Regulators have defended their plan, pointing out that automakers have opposed attempts to measure rollover propensity. The government tests tires for endurance by running them for 34 hours at 50 miles per hour, and for speed by running them for 90 minutes at 70 to 85 miles per hour. Stephen R. Kratzke, the associate administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said regulators were considering more stringent tests. Any new rules would probably not be limited to tires for sport utility vehicles and other light trucks, he said, but would also extend to car tires. Firestone officials declined to comment on whether they felt new tire regulations were needed.
Automakers say that they already demand better-quality tires than the regulations require.
Although the cause of the problems in 1978 was never publicly determined, Firestone did make changes to its tires, and the problems stopped. But the episode crippled the company financially and contributed to its takeover in 1988 by the Bridgestone Corporation. Firestone recovered from the 1978 recall by replacing virtually all the tires itself, which kept customers coming back to its dealers. But Ford has insisted that Firestone reimburse customers who buy other brands this time. Back in 1981, as the Reagan administration began reviewing its predecessor's regulatory backlog, the American auto industry had laid off 500,000 workers and was close to bankruptcy.