WASHINGTON (Jan. 6, 2000)—For the third time in a year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating an auto maker regarding spare tires. In the newly opened investigation, NHTSA is trying to find out whether the spare tire winch cables on 1,243,291 Ford Explorers, models years 1991-1994, are failing and causing the spares to fall off.
The agency also is investigating whether the spare tire cables on General Motors S-10 pickup trucks are failing, but last year absolved Ford of damaging the spares on Ford F-150 pickups because of winching them too tightly to the vehicle underpans.