BRIDGESTONE DUELER 684 TIRES Complaints

I WAS DRIVING WESTBOUND ON THE WESTERN KY PARKWAY ON 10/13/2002 AT ABOUT 2200. ROADS CONDITIONS WERE DRY AND TEMPERATURE APPROX 55F. I EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN VIBRATION, FOLLOWED BY THE SOUND OF A FLAT TIRE. I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY SLOW EASE MY VEHICLE OVER INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE (RIGHT SHOULDER). I DEFINITELY HAD A FLAT. UPON INSPECTION I WAS HORRIFIED. THE TIRE WAS SMOKING TO THE POINT I BARELY SEE IT. I COULD SMELL BURNING TIRE. I DID NOT SEE ANY FLAME AND THE SMOKE QUIT WITHIN ABOUT 20-30 SECONDS. THE SIDE WALL OF THIS TIRE WAS BLOWN OUT, NEARLY SEPARATED AND HANGING BY TIRE CORD. IT LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE ANOTHER I SAW AT THE FOLLOWING LINK: HTTP://WWW.FIRESTONE-TIRE-RECALL.COM/PAGES/ACCIDENT_REPORTS/9-20_TIRE-BLOW.HTML. MY TIRE FAILURE IS EXACTLY THE SAME CUT OUT SHAPE, THE SAME CUT OUT SIZE AND AND SAME CUT OUT LOCATION AS THE ONE PICTURED, EXCEPT MINE IS HANGING BY TIRE CORD. I'M AMAZED THIS HAPPENED. MORE AMAZED IT'S BEEN HAPPENING. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING 32 YEARS, I NEVER SEEN A TIRE FAILURE LIKE THIS. I FEEL BLESSED TO HAVE ARRIVED HOME WITH 2 FIFTEEN YEAR OLD BOYS. MR

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING THE LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT ,CAUSING MAJOR DAMAGE TO VEHICLE.SIZE 26575R16.NOT ORGINIAL TIRE.DOT #7BW8UR038. NLM

I WAS TRAVELING NORTH ON INTERSTATE 5 GOING 70 MPH, AND BEGAN TO HEAR A THUMPING SOUND. WITHIN SECONDS, MY FRONT LEFT TIRE BLEW & I ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF MY TRUCK. I HAD TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY STOP IN THE CENTER OF THE FREEWAY @ THE EL TORO "Y". (CENTER SECTION BETWEEN THE 5 AND 405 INTERCHANGE). THE STEEL BELT HAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE. ALL 4 OF MY TIRES ARE FACTORY ORIGINALS FROM FEBRUARY 1998, (I PURCHASED VEHICLE @ 35,000 MILES IN JANUARY 2001) ALL 4 TIRES APPEARED TO BE IN VERY GOOD SHAPE.NOW, I'M TOLD THAT I CAN'T SEEK REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE TIRES BECAUSE IT DOESN'T APPLY TO BRIDGESTONE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S THE SAME TIRE NUMBER. THIS IS THE SAME EXACT THING THAT HAPPENED TO ALL THOSE FIRESTONE TIRES. I'M LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. I HAVE KEPT THE BLOWN-OUT TIRE IN CASE YOU WANT TO SEE IT. PLEASE INFORM ME AS TO WHETHER I CAN GET REIMBURSEMENT FOR ALL 4 TIRES.*AK

TIRE HAS EXTREME WEAR AND CUPPING, VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE ON, HOWEVER, BRIDGSTONE/FIRESTONE REFUSES TO WARRANTY DEFECTIVE TIRE AND MY VEHICLE HAS NO FRONT-END ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS.*AK

BLOWOUT OCCURRED ON JULY 31, 2002 AT APPROXIMATELY 4:45PM ON ROUTE 2 IN THE EAST BOUND HIGH SPEED LANE. I FELT THE CAR VIBRATE. BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY, THE LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT AT APPROXIMATELY 65M.P.H. I SWERVED INTO THE RIGHT LANE AND BACK INTO THE LEFT LANE ATTEMPTING TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE BEFORE IT WENT INTO A 360 DEGREE PLUS SPIN. THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARD INTO THE CENTER MEDIAN.*AK

