BRIDGESTONE DUELER TIRES Complaints

I WAS TRAVELING S/B FRY 99 AT KIMBERLINA RD, JUST NORTH OF BAKERSFLELD CALIF. I WAS IN THE CENTER LANE TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF APPROX 70 TO 75 MPH. AT THIS TIME I HEARD A LOUD "THUD" AGAINST THE LEFT DOOR OF MY 1998 ISUZU AMIGO, THE TREAD ON THE LEFT FRONT TIRE HAD SEPARATED AND HAD STRUCK THE SIDE OF MY VEHICLE. THE TYPE OF TIRE ON MY VEHICLE IS A BRIGESTONE DUELER. THE TREAD SEPARATION CAUSED SEVERE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE. THE ESTIMATES ARE BETWEEN $1700 TO $2100 DOLLARS. THE TREAD PUT THREE DENTS ON THE DRIVERS DOOR, BROKE OF THE DRIVER SIDE MIRROR, BROKE THE BUMPER, KNOCKED THE LEFT FRONT FENDER OUT OF LINE, DAMAGED THE MUG GUARDS AND OTHER PROTECTIVE SHIELD UNDER THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL WELL. THE TIRE DID NOT DEFLATE,& I WAS ABLE TO COME TO A SLOW STOP ON A VERY ACTIVE FAST ROADWAY. I CONTACTED FIRESTONE/BRIDGESTONE AND FILED A CONSUMER COMPLAINT I COMPLETED THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK AND SENT THEM PHOTOS OF THE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE. I ALSO ACQUIRED THE ESTIMATES AND SENT THEM MY TIRE AT MY OWN EXPENSE. THEY HAVE SINCE REJECTED MY COMPLAINT STATING THE SEPARATION WAS MY FAULT CAUSED MY LOW TIRE PRESSURE. I DISAGREE. THIS TIRE WAS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT PURCHASED WITH THE VEHICLE. THIS TIRE WAS THE SPARE AND HAD ONLY APPROX 5 TO 7000 MILES ON THE TIRE. MY VEHICLE RECEIVES REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND THE TIRES WERE RECENTLY ROTATED. THE TIRE PRESSURE IS CHECKED / BALANCED AND THE PRESSURE CHECKED. I PERSONALLY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO TAKING THIS TRIP. ALL I ASK IS THAT I AM REIMBURSED FOR THE DAMAGE SUSTAINED TO MY VEHICLE AND MY TIRES BE REPLACED WITH A MAKE/BRAND OF MY OWN CHOOSING. I HAVE EFFECTED SOME OF THE REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE INCLUDE THE TIRE, AND MIRROR THESE ARE NECESSARY TO KEEP THE VEHICLE ON THE ROAD. I WAS FORCED TO PURCHASE ANOTHER BRIDGESTONE TIRE IN ORDER STAY CONSISTENT WITH THE OTHER TIRES ON THE VEHICLE. I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE WITH THE BRIDGESTONE PRODUCTS I WOULD LIKE TO REPLACE ALL FIVE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE. TO INCLUDE THE SPARE.

ON APRIL 4, 2005, MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING HER 1997 ISUZU RODEO ON INTERSTATE 24 IN MARION COUNTY, TENNESSEE WHEN LEFT REAR TIRE EXPERIENCED A TREAD SEPARATION, AND CAUSED VEHICLE TO ROLL OVER THREE TIMES. MIRACULOUSLY, SHE SURVIVED. I WANT TO FILE A COMPLAINT AGAINST THE MANUFACTURER OF THE TIRE, SO THAT OTHER MOTORISTS MAY BE APPRAISED OF THE SAFETY IMPLICATIONS. BRIDGESTONE DUELER 684, TIRE SIZE P245/70 R16 106S. THE TIRE WAS PURCHASED IN COLUMBIA, S.C. ON JANUARY 13, 2005 FROM A FIRESTONE STORE. THE STATE TROOPER WHO INVESTIGATED THE ACCIDENT LISTED THE TREAD SEPARATION AS THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. THE TIRE DID NOT DEFLATE. THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE. THIS CAUSED THE CAR TO FISH TAIL, AND MY DAUGHTER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND IT THEN TURNED OVER THREE TIMES. I HAVE THE TIRE. *AK THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP AND PLEASE INFORM ME OF THE RESULTS OF YOUR INVESTIGATION. DENNIS BOLT

