Whodunnit? Accessibility of Blameworthiness in the Firestone Tire Recall

Two experiments were conducted to examine consumers’ perceptions of blame in the Firestone Tire recall. The extent to which knowledge about Ford or Firestone’s role in the recall was accessible to consumers was manipulated. The results suggest that subtle cues can influence perceptions of blame of a company indirectly involved in a recall but only when consumers have considerable knowledge to draw on.