MY TIRES "SQUILL" CONSTANTLY UPON ANY TYPE OF TURN AT A VERY LOW SPEED OR TURN. THE SQUILL SOUNDS LIKE I AM TURNING FAST AT 80MPH WHEN IN FACT IT IS JUST A NORMAL TURN. I HAVE TAKEN MY PASSPORT TO HONDA, WHO SAYS EVERYTHING IS UP TO "SPECIFICATIONS" AND THE SQUILL IS FROM THE HEAT OF THE PAVEMENT. I THEN TOOK IT TO FIRESTONE, WHO SAYS THE NOISE IS "VERY ABNORMAL" AND HAS OFFERED TO REPLACE THE TIRES FOR HALF PRICE (PRICE LESS 1/2 OF USAGE). HONDA (DOWNEY, CA) STATED THEY HAD EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING WITH 3 OTHER PASSPORTS AND FEEL THIS IS VERY NORMAL. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR 30 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THIS. MY TIRES SQUILL AT EVERY SLIGHT TURN THERE IS.*AK

TREAD SEPARATION OCCURRED ON THE FREEWAY FOR 1 TIRE AND WHEN WE REACHED FINAL DESTINATION THERE WAS EXCESSIVE VIBRATION ON THE OTHER 3 TIRES. SEARS CALLED BRIDGSTONE AND THEY GAVE US CREDIT AS THEY WERE CRACKING AND BULDGING AND IN BAD SHAPE. WHEN WE TRIED TO SEEK COMPENSATION FOR THE DAMAGE THE TIRE CAUSED THE VEHICAL BRIDGSTONE REFUSED STATING THAT THE TIRE HAD TO HAVE BEEN STRUCK BY SOMETHING WHICH IS NOT RELEVANT.*AK

THE TIRE WAS RIPPED INSIDE AND THE IN 10 MILES MORE IT BLOW OUT AT 45 MPH. SEARS WILL NOT REPLACED. IT WAS NOT MY FAULT THIS TIME. I REMEMBERED THAT I DROVE UP ON THE NEW PAVEMENT ROAD TO THE TOP OF HILL. I FELT THAT THE LEFT REAR TIRE SILPPED VERY FAST IN ONE TURN. THEN I CHECKED IT TO MAKE IT WAS NOT FLAT. I CONTINUED TO DRIVE BACK TO MY PLACE. ABOUT 10 OR 15 MILES LATER THAT TIRE BLOW OUT. DUE TO MY DEAFNESS I COULD NOT HEAR IT BLOW OUT. I KEPT DRIVING ABOUT ANOTHER THREE OR FIVE MILES BEFORE WE STOPPED FOR DRINKS. I LOOKED AT THAT TIRE FLAT ALREADY. IT WAS DAMAGED BADLY BECAUSE BOTH EDGE WERE WORE OUT OF THREAD. I BELIEVED THAT I HAD INVISIBLE TEAR INSIDE THE TIRE. THERE WAS NO WAY I CAN SEE. AT LAST I NOTICED THE TEARED RUBBER SPLITTED APART FROM THE SLEET BELT. IT JUST LOOK LIKE THE FIRESTONE TIRE PROBLEM. IF I DRIVE IN HIGH SPEED ( MORE 55 MPH)AT THAT TIME, MY FAMILY MAY BE HURTED AND KILLED AS MY VAN ROLLED OVER IF POSSIBLE. <END OF COMMENTS). *AK

DRIVER HAD JUST TURNED OFF INTERSTATE AND ENTERED A MALL PARKING LOT WHEN TIRE BLEWOUT. APPROXIMATELY A 3 INCH BREAK, SHOWING THE METAL BELTS, OCCURRED. BREAK RAN ACCROSS TREAD FROM CENTER OF TREAD TO OUTSIDE OF TREAD NEAR SIDEWALL.*AK

SIX TIRES PURCHASED ON JUNE 17, 1998. THREE OF THESE TIRES HAVE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION WITH LESS THAN 15,000 MILES ON THE TIRE. FIRST INCIDENT: AUGUST 2, 2001, TREAD SEPARATED FROM TIRE LEAVING ITS DEBRIS ON I-10 BETWEEN PHOENIX AND TUCSON. VEHICLE SPEED APPROXIMATELY 80 MPH. SECOND INCIDENT: AUGUST 16, 2001, TREAD BEGAN TO SEPARATE LEAVING A BULGE ON THE TREAD, ON I-17 IN PHOENIX. VEHICLE SPEED APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH. THIRD INCIDENT: JUNE 21, 2002, TREAD SEPERATED LEAVING BULGE ON TREAD, ON US 60 BETWEEN MESA AND FLORENCE JUNCTION. VEHICLE SPEED APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH. RETAINED DAMAGED INCIDENT #3 TIRE. INCIDENT #1 & #2 TIRES WERE TRADED FOR REPLACEMENT. THREE TIRES FROM ORGINAL PURCHASE REMAIN TO FAIL AT A FUTURE DATE.*AK