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH AND SLOWING DOWN TO TAKE AN EXIT THE RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD. NO CRASH WAS INVOLVED.*AK

CHEVROLET K2500 2002, BRIDGESTONE DUELLER A/T TIRE DAMAGED THE VEHICLE. *BF *JB

PICKUP CAME WITH 17 INCH TIRES. ORDERED 3 NEW 17 INCH TIRES AND WAS PLANNING ON USING THE SPARE AS THE 4TH TIRE. THE SPARE WAS A 16 INCH TIRE INSTEAD ON A 17 INCH. DEALERSHIP CLAIMS NO DAMAGE WIL COME TO VEHICLE OR LOST OF DRIVING CONTROL WHEN USING THE 16 INCH TIRE. GM WEB SITE CLEARLY STATES "MIXING TIRES COULD CAUSE YOU TO LOSE CONTROL WHILE DRIVING." DEALERSHIP SHOWED ME BULLETING FROM GM STATING THE SIZE DIFFERENCE WILL NOT CAUSE CONCERN. WHO DO I BELIEVE?*AK

I PURCHASED MY 2004 GMC SIERRA 1500 4X4. I PUT IT IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE TO GO THROUGH SOME ICE AND IT MADE A VERY LOUD CLANK. NOT LONG AFTER THAT WHEN I PUT IT IN REVERSE OR DRIVE IT ALSO MADE THE SAME LOUD CLANK. IT DID NOT SOUND LIKE THAT WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THE TRUCK. NOW THE TRUCK HAS TROUBLE GOING INTO 4 WHEEL DRIVE AND ALSO GETS HUNG IN REVERSE. IT HAS ALMOST CAUSED ME TO GET IN A BAD ACCIDENT. MY CRUISE CONTROL ALSO HAS HAVE 6 MALFUNCTIONS. I HAD THE DEALER FIX IT INITIALLY. I HAVE FIXED IT SUBSEQUENTLY DUE TO THE FACT THEY SAID IT WAS A BLOWN FUSE. THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE AND TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WERE ADDRESSED 3 TIMES AND ALL THE DEALERS SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC SAID THERE IS A DEFECT WITH MY TRANSMISSION AND TRANSFER CASE. THAT IS IT WITH THE TRUCK. NOW JUST LAST THURSDAY FEB 3, MY BRIDGESTONE TIRE SEPARATED. MY TIRE DEALER SAID THE TIRE WAS DEFECTIVE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE WHAT SO EVER THAT THERE WAS ANY DAMAGE TO THE TIRE TO CAUSE THE BLOWOUT. IT SHOULD NOT HAVE SEPARATED. IT CAUSED A FIRE. IT WAS QUICKLY PUT OUT. *JB

VEHICLE SHOOK UNCONTROLLABLY. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF VEHICLE, AND PULLED OVER. CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE LEFT PASSENGER TIRE BLEW OUT. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO CHANGE THE TIRE. BRIDGESTONE, HT DULLER, P205/70R16, #DOT YTJM51169. *AK 80% OF THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE STEEL BELTS AND TORE A PORTION OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE TIRE WAS ORIGINALLY A SPARE TIRE AND WAS PUT INTO USE FOR THE FIRST TIME *TC

TIRES ARE OUT OF ROUND. I HAVE A 2004 Z71 THAT HAS 8,000 MILES ON IT. THE DEALER HAS PUT FOUR SETS OF TIRES ON IT. THEY WONT ADMIT THERE IS A PROBLEM. CAN YOU HELP? THE TIRES ARE BRIDGESTONE DUELERS A/T 17"*JB

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING THE INTERSTATE AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH AND SUDDENLY THE PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. THE TREAD AND SIDEWALL COMPLETELY SEPARATED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. *AK

LEFT REAR TIRE TREADS AT HIGHWAY SPEED, VEHICLE ROLLS OVER, LEAVES HIGHWAY, KILLING BELTED DRIVER. THE TIRE WAS THE FORMER SPARE TIRE AND LIGHTLY USED. IT WAS 6 YEARS OLD AND MAY HAVE DEGRADED OVER TIME PURSUANT TO INFORMATION IN COMMENT TO DOCKET 03-15400 FILED WITH NHTSA ON 11-5-04 BY SEAN KANE OF SAFETY RESEARCH.*AK