Firestone tires were recalled in 2000 after tread separation was linked to SUV crashes.
The controversy centered on Firestone ATX, ATX II, and Wilderness AT tires fitted to vehicles including the Ford Explorer. Some tires experienced tread separation, in which the tread detached from the underlying casing. Investigators connected the failures to crashes, especially rollovers, and the issue became particularly prominent in the United States.
Firestone announced a recall in 2000 covering millions of tires. Ford later recalled additional tires, and the long-running controversy damaged the historic relationship between Ford and Firestone. The two companies had worked together for decades before the dispute became public.
The recall is sometimes described simply as an Explorer recall, but the immediate product at issue was the tire. The case prompted investigations, congressional attention, and later changes to tire-safety reporting and monitoring requirements.