How A Tyre Controversy Changed Offroad Vehicle Parts

It is always important to make sure your 4×4 vehicle has the best possible parts and is in good overall condition because a parts failure at the wrong time can be extremely dangerous.

Manufacturers take exceptional care when designing cars and parts to ensure they are fit for purpose and will keep drivers, passengers and pedestrians safe in any eventuality because when that is not the priority, people’s lives are unnecessarily put at risk.

The most famous example of this was the Ford Pinto, which due to rushed design and production had a catastrophic fuel tank design flaw, but the second most famous also involved a Ford vehicle two decades later, and the fallout would end a century-long partnership.

The Ford Explorer was an unusual 4×4 built on top of the chassis of the Ford Ranger pickup truck, which gave it an unusually high centre of gravity compared to other offroaders in its class.

This severely affected the stability of the Explorer, a problem also noticed with the infamous Bronco II, a vehicle so infamous that insurers refused to write policies for it and one in 500 was involved in a fatal rollover. This cost Ford $2.4bn.

The issue with the follow-up Explorer was even worse. Attempts to improve the woeful fuel economy led to changes that raised the already high centre of gravity, meaning that the car was even more prone to rollovers, which with a weaker, lighter roof meant serious injuries or death for the driver.

What made this even worse was the use of Firestone ATX, ATX II and Wilderness AT, all three of which made them more prone to tread separation and blowouts, which made the car more likely to oversteer, leading to an even greater chance of a rollover.

The result was 271 deaths, 500 injuries and a very public dispute between Ford and Firestone, both companies blaming each other for the disaster and the billions of dollars lost as a result.

It also led to new legislation regarding safety recalls, defects and criminal liability, which has led to manufacturers taking greater care to ensure their parts and vehicles are fit for purpose.