BRIDGESTONE DUELER TIRES Complaints

MY 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HAS ONLY 20600 MILES ON IT. I HAVE NOTICED THAT ALL 4 BRIDGESTONE DUELLER H/ T P225 70R 16 TIRES ARE SO WORN OUT THAT I AM HAVING TROUBLE STOPPING IN THE RAIN. I AM GOING TO REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES BUT I BELIEVE THAT THIS OF CONCERN SINCE I DO MAINTAIN THE TIRES AT PROPER INFLATION AND THEY HAVE BEEN ROTATED AT LEAST TWICE. THE WEAR IS EQUAL ON ALL 4 TIRES. THIS TIRES WHERE RATED FOR AT LEAST 60,000 MILES AND TO ONLY GET A THIRD OF THAT AND THE EXPENSE IS TERRIBLE. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THIS ON OTHER HIGHLANDERS AND EVEN RAV4S. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TREAD ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE SEPARATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, CAUSING SLIGHT LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP,WHERE THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE SEPARATION.

THE BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/T TIRES HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO HAVE WEAR (VIBRATION) ISSUES, DUE TO THE TIRES BEING A SOFTER TIRE, ACCORDING TO MANY CHEVROLET AND GMC SERVICE MANAGERS THAT I HAVE CALLED. I RECEIVED TWO TIRES, BALANCING/ROTATION FREE, BUT I HAD TO BUY TWO AS WELL. I FEEL SINCE GM DEALERSHIPS KNOW ABOUT THIS ISSUE, THEY SHOULD SEND OUT A RECALL. I HAVE HAD MY TIRES BALANCED AND ROTATED MANY TIMES (ABOUT EVERY 3,000 MILES), BUT THE OWNERS MANUAL STATES EVERY 5000 - 8000 MILES. EVEN-THOUGH THERE IS A PROBLEM, THEY WOULDN'T PAY DUE TO MY VEHICLE HAD TOO MANY MILES (35,600) ON IT, BUT WHAT THEY WON'T ADMIT IS THAT FACT THAT I'VE HAD TO PAY EXTRA MONEY FOR ADDITIONAL BALANCE AND ROTATIONS. IF THERE IS A KNOWN ISSUE, THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL; EVEN-THOUGH THAT MAY COST THEM MONEY, BUT IT'S GM'S RESPONSIBILITY AND THAT WILL COST THEM CUSTOMERS IN THE FUTURE!! *NM

HAVE HAD FEATHERING ON FRONT TIRE EDGES ON 05' CHEVROLET Z-71. TWO ALIGNMENTS AND TWO SETS OF BRIDGESTONE DUELER A/T'S LATER TRUCK STILL HAS A VIBRATION AT 50 MPH. AM STILL WORKING ON THE PROBLEM, DEALER'S SERVICE ADVISOR HAS TOLD ME HIS TECH.'S CAN'T FEEL THE VIBRATION ALTHOUGH WHEN SAID SERVICE ADVISOR ROAD WITH ME ON A TEST DRIVE HE HAD ADMITTED TO FEELING THE VIBRATION. SO... CAN I THROW MY HANDS IN THE AIR ALSO WHILE SENDING MY MONTHLY PAYMENTS ? *NM

