Bridgestone/Firestone Statement on Ford Action
12 August 2000
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Ford Motor Company is encouraging dealers to replace tires immediately. Firestone welcomes this action. It is complementary and supportive of our program. In fact, from the beginning, dealers in every state have been replacing tires, as soon as possible, because the No. 1 priority for all of us is public safety and consumer confidence. The phasing program addresses the distribution of replacement tires. It does not limit actions that dealers may take to satisfy their customers. As we increase U.S. production of replacement tires and ramp up supplies from our global network, we are targeting deliveries to dealers and customers in the four most affected states first. Meanwhile, we continue to encourage all dealers in all states to respond immediately to their customers, replacing tires with competitors' brands, if necessary.