BRIDGESTONE POTENZA TIRES Complaints

I OWN A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA X-RUNNER. THE TRUCK CAME STOCK WITH BRIDGESTONE POTENZA'S RA050 (255/45/18) TIRES ON IT. BOTH REAR TIRES STARTED CRACKING ALONG THE TREAD OF THE TIRE. A NUMBER OF OTHER X-RUNNER OWNERS BEGAN HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM (CUSTOMTACOS.COM, LOOK FOR X-RUNNER TIRE PROBLEM). *NM

I WAS DRIVING THE CAR IN A RAINY STORMY NIGHT NORTH BOUND HWY 101 ON JANUARY 10TH 2004 WHEN MY 2003 NISSAN 350Z STOPPED WITH A HUGE CLUNK IN THE MOTOR COMPARTMENT AND CAME TO A ROLLING STOP TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE THERE WAS NOT MUCH SHOULDER SPACE AND POOR VISIBILTY THAT NIGHT!APPARENTLY THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN BURNING OIL 1QT PR THOUSAND MILES! I DIDNT KNOW THIS FROM GETTING REGULAR OIL CHANGES AT AROUNG THE 3K MARKER! KEPT GETTING OIL CONSUMPTION TEST BUT NO CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN BY MANUFACTURER UNTIL I WENT TO THE BBB! THEN NISSAN WAS FORCED TO REPLACE MOTOR, CLUTCH , TIRES WHICH IVE BEEN HAVING ISSUES LONG BEFORE THIS EVER OCCURED ALONG WITH THE WINDOW MOTORS IN WHICH THE WINDOWS KEPT GIVING OUT ALSO! MY VEHICLE BROKE DOWN AGAIN SOME 1000 MILES AFTER THE NEW MOTOR! MY CAR KEPT STALLING AT A STOP LIGHT! I HAD THE VEHICLE TAKEN TO THE NISSAN DEALER WHERE I ALMOST HAD TO FIGHT WITH THE SEVICE REP TO GET IT TAKEN CARE OF UNDER WARRANTY! ABOUT 3K MILES AFTER THE NEW MOTOR WAS REPLACED AND INSTALLED I HAD THE VEHICLE TAKEN TO GET AN OIL CHANGE AND THE CAR WAS ALMOST 3QTS LOW AGAIN! YES THE CAR STILL KEEPS BURNING OIL!NISSAN DID NOT WANT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT! I KEPT CALLING CONSUMER AFFAIRS WHOM KEPT PASSING MY FILE AROUND TO ONE REP AND ANOTHER. I FINALLY BROKE DOWN 3-4 THOUSAND MILES LATER AND HAVE BEEN FOR OVER A MONTH WITH A VEHICLE THAT DOES NOT RUN AND NO ASSURANCE FROM THE DEALER WHO FIXED MY MOTOR LESS THAN 7K MILES AGO. THIS CAR HAS BEEN GIVING ME PROBLEMS SINCE THE FIRST FEW MONTHS IVE HAD IT. *NM

