General Motors follows Ford, will stop using Firestone tires

Published 9:00 pm Thursday, May 24, 2001

Associated Press

DETROIT — General Motors Corp., the world’s biggest automaker, plans to stop using Firestone tires on certain models this summer and will instead go with Firestone’s sister brand, Bridgestone.

The decision follows a move by Ford earlier this week to recall 13 million Firestone Wilderness AT tires.

"We listen to our customers, and our customers were telling us they were having some concerns about Firestone," GM spokesman Terry Rhadigan said.

Nissan also said Thursday it will drop Firestone tires from its retooled Altima, though the automaker said the move was made because the car needs tires not available from Bridgestone/Firestone.

GM uses Firestones as standard equipment on 14 of its models. It has not identified which vehicles are affected by its decision.

Rhadigan said the move began taking shape in late 1999, well before Bridgestone/Firestone’s recall of 6.5 million Firestone tires last August. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has linked at least 174 deaths and more than 700 injuries to the tires.

As automakers deal with their side of the tire issue, Bridgestone/Firestone rival tiremakers are gearing up their production plants in anticipation of providing new tires for a Ford-announced recall.

Cooper Tire and Rubber Co. said Thursday it will increase production of several lines of tires for sport utility vehicles and light trucks in order to meet the demand for replacements for some of the Firestone tires being recalled by Ford.

Cooper will increase production of its 15-, 16- and 17-inch tires, which are sold under a number of brands including Cooper, Mastercraft and Roadmaster, company spokesman Roger Hendriksen said.

Greenville, S.C.-based Michelin North America also says it is going to full capacity at all of its North American plants, meaning it will produce tires around the clock, seven days a week, according to a written statement from Jim Micali, the company’s president and chairman.

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