It’s a little late for that. After last week’s hearing, consumers should have whiplash from all the confusing charges and countercharges between Ford and Firestone. Federal safety investigators now say they will review Firestone’s allegations against the Explorer’s stability. Bridgestone/Firestone CEO John Lampe testified that the SUV should “pull over, not roll over,” after its tires shred on the highway. Congressional sources say Ford might yank some of the tires off its list of acceptable replacements as early as this week. And slow-moving federal regulators promise that next month they’ll wrap up their yearlong investigation of the Firestone tires linked to 203 deaths. But who’s to blame for one of the worst highway-safety crises ever remains murky. The only sure thing about the Ford-Firestone flap is that it will keep rolling.
