Ford and Firestone spent a decade blaming each other while 271 people died in rollovers

In the 1990s, Ford’s Explorer became America’s best-selling SUV. To improve ride comfort and reduce rollover risk, Ford specified a low tire pressure of 26 psi and equipped the Explorer with Firestone’s ATX and Wilderness AT tires. But the combination created a thermal cascade: low pressure caused the tires to run hotter, and at highway speeds the tread could separate from the belt. The problem was concentrated in tires manufactured at Firestone’s Decatur, Illinois plant, where a labor strike in 1994–1996 had brought in replacement workers and lowered quality control.

NHTSA began investigating in March 2000 after hundreds of complaints of tread separation followed by rollover deaths. On August 9, 2000, Firestone recalled 6.5 million tires. In May 2001 Ford voluntarily recalled 13 million more Wilderness AT tires. NHTSA issued a separate mandatory recall in October 2001 for 3.5 million additional tires. The total exceeded 23 million — the largest tire recall in history.

The final death toll reached at least 271 in the United States and 46 in Venezuela. Ford replaced Firestone as its primary tire supplier in 2001, ending a 96-year relationship. Bridgestone’s U.S. profits fell by 90% in 2001. The scandal destroyed Firestone’s brand in North America and exposed the danger of automakers specifying tire parameters that pushed tires beyond their safe operating range.