Ford to replace as many as 13 million Firestone tires

WASHINGTON (May 22)—Ford Motor Co. is getting ready to replace as many as 13 million Firestone tires, double the number recalled in August, according to news sources. Ford CEO Jacques Nasser reportedly is meeting with congressional and government officials in Washington this morning about Ford's plans, then will fly back to Ford headquarters in Dearborn, Mich., this afternoon to announce those plans. A Ford spokesperson would only confirm that the auto maker has scheduled a news conference for sometime late this afternoon. Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. announced the recall of 6.5 million ATX, ATX II and Wilderness AT tires—most of them original equipment on Ford Explorers and other sport-utility vehicles. The two companies have been at loggerheads since, with Ford claiming the tires alone are at fault for the accidents which have killed 174 people, and Bridgestone/Firestone insisting the design of the Explorer is partly to blame. Matters came to a head late last week when Ford officials leaked news that they had data showing that non-recalled Firestone tires had safety problems. The tire maker retaliated May 21 by dropping Ford as a customer.