Ford-Firestone dispute moves to U.S. Congress

The latest round in the ongoing dispute between Bridgestone-Firestone and Ford has moved to U.S. Congressional hearings, with both Ford CEO Jac Nasser and Bridgestone-Firestone chief executive John Lampe testifying. The issue, reignited by the unilateral Ford recall of some 13 million additional Firestone tires fitted primarily to the Ford Explorer, has seen some of the toughest talk ever heard between two major corporations in U.S. corporate history. According to Lampe, “No one cares more about the safety of the people who travel on our tires than we do. We ‘re doing our part. We’re taking responsibility for our products. We did a massive recall. And now we’re doing what’s right by asking the tough questions about the Ford Explorer.” In Ford’s statement, Nasser reiterated the firm’s position on the issue: “We have shared data continuously with NHTSA, Congress, and Firestone. I assure the committee that the decision that we took to replace these Firestone Wilderness AT tires was not taken lightly. The cost of the replacement program is about three billion dollars. We feel that this expenditure is necessary to protect the safety of those who have put their trust in us.”