I BOUGHT A 2004 350Z CONVERTIBLE IN SEPTEMBER, 2004 FROM MARION DINWIDDIE AT HUDIBURG OKLAHOMA CITY. I HAVE ANOTHER CAR WITH FRONT WHEEL DRIVE WHICH I DROVE WHEN THE ROADS WERE BAD RECENTLY I GOT A LETTER STATING THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE ALIGNMENT. I STARTING CHECKING ON THE TIRES AND FOUND OUT THAT THE TIRES, BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE040. ARE SUMMER TIRES AND ARE NOT TO BE DRIVEN ON SNOW AND ICE. I GOT THIS INFORMATION FROM TIRERACK.COM, WHICH GIVES RATINGS ON ALL THE TIRES AVAILABLE IN THE UNITED STATES. THERE WERE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THESE TIRES IN CUSTOMER REVIEWS. WHEN I BOUGHT THE NISSAN I WAS NOT TOLD THAT THESE WERE SUMMER ONLY TIRES. I CONSIDER THIS CRIMINAL! BY NOT TELLING PEOPLE THIS INFORMATION I AM SURE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF WRECKS AND POSSIBLY FATALITIES DUE TO SOMEONE DRIVING IN WINTER CONDITIONS. IF I HAD KNOWN THE NISSAN HAD SUMMER TIRES ON IT I WOULD HAVE INSISTED THEY REPLACE THEM WITH ALL SEASON PERFORMANCE TIRES. BY NOT TELLING THE CONSUMER ABOUT THIS IS PUTTING LIVES AT RISK AND IF I HAD NOT OWNED ANOTHER CAR, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A WRECK OR BEEN KILLED MYSELF AND OTHERS! THIS IS AN OUTRIGHT CRIMINAL ACT AND NISSAN SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE. I CALLED ERIC AT THE MAIN NISSAN OFFICE AND FILED A COMPLAINT AND HE TOLD ME THAT THE DEALER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR PUTTING ON THE TIRES. THE DEALER DENIES THIS. I AM NOT GOING TO PLAY GAMES AND I HOPE YOU CAN HELP ME AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO IS DRIVING THESE CARS . FROM ALL THE REVIEWS I READ, THESE TIRES FALL APART AT ABOUT 10-15,000 MILES. WHEN I BUY A $40,000 DOLLAR CAR, I EXPECT HIGH PERFORMANCE ALL SEASON TIRES AND THEY HAD BETTER LAST MORE THAN 15,000 MILES! I FEEL RIPPED OFF AND MORE IMPORTANTLY NISSAN HAS PUT MY LIFE AND THE LIVES OF OTHERS IN GREAT DANGER. I THINK THEY DESERVE MORE THAT A SLAP ON THE HAND, DON'T YOU AGREE? WINTER IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER AND FOR SOME IT HAS ALREADY STARTED! PLEASE DO SOMETHING QUICKLY, LIVES ARE AT STAKE HERE! SINCERELY, ME. *NM

I RECEIVED 2 SAFETY RECALL NOTICES ON MY RX8. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER WHERE I LEASED THE VEHICLE AND I THOUGHT THEY CORRECTED AND/OR INSPECTED THE PROBLEM. OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST 60 DAYS, THE SERVICE I HAVE RECEIVED HAS BEEN UNSATISFACTORY AND I HAVE BEEN LEAD TO BELIEVE THAT THE DEALER MAY NOT HAVE ADDRESSED THE SAFETY RECALL ISSUES. (CRACKED BALL JOINT AND HEAT INSULATION). I HAVE A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT PROBLEM AND I THINK THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, TO THE POINT THEY WILL REPLACE THE ENGINE. THIS WILL INEVITABLY CAUSE MY VEHICLE TO LOSE VALUE. *JB

DT: THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE HAD TWO BLOWOUTS. THE FIRST ONE WAS ON THE RIGHT REAR, AND THE SECOND ONE WAS ON THE LEFT FRONT. THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRES BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING. THE SPEED WAS 55 MPH. THE CONSUMER HAD BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE MANUFACTURER OF THE TIRES. THE CONSUMER WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER AND THEY REFERRED HIM BACK TO THE TIRE MANUFACTURER. THE CONSUMER HAD PIECES OF THE TIRES AVAILABLE. THESE WERE THE ORIGINAL TIRES THAT HAD COME ON HIS VEHICLE. *AK (12/08/05) THE CONSUMER FOLLOWED UP WITH THE TIRE MANUFACTURER AND THEY AGREED TO REPLACE 2 TIES AT NO CHARGE. THE TIRE FAILURES HAD OCCURRED DURING THE DAY TIME ON CLEAR DAYS WHILE TRAVELING ON THE EXPRESSWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS REGULARLY MAINTAINED. *SC