CATASTROPHIC TIRE FAILURE TIRE THAT FAILED WAS A BRIDGESTONE DUELLER P225/70 R16 THAT WAS AN ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT SPARE ON A 2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE SUV WAS PURCHASED NEW IN MARCH 2005, IT HAS APPROXIMATELY 25,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THE SPARE WAS PLACED ON THE CAR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR IN DEC. 2005 AND HAS APPROX. 5000 MILES ON IT. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON I-95 IN SOUTH CAROLINA. IT WAS DAYTIME AND VISIBILITY WAS EXCELLENT. NO ROAD HAZARDS WERE OBSERVED AT ANY TIME. THE CAR HAD RECENTLY BEEN SERVICED AND ALL TIRES WERE FULLY INFLATED. THE CAR SHOWED NO SIGNS OF POOR OR ERRATIC HANDLING PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THERE WAS A LOUD SOUND WITH AN IMMEDIATE COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE TIRE. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL WITH SOME DIFFICULTY. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AT A SPEED OF 70 MPH. THE TIRE WAS EXAMINED BY GARAGE PERSONNEL IN SC AND IN TALLAHASSEE, FL. IN BOTH CASES, NO SIGN OF ROAD HAZARD DAMAGE COULD BE FOUND. FURTHER, THERE WAS GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT THE TIRE HAD APPARENTLY FAILED DUE TO A SIDEWALL FLAW WHERE IT MET THE TREAD. I HAVE RETAINED THE DAMAGED TIRE FOR YOUR EXAMINATION. YOU SHOULD NOTE THAT IN 2004, BRIDGESTONE RECALLED A DIFFERENT SIZE OF THIS TIRE THAT WAS BEING USED AS A SPARE FOR A SIMILAR PROBLEM. I SUSPECT THAT THERE IS A LARGER PROBLEM THAT BRIDGESTONE IS COVERING UP DUE TO FIRESTONE'S WELL DOCUMENTED PROBLEMS. *JB

THE INCIDENT HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM SCHOOL AT AROUND 4:30 PM. JUST LIKE ALWAYS AROUND AT CERTAIN PART OF THE FREEWAY THE TRAFFIC BEGAN AND EVERYONE WAS SLOWING DOWN. I BEGAN TO PRESS ON MY BREAKS. THIS IS WERE THINGS ALL WENT TO FAST AND ARE KIND OF WEIRD. GOING ABOUT 60 MPH, MY SUV WAS NOT SLOWING DOWN AND IT JERKED TO THE LEFT. THERE WERE A LOT OF BAD, SCARY NOISES, ONES THAT AUTOMOBILES SHOULDN'T MAKE. LUCKILY, I DIDN'T HIT ANYONE ELSE. MY THOUGHT BEFORE I GOT OUT OF THE CAR WAS THAT I TOTALLY SLAMMED INTO THE CENTER MEDIAN. HOWEVER, UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE I SAW THAT COSMETICALLY THE CAR WAS PRETTY MUCH FINE. ALL THE COMMOTION THAT I HEARD AND FELT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE AT FIRST BUT THEN IT ALL CAME TO FRUITION. IT SEEMS THAT GOING 60 MPH WITH 10-15 FEET MY CAR CAME TO A DEAD STOP, RESTING ON TWO RIGHT SIDE TIRES AND TO LEFT SIDE WHEELS. THE FREEWAY PATROLMAN WENT UP AND DOWN THE FREEWAY TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T HIT ANYTHING (BECAUSE I DIDN'T!), AND ALL HE FOUND WERE PIECES OF MY CAR AND NOTHING ELSE. AGAIN WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, BUT THERE IS A LONG LIST OF MECHANICAL, BODY AND REFINISH WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND REPLACED. SO FAR AROUND 7,000+ IN DAMAGES. NOT TO MENTION THEY ARE NOT SURE IF THE TRANSMISSION AND THE FRAME ARE MESSED UP. THE REAR SUB FRAME, THE PIECE THAT HOLDS THE SUSPENSION TOGETHER, BROKE CLEAN IN HALF. WE DON'T KNOW IF THE FRONT FAILED AND CAUSED THE BACK TO FALL APART, OR IF THE BACK FAILED AND CAUSED THE FRONT TO FALL APART. TO CORRECT IT THEY ARE JUST GOING TO REPAIR EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED, MOST WHICH ARE BEING REPLACED WITH USED PARTS. THE ONLY PHYSICAL INJURY THAT OCCURRED WAS A BIG BURN/CUT I GOT FROM THE SIDE AIR BAG GOING OFF. PLUS, BY REPLACING THE PIECES WITH USED PARTS, HOW DO THEY KNOW IT WON'T FAIL AGAIN? ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN THE FIRST PLACE! THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND TURNING SHARPLY LEFT OR RIGHT THE FRONT TIRES RUBBED THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SHUTTER, THIS HAPPENED EITHER IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. UPON INSPECTION THE FRONT TIRE ROD ENDS WERE REPLACED. THE DEALER STATED THE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE WERE THE CORRECT SIZE. HOWEVER , REPLACING THE TIRE ROD ENDS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 06/05/2006. *AK *TS

