TREAD SEPARATIONS

THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) WAS PETITIONED TO OPEN A DEFECT INVESTIGATION INTO FIRESTONE STEELTEX TIRES MANUFACTURED FROM 1999 THROUGH 2005 AT THE AIKEN, JOLIETTE, DECATUR AND MEXICO MANUFACTURING PLANTS. THE PETITIONERS ALLEGE THAT THESE TIRES CONTAIN SERIOUS SAFETY RELATED DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING DEFECTS THAT POSE A SIGNIFICANT RISK OF DEATH, SERIOUS INJURY AND PROPERTY DAMAGE. THE LATEST PETITION, DP06-001, MARKS THE FOURTH PETITION SUBMITTED BY THE PETITIONERS IN RELATION TO FIRESTONE STEELTEX TIRES. THE PRIOR PETITIONS (DP04-004/005 AND DP02-011) WERE DENIED BECAUSE NO DEFECT TRENDS WERE IDENTIFIED. IN DP06-001, VERY LITTLE NEW EVIDENCE WAS PROVIDED BY THE PETITIONERS TO HIGHLIGHT A SINGULAR CAUSE OR FAILURE MODE IN THE SUBJECT TIRES. THE PETITION PRIMARILY RESTATES ALLEGATIONS MADE IN PRIOR PETITIONS. ANALYSIS OF ODI'S VEHICLE OWNER QUESTIONNAIRE (VOQ) DATABASE, EWR DATA AND DATA REQUESTED BY ODI FROM FIRESTONE DID NOT REVEAL A DEFECT TREND IN STEELTEX TIRES AS A WHOLE OR IN A SPECIFIC STEELTEX TIRE LINE, SIZE OR MANUFACTURING PLANT. THE DATA INDICATES THAT STEELTEX TIRES ARE PERFORMING COMPARABLY TO PEER LIGHT TRUCK RADIAL TIRES OF OTHER MAJOR LIGHT TRUCK RADIAL TIRE MANUFACTURERS. ODI'S ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT IT IS UNLIKELY THAT NHTSA WOULD ISSUE AN ORDER FOR THE NOTIFICATION AND REMEDY OF A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT FIRESTONE STEELTEX TIRES AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE INVESTIGATION REQUESTED IN THE PETITION. FURTHER EXPENDITURE OF ODI'S RESOURCES ON THIS MATTER IS NOT JUSTIFIED AT THIS TIME. ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PERFORMANCE OF THE SUBJECT TIRES FOR INDICATIONS THAT A DEFECT TREND MAY BE DEVELOPING. PLEASE SEE THE PUBLIC FILE FOR DP06-001 FOR A MORE DETAILED ANALYSIS.