Firestone Tires and Ford Explorer Share a Scandal
In 1990, only 7% of auto sales were SUVs, and the American public was leery of the SUV after the Ford Bronco scandal. Broncos were prone to rollover incidents. The introduction of the Ford Explorer in 1990 was supposed to be the antidote to the Bronco malady. Millions of Ford Explorers were sold for years afterward.
The Explorer was equipped with Firestone tires but a problem became apparent when the tires began to blow, causing rollover accidents. By 2000, the Explorer was well-known for rollovers. Ford blamed Firestone for the issue. Firestone had been supplying Ford with tires for more than a hundred years. Firestone blamed Ford. The companies parted ways in 2002, but only after paying out millions of dollars to settle lawsuits.