BRIDGESTONE POTENZA TIRES Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH ON DRY ASPHALT ROADS, A VIBRATION WAS HEARD IN THE VEHICLE. THE TIRE SENSOR LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME. UPON INSPECTION OF THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE, THE CONTACT DETERMINED THAT THE SIDE OF THE TIRE CLOSEST TO THE VEHICLE APPEARED TO HAVE RUBBED AGAINST THE SHOCK ABSORBER, AND THE CORDS WERE VISIBLE WHERE THE TREAD MET THE SIDEWALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE.

BLOW OUT OF RIGHT REAR TIRE (COSTCO ITEM #758707 BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE RE750 245/40R17 ULTRA HIGH PERFORMANCE) RESULTING IN $2000 WORTH OF VEHICLE DAMAGE. DEFECTIVE TIRE REMNANTS SENT TO BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE. THEIR INSPECTOR DENIES THAT THE TIRE FAILURE WAS A RESULT OF A DEFECT IN MATERIALS OR WORKMANSHIP. I DO NOT BELIEVE THEY HAVE OBJECTIVELY EVALUATED THE TIRE REMAINS AND ARE ATTEMPTING TO AVOID EXCEPTING RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE BLOWOUT WHICH WOULD AMOUNT TO COVERING MY $2000 OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES. *JB

PURCHASED NEW 330I FROM DEALER IN 9-05. ON 4-06 AT 12,500 MILES CALLED DEALER TO REQUEST SERVICE SINCE VEHICLE HAD BEEN MAKING A "ROARING & WA-WA" SOUND WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. THIS HAD BEEN GOING ON FOR SOME TIME & SINCE DRIVER WAS WAITING FOR COMPUTER TO INDICATE SERVICE NEEDED KEPT ON DRIVING. DEALER AGREED TO SEE CAR AND UPON INSPECTION CALLED DRIVER & INFORMED THAT TIRES WERE WORN ERRATICALLY & NEEDED TO BE REPLACED (EST AT $1500). SINCE DRIVER QUESTIONED NEED FOR NEW TIRES AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE, DEALER FINALLY SUGGESTED TO CALL CORPORATE BMW. CORPORATE BMW STATED THERE WAS A PROCESS DRIVER WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH IN ORDER TO CONFIRM TIRE DEFECT SINCE TIRES WERE NOT PART OF WARRANTY DRIVER WOULD HAVE TO PROCESS CLAIM THROUGH TIRE MANUFACTURER WITH ASSISTANCE FROM CORPORATE BMW. DRIVER HAD TO THEN GO TO TIRE MANUFACTURER TO HAVE THE TIRES INSPECTED & REQUEST A REPORT BE GENERATED FROM INSPECTION. TIRE MANUFACTURER STATED TIRE WEAR WAS DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE (SINCE TIRES WERE NEVER ROTATED) & NOT TIRE DEFECTS. DEALER STATED TIRES DO NOT HAVE TO BE ROTATED BUT TIRE MANUFACTURER STATED THEY SHOULD. DEALER FINALLY AGREED TO REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES FOR FREE. DURING CALL WITH DEALER TO SCHEDULE TIRE REPLACEMENT, DEALER INFORMED DRIVER THAT BMW WOULD REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES DUE TO BMW'S ASSUMPTION OF A BAD BATCH OF TIRES BUT THAT NEW TIRES WOULD HAVE TO BE RUN FLATS. ALL TIRES WERE REPLACED 4-24-06. DEALER STATED THAT ALTHOUGH BMW DOES NOT RECOMMEND TIRE ROTATION THAT DRIVER NEEDED TO DO SO TO EXTEND LIFE OF NEW TIRES. AT 3,500 MILES DRIVER HAD TIRES ROTATED & WAS INFORMED THAT TIRES WERE ALREADY "CUPPING". CALLED DEALER & INFORMED OF CUPPING TIRES & REQUESTED SERVICE. DRIVER SEEMS TO BELIEVE ISSUE IS EITHER WITH RUN FLAT TIRES OR WITH VEHICLE SUSPENSION. WILL SEE WHAT DEALER SAYS. FOR ANYONE WITH THIS PROBLEM PLEASE FILE A COMPLAINT SO CORPORATE BMW WILL HAVE TO CORRECT. *JB

