We will never know because the system has failed us once again. What he was referring to was the failure of the system to facilitate the upward flow of bad news. This was one of the big problems with the NASA Space Program, one that has continued to plague it to this day. Good management will solicit recommendations from employees, act on the good ones, and describe in detail the reasons for not acting upon the others, thereby earning the respect of the workers and customers alike. Dr. Deming taught us that mutual respect among management, workers, and customers is essential to eliminate fear and promote constructive activity.
Fear operates in the dark and in the shadows, often stonewalling everything around it.
Unfortunately, that is not nearly enough. What is clearly needed at Firestone is a healthy dose of SoPK, if it is not too late. We are looking at what happens without an Appreciation for a System, as noted in my earlier message on the need to change our 21st century focus from parts to the system. Indeed, I believe that the incident involves intrinsically non-integrious, criminal behavior on the part of those holding organizational decision authority. This is further validated by the news that the company actually allowed the continuing sale of the tires in the Untied States knowing such sales had been ended, for safety reason, in other countries.