ON MARCH 3, 2006, I WAS TRAVELING THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT ON I-95 IN MARTIN COUNTY, FLORIDA IN OUR 1999 HONDA CRV. APPROXIMATELY 1-2 MILES BEFORE THE ST. LUCIE BLVD. EXIT, I NOTICED A VERY SLIGHT TREMOR OR VIBRATION? IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE TREMOR VERY GRADUALLY INCREASED. ABOUT 1-2 MILES PAST THE ST. LUCIE WEST BLVD. ENTRANCE RAMP, THERE WAS A LOUD BANG AND I SAW LARGE PIECES OF TIRE DEBRIS IN THE AIR NEAR THE REAR OF OUR VEHICLE. SEVERAL VEHICLES SWERVED SHARPLY TO AVOID OUR VEHICLE AND THE TIRE DEBRIS. I PULLED ONTO THE SHOULDER AND UPON EXAMINATION FOUND THE RIGHT REAR TIRE (FACING FORWARD) HAD COMPLETELY LOST ALL OF ITS TREAD. THE TIRE WAS STILL INFLATED SO I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO A TIRE DEALERSHIP ON ST. LUCIE BLVD. AND PURCHASE A NEW TIRE, HOWEVER THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY $1,200 IN DAMAGE TO THE CRV. THE TIRE HAD APPROXIMATELY 12,000 MILES OF USE ON IT. THE TIRES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN MAINTAINED AT THE TIRE PRESSURE RECOMMENDED IN THE CRV OWNER'S MANUAL AND I CHECKED THE PRESSURE IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THIS TRIP. OUR LOCAL HONDA TECHNICAL SERVICE MANAGER, THE TIRE TECHNICIAN IN PORT ST. LUCIE AND A LOCAL FIRESTONE/BRIDGESTONE TIRE TECHNICIAN ALL AGREED UPON EXAMINATION OF THE TIRE AND THE DAMAGE TO OUR VEHICLE THAT THE TIRE TREAD SEPARATION WAS IN ALL PROBABILITY DUE TO THE SUBJECT TIRE BEING DEFECTIVE. AT BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE'S REQUEST, I RETURNED THE DAMAGED TIRE TO THEM FOR TESTING AND REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT FOR DAMAGE TO MY CRV. THEY ARE CLAIMING THAT I WAS AT FAULT FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE TIRE AND THAT THE TIRE HAD BEEN "OVER OR UNDER DEFLATED" FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. DESPITE REPEATED REQUESTS, THEY HAVE FAILED TO RETURN THE SUBJECT TIRE TO ME. *JB

I HAD A BLOW OUT ON MY 2001 ISUZU RODEO, CAUSING MY VEHICLE TO GO OFF THE ROAD TO THE RIGHT RUNNING INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE SEAT BELT CAME OFF, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT WORK. I SUSTAINED HEAD INJURIES CAUSING SEIZURES, A DISPLAYED SHOULDER, AND A FRACTURED JAW. DUE TO THE HEAD INJURIES I WAS UNCONSCIOUS AND UNABLE TO KEEP CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *NM

WHILE DRIVING OUR ISUZU RODEO AT FREEWAY SPEED, OUR REAR PASSENGER TIRE (BRIDGESTONE DUELER 684) STEEL BELT CAME UNRAVELED AND PROCEEDED TO DESTROY OUR REAR LIGHTS, SIDE REAR PANEL AND BUMPER. THE TIRE NEVER LOST PRESSURE, IT SIMPLY CAME UNRAVELED. LUCKILY WE WERE IN THE RIGHT LANE AND WERE ABLE TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. IF THIS HAD BEEN A FRONT TIRE WHO KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. *NM