Godzilla Vs. Mothra The Second Day: Ford Places Newspaper Ads to Defend Tire Action

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DETROIT: Reuters reported today that the Ford Motor Co. took out full-page advertisements in national and regional newspapers Wednesday to present its case for replacing 13 million Firestone tires, while the tire maker stepped up its own efforts to defend its image.

The ads said Firestone's Wilderness AT tires perform better than the tires that were recalled last year, but could experience increased failure rates in the future.

``Customer safety always has been - and always will be - our #1 priority,'' the ads conclude, in large print, followed by the signatures of Chairman Bill Ford and Chief Executive Jacques Nasser.

The ads, informing customers what steps to take to determine if their tires are affected, includes a 24-hour toll-free telephone number Ford has established. The company said Tuesday the recall will cost $3 billion and result in a $2.1 billion after-tax charge in the second quarter.

During last year's recall of 6.5 million Firestone tires, Nasser took the lead role publicly, appearing on nationally broadcast television commercials.

Chairman Ford mostly stayed behind the scenes as the automaker avoided any risks of tarnishing the reputation of the family name that appears on so many of its vehicles.

However, the chairman, the great-grandson of the founders of both Ford Motor and Firestone, was the first to speak at a Tuesday press conference announcing the tire action at Ford's Dearborn headquarters, which was broadcast live on some television networks.

Ford also plans to notify its customers with direct mailings, but has no plans for television commercials, spokesman Ken Zino said Tuesday. Nasser's appearance in the commercials last year drew mixed reaction from the advertising industry, with some saying his Australian accent failed to connect with American consumers.

Meanwhile, Bridgestone/Firestone, a unit of Japan's Bridgestone Corp. has been more vocal in defending its tires, and leveling criticism at Ford and its best-selling Explorer sport utility vehicle.

Firestone Chairman John Lampe appeared on several network news shows Tuesday, charging that Ford failed to consider its own data, which showed the Explorer was more prone to tip over than other vehicles.

``The real issue here is the safety of the Explorer,'' Lampe said in a statement issued late Tuesday. ``Ford refused to look at issues surrounding the Explorer in August. Ford failed to do that today.''

^ REUTERS@