BRIDGESTONE DUELER 684 TIRES Complaints

REPORT OF BRIDGESTONE TIRE FAILURE (TREAD SEPARATION) ON 1999 HONDA CRV. WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY NOTICED VEHICLE VIBRATION, AND UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF CAUSED BY ROAD SURFACE OR VEHICLE. AFTER ABOUT 200 MILES VIBRATION BECAME BAD ENOUGH TO DETERMINE VEHICLE WAS AT FAULT. DRIVER CONDUCTED VISUAL (ON VEHICLE) INSPECTION OF TIRES WITH NO DEFECT NOTED. AFTER ANOTHER 50 MILES, VIBRATION WORSENED TO THE POINT THAT IT WAS EVIDENT BELOW 50 MPH. REMOVED RIGHT REAR TIRE AND DISCOVERED NEAR FAILURE TREAD SEPARATION. TIRE IS SEVERAL YEARS OLD AND MAY HAVE 40,000 MILES WEAR. THIS IS THE SECOND FAILURE OF THIS TYPE TIRE ON THIS VEHICLE IN THE PAST FEW YEARS. FIRST FAILURE RESULTED IN VERY LOW SPEED BLOW-OUT. LATEST TIRE IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. *JB

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

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

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

IN AUGUST 2005 MY WIFE HAD A BLOWOUT IN OUR 6 MONTH OLD HONDA CRV WITH 6,000 MILES ON IT. SHE WAS TRAVELING AT 10 MPH IN HER EMPLOYERS PARKING LOT WHEN THE LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEW LEAVING HER WITH A BROKEN NECK, CONCUSSION AND A FACIAL LACERATION. ALL PARTS ARE AVAILABLE AND NOTHING WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *NM

WITH ONLY 6900 MILES ON OUR 2005 CRV ONE OF THE BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/T 684 FRONT TIRES BLEW WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH IN HER EMPLOYERS PARKING LOT. THE TIRE PRESSURE HAD JUST BEEN CHECKED TWO DAYS BEFORE THE BLOWOUT. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. MY WIFE SUSTAINED A BROKEN NECK, CONCUSSION, HEAD TRAUMA AND A FACIAL LACERATION WHICH REQUIRED A PLASTIC SURGEON. JB

DAUGHTER DRIVING 2005 HONDA CR-V WITH ABOUT 1050 MILES AT ABOUT 70 MPH ON EXPRESSWAY. RIGHT REAR TIRE SUDDENLY LOST PRESSURE CAUSING ABRUPT VEHICLE DECELERATION. TIRE IS A BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/T 684, OEM. ALTHOUGH SHE GOT OFF ROAD IMMEDIATELY, THE OUTSIDE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE WAS COMPLETELY SEPARATED AROUND THE PERIMETER, WITH SOME AREAS LOOKING ALMOST LIKE A CLEAN KNIFE CUT. TIRE PRESSURE HAD BEEN CHECKED THAT MORNING. THE RIM WAS UNDAMAGED, AND THE INSIDE WALL OF THE TIRE HAD NO DAMAGE. NO NAILS WERE FOUND IN THE TIRE, AND BOTH BEADS WERE STILL SEATED ON THE RIM. LUCKY IT WAS THE REAR TIRE.

DUELER H/T 684 BRIDGESTONE TIRE ON RIGHT REAR OF MY HONDA CRV 03, TREAD SEPARATED WHILE DRIVING OFF EXIT RAMP ON FREEWAY. THERE WAS NO WARNING. TIRE PRESSURE HAD BEEN CHECKED LESS THAN TWO WEEKS BEFORE. THERE WAS PLENTY OF TREAD LEFT ON TIRE. THE TIRE JUST FELL APART WHILE I WAS DRIVING. HONDA DEALER REFERRED ME TO FIRESTONE DEALER WHO REFERRED ME TO A CORPORATE FIRESTONE DEALER WHO GAVE ME A CLAIM NUMBER TO CALL. I EXPECT IF I CALL THEY WILL PRORATE THE TIRE AND SELL ME ANOTHER TO PUT ON THE CAR. MY FEELING IS THAT THESE TIRES ARE NOT SAFE AND I NEED TO REPLACE THEM BEFORE ANOTHER FALLS APART AND NOT WITH BRIDGESTONE OR FIRESTONE TIRES.