Questions Linger About Culpability in Firestone Tire Recall
GENE RANDALL, CNN ANCHOR: Still reeling from it's massive tire recall, attorneys for Firestone are asking a federal judge to move a class-action lawsuit against the company from state to federal court. Meanwhile, as Kelli Arena reports, it is not clear who's to blame for the way the recall has been handled.</s>KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Firestone service centers are bracing for this weekend's crowds. The tire maker has already replaced more than 200,000 tires. But still, there is no definitive answer to what, if anything, went wrong with them.</s>JOHN LAMPE, BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE: I have no reports of any preliminary findings. There are areas that we are jointly investigating and collecting additional data from.</s>ARENA: Critics are increasingly concerned about who knew what and when. Insurance giant State Farm says it notified Firestone and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of an increase in claims years before a formal investigation was launched. There were also questions surrounding Ford's culpability. Most of the tire accidents involved Ford's popular Explorer SUV. More than 60 percent of the incidents involved rear tires, which experts say could suggest a problem with the suspension.</s>JOSEPH GERHARDT, UNIVERSITY OF AKRON: Is there something going on with the way the load gets distributed or load transfer? Or are the forces greater there? Is it running straight and therefore heats up more?</s>ARENA: Ford flatly denies there is any design problem. But one source close to the companies says Ford's suspension is being looked at. (on camera): And Ford has altered suspension systems in South America and the Middle East where tires were replaced. Ford says that's due to different usage conditions. (voice-over): Crisis experts say Ford has managed to keep the focus on Firestone, but that Firestone has been less successful in handling the controversy.</s>KAREN DOYNE, CRISIS COUNSELOR, KETCHUM: There seems to be some feeling that this company didn't sufficiently take ownership of the problem with this product.</s>ARENA: What's more, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is under scrutiny for failure to take action sooner.</s>JOAN CLAYBROOK, FMR. NHTSA ADMINISTRATOR: The answer in part is the lack of a proactive program to identify defects other than passively, through consumer complaints.</s>ARENA: Congress will hold hearings on that issue and others involving the Firestone accidents. Meanwhile, safety groups are keeping the pressure on, urging Firestone to recall other tire sizes, which they say are also suspect. Kelli Arena, CNN Financial News, Washington.