IN 1975, MY FATHER BOUGHT THE SKYHAWK AS A SPECIAL ORDER. WE HAD THE VEHICLE ABOUT 6 MONTHS WHEN, WHILE DRIVING DOWN INTERSTATE 495 IN MARYLAND, THE FRONT LEFT TIRE STARTED PEELING THE STEEL OF THE STEEL BELTED TIRE. WE WERE FORTUNATE AT THAT TIME TO HEAR THE NOISE OF THE STEEL AGAINST THE WHEEL WELL, SO WE PULLED OVER ONTO THE SHOULDER. WE WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE A MD STATE TROOPER ASSIST US WITH THE SPARE (DONUT) TIRE. WE CONTINUED THE DRIVE TO DELAWARE ON THE DONUT. SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER THAT INCIDENT, THE REAR LEFT TIRE BLEW WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 395 AT SHIRLINGTON (ARLINGTON, VA) AT THE BASE OF THE FEED-IN RAMP. SOON AFTER, THE RIGHT REAR STARTED SPLITTING STEEL, AT WHICH POINT MY FATHER HAD ALL THE TIRES REPLACED WITH GOODYEAR RATHER THAN CONTINUING TO GO BACK TO FIRESTONE AND GETTING A NEW TIRE AND CREDIT FOR THE DEFECTIVE ONE. ALTHOUGH WE NO LONGER HAVE THE CAR (IT DIED), FIRESTONE HAD THE SAME OR SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR TIRES IN 1975. THE NEWS SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT THIS IS A FAIRLY NEW PROBLEM, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE FROM MY COMMENTS, THIS WAS HAPPENING 25 YEARS AGO, ONLY ON SUB-COMPACT CARS INSTEAD OF SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. ALTHOUGH MY DAD PASSED AWAY, I WAS WITH HIM FOR ALL 3 INCIDENTS, SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL ME. THANKS AND HAVE A GOOD WEEK!! *AK( DOT NUMBER: )