U.S.

Ford Recalls European Tires

June 5, 2001 / 10:59 AM EDT / CBS/AP

Ford Motor Company Co. expanded its tire recall to Europe on Tuesday with plans to replace Firestone tires on about 23,000 vehicles across the continent.

The world's second largest automaker had earlier said no European vehicles would be affected by a massive recall effort in the United States because of safety concerns with certain tires made by Bridgestone/Firestone Inc., the U.S. unit of Japan's Bridgestone Corp.

Tire Tussle:
Complete Coverage

The following are investigative stories by CBS News Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson that peer into the Firestone tire recall:

Firestone: An Insider's View

New Worries For Firestone

Call For Explorer Ban

Firestone In Tire Talks

The Casualty Count

Courting Firestone

Tire Victim: Apology Seemed Sincere

Holding Firestone, Ford Accountable

Firestone And Ford Place Blame

Yet Another Recall For Firestone

Why Are Feds So Slow With Recalls?

Last month, the company recalled 13 million Firestone Wilderness AT tires on its vehicles because they fail more often than other tires. That came on top of Bridgestone/Firestone's August 2000 recall of 6.5 million ATX, ATX II and Wilderness AT tires.

The tires are under investigation in at least 174 U.S. traffic deaths in accidents, mostly involving Ford Explorers, a popular sport utility vehicle.

The European recall affects all 15-, 16- and 17-inch Wilderness AT tires used on Ford Explorers, Expedition sport utility vehicles and Ranger and F-150 pickup trucks until 1999. After 1999, a different tire was used on those vehicles, the company said.

"We have had no problems with these tires in Europe. It's only a preventative action at this time," Ford spokesman Michael Droste said.

The recalled vehicles will be outfitted with new tires.

Droste would not say why Ford waited until now to recall the European vehicles, and woud give no details about how much the European recall would cost the company.