Based on the company's review to date, our technical teams believe the performance issue with the tire ultimately will be the cumulative effect of tire design, tire components and the interaction of the tire with the vehicle, |
I want my first act as the new CEO to be a sincere apology to those who have suffered personal losses, or who have had problems with Firestone tires, ... We can debate over cause and responsibility, for there is much that is not known. But that does not change the fact that there have been tragic accidents, and for this I am deeply sorry. |
I want my first act as the new CEO to be a sincere apology to those who have suffered personal losses, or who have had problems with Firestone tires. We can debate over cause and responsibility, for there is much that is not known. But that does not change the fact that there have been tragic accidents, and for this I am deeply sorry. |
I want to be very clear. Our tires are safe, and we will use every opportunity available in the process to prove that, |
In no way is our reduced production schedule a reflection of that plant's importance to our manufacturing, ... The plant plays a critical role in our total manufacturing process. We stand behind our employees at the Decatur plant. |
It's not unusual for tires to experience some cosmetic cracking, and that is what we initially saw in this situation, ... As it became apparent that this was a unique circumstance, we decided a recall was the best course of action. With the design specification change, we believe we have taken the necessary steps to make sure this issue has been resolved. |
Our analysis suggests that there are significant safety issues with a substantial segment of Ford Explorers, |
Our tires are safe, ... When we have a problem, we admit it and we fix it. We've proven that. |
Please remember we're talking about a test that we agree to do that we do on our own. It's not a required test. That's a very, very severe test. It's a high-speed test, it's designed to take tires right up to their limits, ... If we don't have tires that fail tests, then what value are they? |
Since the early 90s, we have been a decentralized company, focusing on 21 separate businesses, ... While this structure was innovative and successful for our company then, it is time to dismantle the castle walls and empty the moats. |
The real issue here is the safety of the Explorer, ... Ford refused to look at issues surrounding the Explorer in August. Ford failed to do that today. |
We appreciate the patience and understanding that so many of our Firestone customers have shown during this major undertaking, ... We're doing everything in our power to replace all recalled tires as quickly as possible. |
We are in a situation where sales of replacement tires have declined for several reasons, ... Obviously concerns surrounding the recall of certain Firestone tires is a contributor to this decline. |
We as a tire manufacturer have recommended a tire pressure on these tires of 30 PSI, ... We believe very strongly that 30 PSI provides consumers with additional safety margin. With 30 PSI, the Explorer can handle over 400 pounds extra load. |
We have been working closely with the state attorneys general on this issue for more than a year now, and believe that these efforts have allowed us to reach an acceptable agreement that permits us to focus our energies and our resources on rebuilding our company and the Firestone brand, |