Bridgestone/Firestone Recall in Brazil

Bridgestone/Firestone Recalls Nearly 40,000 Truck Tires in Brazil

SAO PAULO, Brazil AP reported that the Brazilian subsidiary of tire maker Bridgestone/Firestone said on Thursday it will recall nearly 40,000 tires on F-350 and F-250 pickup trucks made by Ford Motor Co. Brazil.

The company said the recall was a ``preventive measure'' prompted by 16 cases in which the tread separated from the tire.

The note said that no accidents or injuries have been reported as a result of the defective tires. It said analyses were being performed in the 16 cases to determine what caused the treads to separate.

Bridgestone/Firestone had already recalled 6.5 million ATX, ATX II and Wilderness AT tires in August 2000 in the United States because they could lose their tread. The tires were mainly used as original equipment on the Ford Explorer and have been blamed in thousands of accidents and 271 deaths in the United States.

Bridgestone/Firestone broadened that recall last month to include 3.5 million more Wilderness AT tires.