Bridgestone/Firestone Announces Voluntary Recall of 3.85 million RADIAL ATX and RADIAL ATX II Tires, and 2.7 million Wilderness AT Tires
Company urges all drivers to maintain proper inflation in their tires.

WASHINGTON, DC, Aug. 9, 2000 -- Saying the safety of consumers is the company's first concern, today Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc., announced a voluntary recall of all Firestone Radial ATX and Radial ATX II tires in size P235/75R15 produced in North America, including Mexico, and Wilderness AT tires in size P235/75R15 produced at the Decatur, Illinois plant. The recall includes original equipment and replacement tires of that size, regardless of the vehicle's manufacturer. Vehicle owners will be notified of the recall by mail. Bridgestone/Firestone will replace all of these tires with brand new Wilderness AT or other Bridgestone/Firestone tires. If necessary, the company will obtain other sources of supply.

The recall was announced by Gary Crigger, Executive Vice President of Bridgestone/Firestone Inc., at a Washington, DC, news conference. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is currently conducting a preliminary evaluation of the tires in response to questions relating to failures of these tires. The company is not limiting the recall. There have been approximately 14.4 million of these tires produced. The company estimates that the number of tires still in use and involved in the recall is 6.5 million, which includes 3.8 million Radial ATX and ATX II tires and 2.7 million Wilderness AT tires.

"At Bridgestone/Firestone, nothing is more important to us than the safety of our customers," said Crigger. "We felt we must take this extraordinary step as a precaution to ensure consumer safety and consumer confidence in our brands. So, no matter how old the tires, no matter how many miles they have on them, we will replace them with new tires."

Crigger said, "Throughout this process, we have been working very closely with Ford Motor Company and NHTSA to determine the cause of the accidents involving vehicles with these tires. While we have not determined what, if any, problem there may be with these tires, our review of the data suggests three things."

Although noting that accidents involving these tires are rare in comparison to the millions of tires produced, he said that the data shows:

1. The number of reported incidents with the P235/75R15 Radial ATX and ATX II is higher than with other sizes in this line;
2. The Decatur, Illinois plant is over-represented in the accident claims and reports compared with other plants;
3. The majority of the incidents are in the southern-most states of Arizona, California, Florida and Texas, which suggests there may be a direct correlation between heat and tire performance.

"In addition," Crigger said, "the abundance of concern surrounding these tires clearly indicates the need for this action."

The company also urged all consumers to take additional steps to increase the lifespan and safety of their tires, by maintaining proper inflation.