TIRE-RECALL FRENZY MOTORISTS DRIVEN TO SEEK REPLACEMENTS.

Byline: Sylvia L. Oliande Staff Writer

GLENDALE - As Bridgestone-Firestone Inc. began a voluntary safety recall Wednesday of 6.5 million tires on light trucks and sport-utility vehicles, nervous motorists deluged local Firestone stores and Ford car dealerships - looking to exchange their tires.

The Firestone tires in question are size P235/75R15 Firestone radial ATX and radial ATX II tires produced in North America and the Wilderness AT tires produced at the company's plant in Decatur, Ill. Most of the recalled tires are on Ford Explorers.

Firestone officials said dealers will inspect and replace tires for free.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received 270 complaints, including 46 reported deaths and 80 injuries, about failing Firestone truck tires. The tires reportedly peel off their casings, sometimes while vehicles are traveling at high speeds and primarily in hot weather.

Gary Crigger, Bridgestone/Firestone's executive vice president, released a formal statement Wednesday detailing the recall effort and expressing sympathy for motorists whose family members died in incidents associated with the company's tires.

``We extend our condolences to families that have lost loved ones in accidents,'' Crigger said. ``At Bridgestone/Firestone, nothing is more important to us than the safety of our consumers.''

In Glendale, a steady stream of motorists visited or phoned the Firestone Tire and Service outlet on Brand Boulevard, only to learn it would take a week to exchange the tires because replacements were not in stock. Many worried car owners said they were planning long trips this week and wanted to find out whether their tires were among those being recalled.

Among them was Tom Rietta, who drove his Ford Explorer to the tire dealership during his lunch break from his job at The Walt Disney Co. in Burbank. Rietta said he had been following the buzz about the tires over the Internet and when the recall was announced Tuesday he took the first opportunity to have his tires checked.

``I'm not really concerned because it's not happening to every single tire out there,'' said Rietta, whose Ford Explorer's tires are among those being recalled and replaced. ``It happens once in a while and it's good that they're taking the initiative to recall the tires.''

Ford dealers also were inundated with calls and in-person inquiries, which they referred to Firestone outlets because the tires are under the manufacturer's warranty.

At Galpin Ford in North Hills, owner Bert Boeckmann said his salesmen and managers fielded a large number of calls in the morning and referred affected motorists to hotlines at Firestone and Ford. Ford's hotline is [phone]. Firestone's hotline is [phone].

Despite the recall, Boeckmann said motorists should not worry about the safety of their Firestone tires.

``We haven't seen any indication of a problem with our customers,'' Boeckmann said. ``Like anything else, you try to approach things in a responsible and mature manner. There is no way anyone can get their tires changed overnight, so people have to drive responsibly.''

But a La Crescenta family who lost two family members last April in a crash they attribute to the failure of their Firestone radial ATX tires said the recall comes too late for them.

``I'm angry,'' said Monica Pavelka, 32, of Montrose whose father and maternal grandmother died in an April 12 incident near Barstow after the Ford Explorer driven by her mother flipped on Interstate 15. ``Firestone knew they had a situation, a probable defect in their tire. If they had done the right thing by recalling them earlier, or at least having them called in to have them checked, my father and my grandmother would (still be) alive.''

RECALL HOTLINES

If you have the following Firestone tires - size P235/75R15 radial ATX, radial ATX II or Wilderness AT - and want to exchange them for free, call the companies at these hotline phone numbers:

Firestone hotline: [phone].

Ford Motor Company: [phone]

Or go on the Internet:

Bridgestone/Firestone: http://www.bridgestone-firestone.com

Ford Motor Co.: http://www.ford.com or e-mail at [e-mail]

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1) Tom Rietta of Burbank waits at the Firestone store in Glendale for a company representative to check the tires on his Ford Explorer.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer

(2) TIRE RECALL

Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. announced a voluntary safety recall of 6.5 million tires for light trucks and sport-utility vehicles that have been scrutinized in connection with 46 deaths.

Box: RECALL HOTLINES (See text)