribute to vehicle instability.

Key Takeaways:

• A former University of Michigan engineering professor, Milton A. Chace, says that both Ford and Firestone share the blame for the rollover crisis. Chace explains that stability problems with sport-utility vehicles are exacerbated by big, muscular tires that appeal to consumers but contribute to vehicle instability.
• Chace recommends replacing the original equipment P235/75R15 tires with thinner 15-inch P205/75R15 tires that will lower the SUV's center of gravity by 0.8 inch, decreasing the likelihood of rolling over during emergencies like tire tread separations.
• Big, wide tires have tall sidewalls that can lift the Explorer's center of gravity about an inch, making the vehicle more prone to rollover. Chace notes that big sport-utility vehicles don't have a big rollover problem, but rather roll 90 degrees onto their sides and stop.
• Friction rollover occurs when tires can't adjust as a vehicle swerves and moves sideways, causing about 5,000 deaths a year worldwide. Chace emphasizes that a tire with a high coefficient of friction makes the vehicle more likely to roll over.
• Ford's recommendation to deflate the tires to 26 pounds per square inch was a mistake, as it led to a higher tire failure rate. Chace notes that the worst way to improve handling is to deflate the tires to 26 psi.
• The lower tire pressure created a slightly softer ride on the Explorer, but Chace said that's what the suspension is supposed to do.
• Firestone said under inflated tires heat up and are subject to more stress.
• Sport-utility vehicles are more dangerous than passenger cars and vans, and the best way to improve chances of surviving an accident is to buckle seat belts to prevent ejection from the vehicle.
• A Ford analysis of Firestone claims data triggered the August 9 recall and showed most of the faulty tires were made at a plant in Decatur, Illinois. Sears Auto Centers, Ward's, National Tire and Battery and other retailers stopped selling the three models.
• The recall led to five weeks of congressional hearings and the speedy passage of legislation requiring tire makers and auto companies to notify the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration when they order a recall in a foreign country or suspect a defect in a vehicle or part in the United States.
• Auto executives and parts suppliers who knowingly hide safety defects could face jail and heavy fines.
• Ford voluntarily replaced Firestone tires on Explorers and trucks in Venezuela, Ecuador, Columbia, Thailand, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia before the U.S. recall.
• The Ford Explorer and its mechanical twin, the Mercury Mountaineer, actually finished in the middle of the pack in stability tests.
• An Explorer with Firestone tires that may lose tread without warning was a deadly combination for 119 Americans and at least 50 people in Venezuela and other countries.
• Neil Clark, an engineer and accident reconstruction expert at Roger Clark Associates in San Diego, California, said automakers have "car-ified" sport-utility vehicles to the point that people don't remember they are driving a truck - until they get into an emergency situation.

Statistics:

• 14.4 million Firestone tires recalled
• 119 American deaths linked to recalled tires
• At least 50 fatalities in other countries
• 5,000 deaths a year worldwide due to friction rollover
• 4.2 million of the 6.5 million recalled tires still on the road had been replaced
• 354,414 Explorers sold in 1999 alone
• 3.6 million Explorers sold since 1990
• 38.8 percent profit margin for the Explorer in 1991
• $1,267 redesign cost per vehicle to improve stability
• 90 degrees vehicle roll during rollover incidents

Sources:

• Milton A. Chace, a mechanical engineer and expert in the field of dynamics
• Rueben Vollmer, head of Vollmer, Gray Engineering, accident reconstruction experts in San Diego, California
• John Lampe, the head of Bridgestone/Firestone
• Neil Clark, an engineer and accident reconstruction expert at Roger Clark Associates in San Diego, California
• Philip V. Hight, head of Accident Research & Analysis of La Milpita, California
• UPI
• COMTEX (http://www.comtexnews.com)