Complaints on Steeltex tires shed little light, BFS says

WASHINGTON (Oct. 9)—Complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Firestone Steeltex tires do not "give a clear path to determine whether a problem exists," Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. said in a press release. Releasing 166 of the 169 vehicle owner questionnaires to the public, Bridgestone/Firestone noted that Department of Transportation numbers were missing on many of the forms; some complaints involved tires which were already recalled in December 1997 because of tire damage at a Ford assembly plant; two listed vehicles on which Steeltex tires won´t fit; one said the tire involved had 91,000 miles on it; and one listed a tire size which is not a Steeltex size. Reviewing the data, "it is clear why the Department of Transportation, NHTSA, the Rubber Manufacturers Association, Bridgestone/Firestone and others support changes in how this data is collected, analyzed and reported," Bridgestone/Firestone said.