Owners of the 15-inch Firestone tires under recall may have to wait several weeks for replacements because the recall apparently created a nationwide shortage.
The tire industry is rushing to meet the sudden demand for substitutes for the 6.5 million tires recalled by Bridgestone/Firestone Inc., but speeding up production will take weeks. And the shortage could mean higher prices.
The tires – installed mainly on Ford Motor Co. vehicles, notably the Ford Explorer sport/utility – are being investigated by federal safety officials in connection with at least 62 deaths. In many cases, the tread separated from the tire, causing blowouts and rollovers.
Several Ford dealers around the country said they were short of the 15-inch tires, and some, like Sanderson Ford in Glendale, AZ, were completely out. Bridgestone/Firestone said it had doubled its production of same-size tires to about 250,000 a week and is increasing imports and authorizing its Firestone stores to use other manufacturers’ tires as replacements. But other tire makers don’t have large piles of 15-inch truck tires just lying around.
Bridgestone/Firestone and Ford will direct their limited supply of replacement tires at four states – California, Arizona, Texas, Florida – where 80 percent of the complaints were originated.
In the meantime, Ford said it is telling dealers that if they cannot find replacements right away, they should check customers’ air pressure and wear, and contact them when tires are available.
The recall covers a specific size of tires – P235/75R15 – in three models: all radial ATX and ATXII, as well as Wilderness ATs made in Decatur, IL.