Firestone CEO Questions Safety Of Explorer In Testimony Before Congress

    WASHINGTON--June 19, 2001--Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. CEO John T. Lampe, in testimony today before Congress, said that the company's tires are safe and again raised tough questions about Ford's most popular selling SUV, saying that testing and accident data prove "there is something wrong with the Ford Explorer."
    In order to get the answers the public deserves, Lampe said the role of the Ford Explorer in these accidents must be investigated. He testified that Firestone has worked hard to find answers to questions about its tires and called on Ford to "come forward in the same spirit and support a NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) investigation of the vehicle issues."
    "No one cares more about the safety of the people who travel on our tires than we do. We're doing our part. We're taking responsibility for our products. We did a massive recall. And now we're doing what's right by asking the tough questions about the Ford Explorer," he said.
    Lampe referenced data showing that Firestone supplied the exact same tire to Ford for use on both the Ford Explorer and the Ranger, and yet the claims rate on the Explorer is as much as eight times higher than the Ranger. In addition, testing conducted by the company showed that the Explorer is more likely to roll over after a tire separation than other SUVs. "The loss of tread or air in a tire shouldn't cause a driver to lose control -- the driver should be able to pull over, not roll over," he said.
    Lampe cited research conducted by Ohio State University professor, Dr. Dennis Guenther, one of the country's most highly regarded experts in the field of vehicle dynamics.
    According to a study conducted by Guenther, a substantial segment of Explorers is defectively designed and transitions to a less safe "oversteer" condition, without the driver's knowledge. This makes the Explorer's handling imprecise and unpredictable in these situations, where precise and predictable handling is essential to safe vehicle control.
    Additionally, Lampe provided information from the Florida Traffic Crash Database showing that for 1994 through 2000 model year vehicles registered in Florida, the Explorer rolls over twice as much as all other comparable SUVs in single vehicle, non-tire related highway accidents.
    Lampe also cited extensive testing and real world data showing that the tires Ford is replacing perform at world class levels. "Replacing good tires with other tires is a diversionary tactic and won't increase customer safety," said Lampe, who also told lawmakers that reports from Venezuela show that Explorers are still involved in rollover accidents while equipped with non-Firestone tires.
    "These warning signs cannot and should not be ignored," he added. "As I've said before, Ford can replace all of our Wilderness AT tires, but Explorers will continue to roll over. And we need to understand why."
    Last month, Firestone ended its 96-year partnership with Ford after the vehicle manufacturer refused to examine the Explorer's role in these accidents. Lampe testified, "It didn't have to be this way. We at Firestone asked Ford to work with us, so that together we could look at the vehicle as well as the tire. But Ford refused. So we had no choice. We had to go it alone."