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American Morning

Ford's Tire Replacement Plan

Aired May 23, 2001 - 09:13   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Consumer news for you now and a story we told you about yesterday, Ford's tire replacement plan. The automaker says it will replace 13 million Firestone tires on its SUVs and pickups because, according to Ford, the tires have a high failure rate.

CNN's Brian Cabell now looks at how the plan is going to work.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Todd McDougald, the parts and service director at Lou Sobh Ford, is preparing for an avalanche of customers.

TODD MCDOUGALD, PARTS AND SERVICE DIRECTOR, LOU SOBH FORD: It's going to be very chaotic. Phones are going to be ringing off the hook. Customers are going to be coming by looking to see about getting their tires replaced and looking to see if they have recalled tires.

CABELL: All Wilderness AT tires on Ford vehicles are eligible for the recall. That includes original and replacement tires. Ford will pick up the cost. Eight percent of those tires, according to Ford, will be found on Explorers, but Wilderness ATs are also on Expeditions, Ranger pickups and F-150 pickups. Ford will be notifying vehicle owners of the recall by mail in the next several weeks, but customers are also welcome to call the 3,500 Ford and Lincoln-Mercury dealerships to set up appointments for a tire switch.

A major problem is supply. Lou Sobh Ford, for example, has enough tires for only 42 vehicles, at this point, so most customers will be put on a waiting list. Ford wants old tires to get priority. This dealership says it'll do its best.

MCDOUGALD: We're just going to have to kind of work at it on a day-to-day basis. What we see coming in, if - and if we see a vehicle that really needs tires, you know, before somebody else, we'll try to put them ahead and work on that on a case-by-case basis.

CABELL: His technicians, he predicts, won't complete their recall work for five or six months.

(on camera): Now, if customers don't want to get their tires changed at the car dealership or the dealership is just too busy, they can get their tires changed at a tire retailer. They change the tires, pay the bill and then get reimbursed by Ford within 7 to 10 days.

(voice-over): Any questions about the massive recall can be answered by Ford at 1-866-300-1226 or by sending an e-mail to tireinquiry@ford.com.

Exceedingly busy days lie ahead for Ford and its service technicians.

Brian Cabell, CNN, Decatur, Georgia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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