BRIDGESTONE DUELER TIRES Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 JEEP WRANGLER 4X4 WITH BRIDGESTONE DUELER A/T TIRES, SIZE 255/80R18. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE LOST AIR PRESSURE ON A REGULAR BASIS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE A VALVE STEM WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 24,000.

TIRE FAILURE, BLOWOUT AT HIGHWAY SPPED. ON MARCH 6, 2010, WHILE DRIVING MY 2006 H3 HUMMER THE LEFT REAR TIRE HAD A CATASTROPIC FAILURE. THE TIRE IS A BRIDGESTONE DUELER A/T RH-S LT 285/75R16 LOAD RANGE C M+S.

I AM A LOYAL HONDA OWNER ON MY THIRD HONDA, A 2007 CRV. THE CRV CAME WITH OEM TIRES, BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/T TO BE SPECIFIC. WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR I TOLD THE DEALER I DID NOT WANT SUCH POORLY RATED TIRES BUT WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO OPTION TO UPGRADE TO BETTER TIRES. I PUT UP WITH THESE BAD TIRES FOR 3 YEARS WITH NO PROBLEMS UNTIL MY LUCK RAN OUT THIS YEAR WHEN MY AREA RECEIVED SEVERAL SNOW STORMS. MY FIRST NEAR-MISS HAPPENED IN DECEMBER OF 2009 I GOT STUCK ON A VERY MINOR PATCH OF SNOW AND MY CAR NARROWLY AVOIDED SLIDING BACKWARDS INTO A CREEK JUST BEHIND ME THAT WAS ABOUT 10' DEEP. I SHOULD HAVE REPLACED THE TIRES RIGHT THEN BUT FAILED TO MAKE THE CONNECTION TO THE BAD TIRES AND BLAMED IT ON THE ROAD CONDITIONS. THE SECOND NEAR-MISS CAME THIS WEEK WHEN WE GOT A MAJOR SNOWSTORM AND MY BROTHER'S HOUSE LOST POWER AND HEAT. THE DAY AFTER THE STORM I TRIED TO DRIVE TO MY BROTHER'S HOUSE AND RESCUE HIM AND HIS FAMILY. I GOT JUST OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY ONTO THE SNOW COVERED STREET AND RIGHT AWAY GOT STUCK. I WAS ONLY ABLE TO MOVE MY CAR BACK INTO THE DRIVEWAY BY THROWING DIRT UNDER ALL THE TIRES TO GET TRACTION. I PULLED BACK INTO THE DRIVEWAY AND WAS AFRAID TO TRY AGAIN FOR 2 DAYS UNTIL THE SNOW SOFTENED UP A BIT. KEEP IN MIND THAT MY CRV IS ALL WHEEL DRIVE AND THE TIRES HAD LESS THAN 25,000 MILES ON THEM AND WERE NOT WORN OUT. IN BOTH CASES THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE WAS USELESS AND IN BOTH CASES LIVES WERE AT RISK. I PAID EXTRA TO GET THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE VERSION FOR JUST SUCH OCCASIONS AND I FEEL LET DOWN, TO SAY THE LEAST. TODAY BEING THE FIRST TIME I COULD GET TO A MAIN ROAD (BARELY) I HEADED TO THE NEAREST TIRE SHOP TO REPLACE THE HORRIBLE BRIDGESTONE H/T'S WITH BRIDGESTONE ALENZA'S, THEIR HIGHEST RATED TIRE FOR MY VEHICLE. I AM NOW ABLE TO DRIVE IN THE SAME SNOW WITH NO PROBLEM AT ALL. WHY IS HONDA ALLOWED TO PUT SUCH POOR TIRES ON THEIR CARS, AND WHY IS BRIDGESTONE ALLOWED TO SELL SUCH POOR TIRES? *TR

