Weather Blamed in Firestone Tire Failures

December 2, 2000
A retired Bridgestone/Firestone official has testified that warm weather may have been a factor in the failure of tires manufactured at the firm's Decatur, Illinois, plant. Robert O. Martin, former vice president for quality assurance, testified in connection with a Texas wrongful death suit against Ford and Firestone/Bridgestone, according to a Washington Post report.

Martin said there is no evidence that workers or equipment at the Decatur plant were to blame for the high number of failures involving ATX and Wilderness tires. Rather, he said that tires from the plant were mostly shipped to a Ford assembly plant in suburban St. Louis and that most of the vehicles assembled there were sold in southern and western states.

Martin's testimony raises once again the question of whether there is a design flaw in the tire, the vehicles, or both, rather than sloppy workmanship at a single Firestone plant. So far, only 6.5 million tires from the Decatur plant have been recalled but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is studying whether tires from other Fireestone plants should be added to the recall.

Throughout his testimony, Martin repeated the contention that Ford's decision to recommend relatively low inflation pressure could have played a part in the high number of failures. Lower tire pressue contributes to faster build-up of heat, a major factor in tire failure. Ford has denied that lower inflation was a factor but has since recommended increasing tire pressures on affected models.

Martin's testimony marked the first time that a Bridgestone/Firestone has offered a specific explanation for why tires from the Decatur plant failed more often than those made in Wilson, NC or Joliette, Quebec.