Magazine: Explorer Pick Of SUV Litter

The 2002 Ford Explorer was rated first among six mid-sized sport utility vehicles in a Consumer Reports magazine survey.

The next-generation Explorer, which went on sale in March in the wake of last summer's Firestone tire recall, ranked higher than the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota 4 Runner, Nissan Pathfinder, Dodge Durango SLT and GMC Envoy.

This "means a lot for the Explorer because there has been so many questions about that vehicle," said auto consultant Susan Jacobs.

The results were published in the September issue of Consumer Reports. The SUV earned a "promising" rating and could make the magazine's recommended list if it proves reliable.

Last summer, Bridgestone/Firestone recalled 6.5 million tires, many of which were sold as original equipment on the Explorer. The tires have been linked to 203 U.S. traffic deaths and more than 700 injuries, many of which occurred when a tire lost its tread and the vehicle rolled over.

Hundreds of personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits have been filed because of the accidents.

Last May, Firestone declared all-out war against Ford, asking the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to open an investigation into the safety of certain Explores.

Firestone told NHTSA that tests by an expert at Ohio State University shows certain Explorer models "oversteer" following a tread separation on a left rear tire and are "not safe at highway speeds in the hands of an average driver. This must be regarded as a highway safety defect within the meaning of NHTSA's charter."

"When a driver of a vehicle has something happen such as a tread separation, they should be able to pull over not rollover," said Firestone CEO Jim Lampe.

Ford has firmly placed blame for any rollover problems with the tires.

The redesigned 2002 Explorer is a "vast improvement over its predecessor," Consumer Reports said. The magazine's criticism of the vehicle was that it performed poorly off road.

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