Sources: 7 tires touted by Ford have worse record than Firestone

By CNN Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Congressional investigators say some tires Ford is using to replace the Firestone tires the automaker says are unsafe have higher claim rates of tread separation.

Specifically, these sources said General Tire's Grabber and the Goodyear Wrangler HT are among seven tires made by four companies that have a tread separation claims rate higher than the Firestone Wilderness tires now being replaced by Ford.

Ford recently sent letters to owners of Ford Explorers and other vehicles affected by the recall and recommended numerous tires, including the seven tires now in question, as possible replacements.

According to sources, the General Grabber has a separation claims rate of 10.9 per million; the Goodyear Wrangler HT's separation claims rate is 13.7 per million. Ford considers claim rates of 5 per million too high.

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At a congressional hearing on Tuesday, Rep. Billy Tauzin, the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, touched on the issue, but did not specify which tire brands were in question.

Lawmaker won't name names

"Ford is going to replace these recalled tires with tires that have a worse claim history than some of the tires coming off the Explorers," said Tauzin.

In a later interview with CNN, Tauzin, R-Louisiana, declined to name the tire manufacturers. He said committee investigators have turned their information over to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to review, and one tire had reports of failure as high as 124 per million.

"Until NHTSA does that review, our committee thought it was probably wrong to put that information out in the public," Tauzin said. He said he would ask the agency to report back to Congress in 30 days.

"We don't know the whole story. All we have is the claims data given to us by the four companies," he added.

Tauzin said some of the tires Ford is considering as replacements have had many more claims of problems than the company considers acceptable. But he said, "We're incapable now of saying that these tires or more or less safe than the tires that are being replaced."

Ford issued a statement late Tuesday, saying it has not seen the data cited by congressional sources. Ford also blasted a spokesman for Tauzin for leaking information to members of the news media, saying "it is unfortunate that the data and the analysis of it were withheld from us."

The automaker said it is taking the reports very seriously, however.

"We will work closely with NHTSA to analyze what data there are and will act promptly if need be," Ford said. "As we have shown by our actions, we are willing to act promptly to protect the safety of our customers."

And Goodyear spokesman Chuck Sinclair questioned whether its tire is unsafe.

"There were no injuries and no fatalities that we're aware of associated with these claims," he said.