America's decade-long love affair with its most popular sports utility vehicle (SUV) is coming to an end amid a welter of nasty exchanges between Ford Motor Company and Bridgestone/Firestone over the cause of hundreds of fatal crashes involving the Ford Explorer.
The high-stakes row between Ford and Firestone has become a corporate "who-dunnit" which has confused and angered Explorer owners and left in shreds the reputation of two automobile industry giants who had enjoyed a cosy partnership since 1906. Sales of the Explorer fell 11 per cent last month and are 20 per cent down on the year. Now a federal judge is considering a motion from lawyers representing accident victims to recall most of its Explorers as too dangerous - a move which could remove the car-maker's most profitable vehicle from the road altogether.
The motion, filed late on Friday in Indianapolis federal court, claims the 1991-to-2001 Explorer models are inherently unsafe and "present a continuing danger to their owners, their occupants and to the American motoring public". Ford is also facing scores of wrongful-death lawsuits and a huge class-action suit.
Firestone, owned by Bridgestone of Japan, has suffered a worse fate - it has become a national joke. Dubbed "Tombstone" last week by comedian Jay Leno, the company is facing bankruptcy in its US operation, according to industry analysts, though a Firestone spokeswoman said it has "a sound financial base that's sufficient to weather the current situation".
However, sales are collapsing as other car-makers turn to rival tyre companies to reassure customers. GM said it was dropping Firestone tyres from several of its SUV and car models over the next year. Nissan will no longer feature Firestone tyres on its Altima sedan when a redesigned version is launched in the autumn.
The terminal split between the two companies came on May 22nd when Ford charged that it had found damning new evidence of tyre failure and ordered a recall of 13 million Firestone tyres.
Outraged, Firestone replied that Ford Explorers are accident-prone, and that Ford Ranger pickups equipped with the same tyres have had 10 times fewer tyre-related accidents.
Firestone asked the US government last Thursday to open an investigation into alleged steering defects in the Explorer. Congress plans to hold hearings on the safety of the tyres and the Explorer next week.
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