Here is the Full Article from USA Today's Web Page.
Sears stops selling tires involved in probe
By Lorrie Grant and James R. Healey, USA TODAY
Retail giant Sears Roebuck will stop selling Firestone tires today that are being investigated by the government for a possible safety defect.
Sears, a leader in tire sales, told USA TODAY that it will reprogram cash registers today in its 789 Sears Auto Centers and 347 National Tire & Battery outlets to prevent clerks from ringing up sales of Firestone ATX, ATX II and Wilderness tires.
Other Firestones still will be sold. Other tire retailers would not comment or did not return calls Thursday.
"We are going to continue to work with Firestone until we can get more information," says Sears spokesman Tom Nicholson.
Those tire models are being looked at by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which has reports that the tires have been involved in 193 crashes that caused 21 deaths. Most wrecks have involved Ford Explorer sport-utility vehicles.
Explorer is the best-selling SUV, and Ford is Firestone's major customer.
Ford said Wednesday that it would consider ending its nearly 100-year relationship with Firestone if consumers quit buying Fords with those tires.
Sears is "a substantial customer," says Bridgestone/Firestone spokeswoman Christine Karbowiak. She wouldn't comment further because, "We haven't heard anything directly from Sears."
NHTSA files show that Ford has had problems with Firestone truck tires: An Oct. 11, 1996, internal Ford memo, for example, refers to a "quality issue with the Firestone Wilderness AT P235 tires built at their Wilson Plant."
The 235-size tire is standard on Explorers.
That memo and others cite vibration problems with the Firestones. NHTSA's files indicate vibrations often immediately precede the tread peeling from the tire, which caused the accidents.
In the meantime, motorists who have Firestones are scrambling for remedies. "They see 'Firestone' on their tires and say, 'Change 'em,' " says Roger Fillers, manager of C&D Auto Center in Satellite Beach, Fla. "I said, 'Take 'em off and give me tires with 4,000 miles on 'em, from a used car or something," says Ellen Bloeth of Long Island, N.Y., who has 4,000 miles on a Ford Expedition with Firestones.
Other automakers using the tires are worried.
Toyota installs them on some of its Tacoma pickups and 4Runner SUVs. Toyota says it is "actively investigating" whether those might be faulty. The Toyota tires are a different size than the ones Ford uses; Toyota says the difference might make them less vulnerable.
General Motors uses the Firestone Wilderness tires on some big pickups and SUVs but says it hasn't had complaints. GM also noted that it uses different-size Firestones than Ford does and suggested that could make a difference.
Rental cars are suspect, too. Bill Behling of Ira, Vt., wants to return the Ford Explorer he rented in Boise on Tuesday after he learned it has Wilderness tires. "I will not do any driving in that car," he says. Ford and Firestone suggest getting dealers to check the tires, but NHTSA files indicate that the tread can peel off tires that are nearly new, with no obvious defects, at low speeds.
Firestone stores that have a "Master Care" symbol are supposed to swap tires at a discount for dissatisfied customers, but only for other Firestone, or Firestone-manufactured tires. Sears also says it will give a trade-in allowance.
Contributing: Salina Khan, David Kiley and Sara Nathan
). I might just look into buying something at sears.
