They, along with marketing experts and even some Firestone dealers, are wondering whether the Firestone brand can weather yet another crisis.

But General Motors could be moving away from the Firestone brand.

Independent tire dealers who stock the Firestone brand have been among the hardest hit by the controversy.

Tire dealers and customers in the region said today that consumer confidence in the Firestone brand had been shaken.

Apart from tires, several companies and divisions operate with the Firestone brand in its name.

"We're not walking away from the Firestone brand," a spokesman, Terry Rhadigan, said.

And Bridgestone/Firestone is not walking away from the Firestone brand.

"My sense is the Firestone brand is weakening in the replacement market, and this could lead to the need for a second plant's closing."

He said that did not mean the company was thinking of scrapping the Firestone brand, but analysts said a name change could be unavoidable.

And Bridgestone was trying to revive the Firestone brand and recuperate its investment at the lowest possible cost.