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Goodyear-Ford reach deal
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May 30, 2001: 5:32 p.m. ET
Ford customers can get replacement Goodyear tires at no cost
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Leading tire maker Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. reached an agreement Wednesday with Ford Motor Co. to help supply replacement tires for the automaker's recall of 13 million Firestone-brand tires on its light trucks announced last week.
Under the agreement, Ford (F: Research, Estimates) customers with Firestone Wilderness AT tires will receive Goodyear tires at no cost at nearly 5,000 Goodyear retail outlets. Previously Ford customers could buy replacement tires and get reimbursements from Ford.
Akron, Ohio-based Goodyear (GT: Research, Estimates) also is increasing production of the replacement tires at its seven North American plants to provide what the companies said will be adequate availability of replacements.
"I am delighted with our partnership with Goodyear and all that they are doing to help us provide safety and peace of mind for our customers," said Ford CEO Jacques Nasser in a statement.
Last week, Ford Motor Co., the world's No.2 automaker, announced plans to replace up to 13 million Firestone-brand tires on its vehicles, doubling the number of tires exchanged in last year's recall.
Bridgestone/Firestone fired back by saying it would no longer sell tires to Ford in the future, although it plans to complete existing contracts. Bridgestone/Firestone claimed that Ford was ignoring safety problems inherent in the design of the Ford Explorer, the company's best-selling sport/utility vehicle. The troubled tire maker also alleged that Ford was trying to shift attention from those safety problems by unfairly blaming Firestone for its problems.
Click here for Firestone-Ford recall special report
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Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford then began courting three other tiremakers to help replace all remaining 13 million Firestone Wilderness AT tires the automaker is recalling over safety concerns. In addition to Goodyear, Ford also talked to French tiremaker Michelin and German tiremaker Continental AG. 
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