FROM JAN 2005 TO 6/28/06 I HAVE HAD FOUR SEPARATE INCIDENTS WITH 2004 POTENZA G009 225/45R17 TIRES THAT HAD TREAD SEPARATION FROM SIDEWALL. TIRES INSTALLED ON A 2002 JAGUAR X-TYPE (AWD). ALL TIRES WERE CONSTANTLY MAINTAINED, ROTATED AND BALANCED PER JAGUAR SPECS. DOT EMH8LHC1805. ALL TIRES HAD BETWEEN 5/32 AND 6/32 OF TREAD LEFT AND MORE THAN 25,000 MILES BEFORE OCCURRENCE. REPLACED ONE OUT OF POCKET AND OTHER THREE WERE REPLACED AT MINOR CHARGE BY BRIDGESTONE DEALER (TIRE FREE (WARRANTY) / CHARGED FOR$ 45 FOR INSTALLATION & BALANCING & ROAD HAZARD PROTECTION). INCIDENTS LEAD TO EXTREME VIBRATION AND VEHICLE INSTABILITY AND WOULD HAVE LEAD TO BLOW OUT IF I HAD NOT RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY. *JB

BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE92, 22560R16. RIGHT FRONT TIRE TREAD CAME COMPLETELY OFF THE WHEEL. ABLE TO MOVE TO THE RIGHT SAFELY. ODOMETER READING 48K FOR THIS TIRE AND AIR PRESSURE RECENTLY CHECKED. NO IMPACT WITH ANYTHING IN THE ROADWAY, SMOOTH ROADWAY. *JB

EXCESSIVE REAR TIRE WEAR, BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE92, 225/55/17 INSTALLED ON 2005 SUBARU OUTBACK. NORMAL TIRE WEAR THROUGH 19K MILES. REAR TIRES COMPLETLY WORN OUT AFTER 2K ROAD TRIP WITH MODERATE VEHICLE LOADING. NO SIGNS OF MIS-ALIGNMENT OR OVER/UNDER INFLATION. FRONT TIRES REMAIN SERVICEABLE. *NM

I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2006 BMW 330I WITH OEM BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE050A RUNFLAT TIRES. THE TIRES BUCKLED ON THE SIDE WALL AFTER LESS THAN 8000K MILES. OUT OF CURIOSITY I CHECKED THE BIMMERFEST -HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=146728 FORUM AND DISCOVERED THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AMONG BMW OWNERS. *NM

THE VEHICLE CERTIFICATION LABEL ON THE INSIDE DOOR PANEL SHOWS THE GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT INFORMATION AND THE VIN NUMBER, BUT THE TIRE PRESSURE AND WHEEL SIZE INFORMATION IS LEFT BLANK. *JB

DRIVING ALONG THE FREEWAY AT 60 MPH, THE LEFT REAR TIRE HAD A BLOWOUT. UPON INSPECTION IT WAS THE INTERIOR SIDEWALL WHERE THE FAILURE OCCURRED. I NOTICED THAT IN THE SPECIFIC LOCATION OF THE FAILURE, THE SIDEWALL WAS EXTREMELY SOFT; UNLIKE THE REST OF THE SIDEWALL. THE TIRE WAS TAKEN BACK TO COSTCO; BUT THEY REFUSED TO ACCEPT THAT IT WAS A DEFECTIVE TIRE. THE TIRE HAD 25,000 MILES ON IT; DRIVEN CONSERVATIVELY. I DO STILL HAVE THE FAILED TIRE, AND TWO OTHER TIRES JUST LIKE IT ARE STILL ON THE CAR. THE TIRE IS A BRIDGESTONE POTENZA 205/55R16 91W, ULTRA HIGH PERFORMANCE. *NM

MY CONCERN IS THAT THE TIRES ON OEM TIRES ON MY VEHICLE (2005 TOYOTA TACOMA X-RUNNER) ARE DEFECTIVE. I HAD A "SPLIT" IN MY TIRE AND I TOOK IT TO BRIDGESTONE AND THEY SAID THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND THEY REPLACED ALL OF MY TIRES, NOT JUST THE PROBLEM ONE WITH NO QUESTIONS. WHERE MY CONCERN COMES IN IS THAT I KNOW OTHER WITH THE SAME VEHICLE AS I HAVE AND THEY EXACT SAME PROBLEM, BUT THE BRIDGESTONE REP. IN THEIR AREA IS TELLING THEM THAT THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. IF THE TIRE IS UNSAFE AND SOME AREA KNOW ABOUT THIS AND ARE FIXING IT WHY ARE NOT ALL THE AREAS AWARE OF THIS. I FEEL THAT THEY ARE KNOWINGLY PUTTING LIVES AT RISK BY ALLOWING THIS TO GO ON WITH NO SOLUTION. *JB