MY WIFE'S 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER SPORT WITH 19" RIMS CAME WITH BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/L 400 TIRES. THIS TIRE HAPPENS TO BE THE ONLY TIRE MADE TO FIT THIS RIM OTHER THAN A TOYOTA OPEN COUNTRY WHICH APPARENTLY WAS STANDARD ON THE HYBRID MODEL. WE FOUND THIS TIRE TO BE UNFIT AND UNSAFE FOR A 4,500 LB VEHICLE OF THIS SCALE. THESE TIRES HYDROPLAN IN RAIN FROM THE MOMENT THEY WERE NEW, AND THEY HANDLED TERRIBLY IN ANY AMOUNT OF SNOW, CAUSING THE REAR OF OUR 4WD VEHICLE TO SLIDE SIDEWAYS WHEN STARTING FROM SIMPLE STOPS. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WE HELD OUR BREATH AS WE SLID TOWARD VEHICLES AND PROPERTY WHILE THE STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM TRIED IN VAIN TO OVERCOME THE TIRE'S VERY POOR HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS. IF YOU GO TO TIRERACK.COM YOU WILL SEE THAT THIS TIRE IS RATED EXTREMELY POORLY BY MANY MANY OWNERS OF HIGHLANDERS AND OTHER CARS THAT THEY CAME STANDARD ON. WHEN I CONTACTED TOYOTA ABOUT THIS, THEY BALKED AT ME, AND COPPED AN ATTITUDE WHEN THEY ASKED IF I SERIOUSLY THOUGHT TOYOTA WAS GOING TO REPLACE MY TIRES FOR ME. THESE TIRES ARE UNSAFE FOR ANY VEHICLE WHICH WILL TRAVEL IN SNOW OR RAIN. THE FINAL INSULT OF THESE TIRES IS THAT THEY WERE MORE THAN THREE-QUARTERS WORN OUT BY 15,000 MILES. WE MILKED THESE TIRES UNTIL ALMOST 30,000 MILES SINCE I REFUSED TO BUY THE SAME TIRE AGAIN, HOPING SOME OTHER MANUFACTURER WOULD COME ALONG WITH A SIMILAR SIZED TIRE - 245/55-19. THAT NEVER HAPPENED, SO I WENT WITH A 255 WIDTH TIRE AND BROUGHT A WELL RATED HANKOOK. I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER. I AM JUST INCENSED THAT TOYOTA COLLUDED WITH BRIDGESTONE TO INSTALL SUCH TERRIBLY CHEAP AND UNSAFE TIRES ON THOUSANDS OF HIGHLANDERS, STRANDING ALL THOSE OWNERS TO SUFFER THE SAME INSTABILITY ISSUES AS WE DID, WHILE THEY DID NOT WORK WITH ANY OTHER TIRE VENDORS TO SUPPLY THIS DISTINCTIVE TIRE DESIGN. I AM NOT SURE WHO I HOLD IN MORE CONTEMPT - BRIDGESTONE OR TOYOTA. I DO NOT DOUBT THAT YOU COULD RESEARCH VEHICLE CRASHES INVOLVING HIGHLANDERS AND FIND MANY CAUSED BY POOR TRACTION. *TW

I PURCHASED A 2010 TOYOTA TUNDRA IN AUG. AT NEARLY 3K MILES, BOTH THE FRONT TIRES - BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/T P275 65R18 114T M+S - HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO EXTREME CUPPING. NOW AT CLOSE TO 8500 TOTAL MILES, FRONT TIRES ARE CUPPING AGAIN. DEALER TELLS ME TO "KEEP DRIVING," THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO. I HAVE 4-5 DOCUMENTED CASES OF BRINGING THE VEHICLE IN COMPLAINING ABOUT THE CUPPING SINCE PURCHASED NEW IN AUGUST. I JUST EXAMINED TIRES AGAIN THIS MORNING AND THEY CONTINUE TO WEAR, OUTSIDE EDGES - CUPPING. ALIGNMENT ON VEHICLE HAS BEEN PERFORMED TO SPECS NUMEROUS TIMES. *TR

