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Tyre Safety To Be Checked By Ford

Recent reports questioning the reliability of some of the tyres being used by Ford to replace Firestones are doubtless partly responsible for the car manufacturer’s plans to conduct a series of tests on replacement tyres. Ford’s team of around 100 engineers will carry out a number of tests, including measuring wedge thickness, temperature monitoring and how much force it takes to cause a tread separation. Other checks on the relationships between load/speed/temperature will be carried out in conjunction with tyre manufacturers as well as in-house.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Wheel Supplier Superior Hit by Ford Production Cuts

The cut in production of 60,000 units Explorer and Ranger models by Ford in the second and third quarter could cost aluminium wheel maker Superior $2.5 million in revenue.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Request To Postpone Crash Testing From Ford

Ford has asked the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety to postpone crash testing of the 2002 Explorer to allow the manufacturer to make structural changes to the vehicle. Ford is making the changes after two of its trucks received “poor” or “marginal” ratings in crash testing.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Congress Appearance For Ford And Firestone

Ford’s Jacques Nasser and BF Inc’s CEO John Lampe are due to face questions from a Congressional committee regarding the spate of rollover accidents involving Ford Explorers fitted with Firestone tyres. This comes as the death toll in such accidents rises to 203 and lawyers in Florida, representing a family who had two members killed and three others injured in an accident, are seeking $1 billion damages from Bridgestone/Firestone Inc.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Temporary Closure Of Seven Vehicle Plants In North America

In an attempt to reduce vehicle stocks, Ford and General Motors have announced the temporary closure of seven factories in North America. GM is to close five plants (sited in Oklahoma City, Ontario, Michigan and Ohio) for a week, affecting over 14,000 workers. The two plants which Ford is to close temporarily manufacture vans and are situated in Ohio, employing 4,150 hourly workers.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Firestone Settles Another Case In Texas

Bridgestone Firestone USA has paid an undisclosed amount of money to relatives of a woman who died after an Explorer rollover in which her son was also injured. It will be interesting to see what Ford will do. Two weeks ago it was the other way around when Ford settled a case first and Firestone agreed later to pay US$7.5 million.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Fallout From Firestone Ford Impacts Industry

Ford’s Just In Time supply chain is expected to feel the effects of Ford’s cutback in production as the company replaces potentially dangerous Firestone tyres. The idling of three production lines will cut production by 24,000 vehicles, with a further cut to follow. Suppliers such as Lear Corp, Dana and Borg Warner are amongst those announcing reductions in forecasts due the knock-on effect of the Ford stoppages. Earnings forecasts are being affected by as much as 15 per cent according to some analysts.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

BioTRED For Ford Fiesta

Goodyear’s BioTRED tyre which uses corn starch filler instead of carbon black or silica, is to be offered as an OE fitting on the Ford Fiesta. The BioTRED tyre is manufactured at seven European locations and is the first tyre to be manufactured with a renewable sourced filler.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Are SUVs Safe Enough?

For month there has been bad publicity for the Ford Explorer because of spectacular rollovers. Now the US-Association NHTSA has asked DaimlerChrysler to supply information regarding the Grand Cherokee Jeep, built between 1995 and 1999. The NHTSA knows of more than 100 accidents, with injuries and one reported death. It is said that the automatic gears are not working properly. Quality problems of this sort have already led to the result that European and Japanese manufacturers of SUVs have significantly increased market share during the first half this year.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Downturn In Car Market Hits Ford Europe

Ford’s European operation lost $35 million in 2000, compared with a $10 million operating profit in 1999, after a $1 billion restructuring charge partly related to the closure of car making facilities at Dagenham U.K. Henry Wallace, Ford’s new world-wide chief financial officer, said he was targeting a 1% return on sales in Europe and hoped to bring the Company’s European arm into profit this year.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Additional Orders From Ford For Continental

Continental has announced that it has received an additional order from Ford for over 2 million car tyres. Whether or not this is at the expense of Firestone is unclear. Continental now claims to be one of the biggest tyre suppliers for Ford in Europe, if not the biggest. In the US the tyre manufacturer is in dire straits. The Continental General tyre company is facing a loss in the US this year of up to 100 million Euro despite the fact that Continental also took advantage of the Firestone recall on the US replacement market. It is expected that Continental General will make another loss next year of up to 50 million Euro. The company also announced a restructuring program for the North American tyre market, aimed at saving costs of 90 million Dollars within 3 years. Presently Ford is not accepting General tyres as OE in the USA after the NHTSA said that the claim rate of the General Ameri 550 S is much higher than the Firestone tyre, which it replaces.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Ill Wind Might Assist Rubber Industry

The fall out from the Firestone/Ford debacle may not only assist tyre manufacturers in increasing market share at the expense of Bridgestone Firestone, but the natural rubber market may see a boost in demand. An estimated 39,000 tonnes of natural rubber will be needed to replace the 13m tyres being recalled. Traders expect prices of natural rubber to start rising as production is increased to meet the sudden demand for replacement tyres.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Ford And Scheele Take The Helm At Ford

To nobody’s great surprise, Jacques Nasser has been replaced as Chief Executive of Ford, following losses, a dividend cut and the expensive wrangle over Firestone tyres and the Ford Explorer. William Clay Ford Jr. assumes the role of Chief Executive Officer and Sir Nick Scheele, until recently in charge of Ford’s European operations, has been appointed Chief Operating Officer.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

London Listing For Ford?

Ford is said to be preparing to list the company on the London Stock Market in order to attract investors. The cost of the tyre recall has decimated profits in the USA, plus the market there is slowing down with the “Big Three” losing share. Ford is currently quoted on the New York Stock Exchange and a London listing would also emphasise the global status of the group.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

26 Million Dollars For Victim of Accident

As reported in the German newspaper Die Welt, car producer Ford is to pay 26 million US-Dollars to a woman, seriously injured in an accident caused by an allegedly defective Firestone tyre. Since the accident the woman is paralysed and can only breathe with artificial aid. Because of this agreement, the legal process due to begin shortly, has been dropped. In the USA there are about 200 actions outstanding claiming damages against Ford and Firestone and the sum of money involved could amount to billions of Dollars. It is claimed that defective Firestone tyres have been responsible for the deaths of 148 people in the United States.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors