BRIDGESTONE DUELER AT TIRES Complaints

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

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

CONSUMER 1997 RAM 1500 FIRESTONE TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED AT OWNERS EXPENSE. *TS THE CONSUMER STATED TWO OF HIS TIRES SEPARATED WITHIN A 2 WEEK PERIOD. *JB *NM

THE RIGHT REAR TIRE BRIDGESTONE DUELER APT LT195-75-14 BELT SEPARATED AND RIPPED OFF THE TIRE CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE REAR BUMPER AND SHATTERING THE RIGHT REAR TAIL LIGHT. *JB

DRIVING ON THE OHIO TURNPIKE AT 65 MPH, THE LEFT REAR TIRES BELT SEPARATED AND SHREDDED DAMAGING THE INNER FENDER AND FUEL INTAKE TUBE. THE TIRE WAS A BRIDGESTONE DUELER APT P235-75R-15. BOTH TIRES ON THE RIGHT SIDE HAD SLITS ALL ALONG BOTH EDGES OF THE TREAD AND LOOKED AS IF THEY WERE NEXT. ALL 4 TIRE WERE REPLACED AT 46K MILES OF A 60K WARRANTY AT MY COST. *JB

DT:THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING HEARD A NOISE AND THE VEHICLE FISH TAILED IN THE REAR. HE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE TREAD ALONG THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE ON THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE SEPARATED. A BLACK POWDER SUBSTANCE WAS ON THE INSIDE OF THE DAMAGED TIRE. THERE WERE NO OBVIOUS ROAD HAZARDS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SEEN BY A DEALER. BRIDGESTONE DUELER AT, P265/70R17 . *AK

RT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT ON MY 2005 SILVERADO WHILE DRIVING. TIRE ONLY HAD 2500 MILES ON IT. IT WAS A BRIDGESTONE DUELLER A/T TIRE. I AM GOING TO CONTACT THE DEALER ON OCT 31 TO FIND OUT IF MY TIRE WILL BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE RIM. CAUSED LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND COULD HAVE CAUSED MAJOR DAMAGE OR DEATH IF FAILURE HAPPENED AT SPEED OR ON CROWDED ROAD. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS AT 1,000 MILES WITH THE TIRES. THE TIRES STARTED FEATHERING ON THE OUTSIDE EDGES. AT 2,700 MILES THE DEALER REPLACED THE FRONT TIRES ON 10-6-05. THE REAR TIRES ALSO STARTED TO FEATHER. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO REPLACE THE REAR TIRES UNDER WARRANTY. THE FRONT END ALIGNMENT WAS PERFORMED AT THAT TIME. IN REGARD TO THE ALIGNMENT, THE CAMBER, CASTER, TOE IN, AND TOE OUT WERE ALL DETERMINED OUT OF ADJUSTMENT ON ALL FOUR SIDES FROM THE FACTORY. THIS WAS DETERMINED BY THE DEALERSHIP. AFTER THE NEW TIRES AND THE FRONT END ALIGNMENT WAS DONE THE VEHICLE STILL PULLED TO THE LEFT EXTREMELY HARD. *AK

DURING EVACUATION OF VEHICLES PRIOR TO HURRICANE RITA TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT STAFF WERE PROCEEDING NORTHBOUND ON I-59 NEAR EDNA, TEXAS, IN A 2001 DODGE 3/4-TON 4X4 WITH BRIDGESTONE DUELER MT TIRES WHEN A LOUD EXPLOSION WAS HEARD AND A LARGE PIECE OF TREAD FLEW FROM THE LEFT REAR OF THE TRUCK. SEVERAL VEHICLES HAD TO SWERVE TO AVOID BEING STRUCK BY THE LARGE PIECE OF TIRE TREAD ALMOST RESULTING IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. STAFF WERE ABLE TO PULL OVER AND DISCOVERED THE TREAD HAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE LEFT REAR FENDER. THE TIRE RETAINED AIR BUT THE TREAD WAS COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE LEAVING THE STEEL BELTS AND UNDERLAYMENT EXPOSED. LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALERS TOLD US WE WOULD BE CHARGED TOP REPLACE THE TIRE. *JB

RIGHT REAR TIRE BLOWOUT ON AUGUST 21, 2005, A BRIDGESTONE DUELER A/T, BRAND, OF 4 TIRES BOUGHT AND INSTALLED ON AUGUST 2, 2005 IN A 1998 NISSAN PATHFINDER AT A COSTCO STORE IN CAGUAS, PR. THIS TIRE BLOWOUT CAUSED SUV DRIVER TO LOOSE CONTROL AND HIT A MEDIAN STEEL FENCE ON EXPRESSWAY PR 22. VEHICLE DECLARED TOTAL LOSS BY AUTO INSURANCE COMPANY CLAIM ADJUSTOR.*JB