What the companies say

Times staff reports

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 20, 2001

FORD MOTOR CO.: Ford has apologized to the American people for its part in the problem, while insisting that Firestone tires were to blame. "This is a tire issue, not a vehicle issue," Jacques Nasser, Ford's chief executive officer said to Congress last year. "If I have one single regret, it's that we did not ask Firestone the right questions sooner." Despite that, Ford did agree to make changes. The company pledged to voluntarily tell American consumers of safety problems that happen with Ford products overseas. Ford also will cover tires under its vehicle warranty program, not a common industry practice and will introduce a tire pressure monitoring system for sport utility vehicles and light trucks. Ford now offers customers a choice of tires brands, including Firestone, on its 2002 Explorer.

FIRESTONE: Firestone took responsibility for faulty tires and apologized to the nation for the company's role in the deadly accidents. "I also come to accept full and personal responsibility on behalf of Bridgestone/Firestone for the events that led to this hearing," Masatoshi Ono, former Bridgestone/Firestone chief executive officer said to Congress last year. Company officials acknowledged design and manufacturing problems, particularly at the Decatur, Ill., plant. As a result, Firestone stopped some manufacturing at that plant, instituted design changes and broadened the availability of tire warranty and money-back programs. But Firestone still blames Ford for the Explorer's design problems and drivers for improper tire inflation and repairs.

Source: Times files, Ford Motor Co. media releases, Bridgestone/Firestone media releases

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