I PURCHASED MY HONDA CR-V IN JUNE OF 2008. I HAVE APPROXIMATELY 27,000 MILES ON MY VEHICLE. I WAS TOLD THE TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I WAS TOLD THE TIRES SHOULD NOT HAVE WORN SO FAST AND THERE WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR TIRE. THE VEHICLE NOW PLUS STRONGLY TO THE LEFT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND I WAS TOLD THIS WAS NOT DUE TO THE TIRE WEAR. THEY ARE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE LEFT FRONT TIRE. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL HONDA'S AND CAN SAY I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THIS ONE AND WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER. *TR

ON APRIL 11 2009 I PURCHASED FOUR NEW BRIDGESTONE DUELLER H/T 684 TIRES FOR MY 2004 HONDA CRV. ON APRIL 23 I HAD R & M AUTOMOTIVE IN NORTHRIDGE, CA ALIGN THE WHEELS ON THE CRV. R & M IS MY REGULAR MECHANIC FOR THIS CAR. THE MILEAGE AT THAT TIME WAS 83875. ON NOVEMBER 26, 2009 I NOTICED EXPOSED STEEL BELTS ON THE LEFT REAR TIRE AND EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE OTHER THREE TIRES. THE CAR MILEAGE WAS 92763. I WAS TOLD THIS EXTREME TIRE WEAR WAS THE RESULT OF IMPROPER ALIGNMENT WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO THE STORE WHERE I BOUGHT THEM. THEY DID HOWEVER NOTE THAT IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON THE LEFT REAR TIRE AND INSTALLED THE SPARE TIRE. I THEN TOOK THE CAR TO R & M WHERE THEY CHECKED THE ALIGNMENT AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. R& M THOUGHT IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON THE TIRES AND OFFERED TO PROVIDE A RENTAL. R& M REPLACED THE TIRES AT NO COST. I STILL HAVE THE TIRES IN MY POSSESSION AND I BELIEVE THEY WERE FLAWED FROM THE MANUFACTURER. I WAS EXTREMELY LUCKY THAT I DISCOVERED THIS SITUATION BEFORE I WAS ON THE FREEWAY. THE TIRES HAD ONLY 8,400 MILES ON THEM AND I WASN'T CHECKING THEM BECAUSE I THOUGHT THEY WERE GOOD FOR ANOTHER 30,000 MILES. I HAVE USED THESE TIRES BEFORE AND THEY PERFORMED WELL AND I GOT 40-50,000 MILES OF WEAR. *TR

2008 HONDA C RV, -- 13,000 MILES--3 YR-36,000 WARRANTY - PURCHASED NEW OCT, 2008 VERY NOTICEABLE NOISE BACKING UP WITH A SHARP TURN, EXCESSIVE WEAR ON PASSENGER SIDE BACK TIRE-BALD. . *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A FACTORY DECAL INDICATING THAT THE LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY WAS REDUCED. HE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY DID NOT PUT THE DECALS ON THE VEHICLE AND HAD NO KNOWLEDGE HOW TO UPDATE THEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO UNABLE TO ASSIST THE CONTACT ON HOW TO CORRECT THE DECAL. THE VEHICLE ALSO HYDROPLANED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN THE RAIN WHICH CAUSED HIM TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE TIRES. THE TIRES WERE BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/T TIRES SIZE P235/60/R18. THE DOT CODE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 3,400. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 300.

DRIVERS SEAT BELT LATCH BROKEN AT 36,500 MILES ON 2007 CHEVROLET SILVERADO NEW BODY STYLE REGULAR CAB 4X2 SHORT BED LT, 5.3 L FLEX FUEL ENGINE. DURING REGULAR USE, DRIVERS SEAT BELT LATCH WONT ALLOW BELT TO BE FASTENED. SEAT BELT INDICATOR ON DASH NON OPERATING SINCE FAILURE. CAN PUSH RELEASE AND STICK BELT INTO LATCH THEN RELEASE THE RELEASE BUTTON, BUT SOMETIMES THAT IS VERY DIFFICULT. WHEN RELEASED AND VEHICLE IS STILL RUNNING, DASH INDICATOR IS NON OPERATIONAL. ALSO, @ 30,000 MILES, FUEL PUMP FAILURE. *TR