I HAVE A 2003 TOYOTA PRIUS. I HAD MY FIRST FLAT TIRE AT APPROXIMATELY 18,000 MILES. SECOND FLAT TIRE CAME 20,000 MILES. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO THE TIRE STORE I WAS TOLD THAT PRIUS HAVE MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH TIRES. THEY INDICATED THAT BOTH BACK TIRES WERE COMPLETELY WORN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I SPOKE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER FOR TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND SHE ADMITTED THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE BUT THAT IT HAD BEEN RECTIFIED. SHE REPLACED MY LAST EXISTING TIRE AT APPROXIMATELY 25,000 MILES. AT 45,000 SERVICE I WAS AGAIN TOLD THAT BOTH OF MY BACK TIRES WERE COMPLETELY WORN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY. TOYOTA INDICATED THIS WAS MY FAULT FOR NOT PROPERLY SERVICING THE CAR. I HAVE HAD ALL RECOMMENDED SERVICE UP TO THAT POINT. I CONTACTED THE MANAGER OF THE DEALERSHIP. HE ADVISES ME NOW THAT THE TIRES WILL ALWAYS ONLY LAST APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 25 K MILES. HE SUGGESTED THAT I CHECK MY TIRE PRESSURE AT LEAST EVERY TWO WEEKS AND HAVE TIRES ROTATED EVERY 5,000 MILES BUT ADMITTED THAT THIS WILL PROBABLY NOT HELP BECAUSE OF THE DESIGN OF THE CAR.*JB

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEPT COMING ON THEN GOING OFF. TOOK TO DEALER BUT THEY COULDN'T GET IT TO DUPLICATE PROBLEM. WHILE THERE THEY NOTICED TIRES WERE SEVERELY WORN. TOLD ME I NEEDED 4 NEW TIRES AND A 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT AT 27,008 MILES. PURCHASED 4 175/65R14 RE 92 EXTRA LOAD TIRES. LEFT AFTER PAYING FOR REPAIRS INCLUDING AN OIL CHANGE OF $557.61 N AUGUST 3, 2004. OCTOBER 8, 2005 HAD TWO NEARLY FLAT FRONT TIRES. HAVE HAD TO PUT AIR INTO TIRES SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE PAST 4 MONTHS - EVEN TOOK CAR TO AUTO GARAGE THAT CHANGED TIRES FROM WINTER TO SUMMER THINKING THEY PUT THEM ON WRONG. OCT. 12, 2005 STARTED HEARING A HUMMING NOISE IN FRONT LEFT TIRE. TOOK TO AUTO GARAGE ON OCT 15, 2005 TO BE TOLD THAT ONCE AGAIN TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN BECAUSE THEY WERE WORN DUE TO NEEDING A FRONT END ALIGNMENT AND FRONT LEFT TIRE NEEDED A BALL BEARING. INSIDE WALL OF TIRES IS WORN OFF AND DANGER OF TIRE BLOW-OUT. REAR TIRES ALSO SHOW SIGNS OF PREMATURE WEAR ON INSIDE WALL AND SHOULD BE REPLACED SOON. CURRENT MILEAGE IS 44,804. I ALSO PUT ON WINTER TIRES EVERY AUTUMN ONTO THE FRONT. GARAGE TECHNICIAN SAID THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH BURNING THROUGH 2 SETS OF 4 TIRES WITHIN 45,000 MILES AND I SHOULD CONTACT DEALER. *JB

2005 TOYOTA TACOMA X-RUNNER PURCHASED THE TRUCK IN AUGUST OF 2005 WITH 2K MILES ON IT AND NOTICED THERE IS A LARGE CRACK ACROSS THE REAR RIGHT TIRE. I WOULD LIKE TO INFORM YOU THAT OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME TRUCK ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE YET. FOR MORE INFORMATION, THE FORUM IS AT WWW.CUSTOMTACOS.COM UNDER X-RUNNER TALK / TIRE PROBLEMS. *NM

BRIDGESTONE RE050A TIRES CRACKING ACROSS THE TREAD. THESE TIRES COME STOCK FROM TOYOTA ON THE 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA X-RUNNER. *NM

I'M REPORTING THIS FOR MY FRIEND WITH A 2005 TOYOTA X-RUNNER WITH THE ORIGINAL OEM BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE050 18" TIRES. THE TIRE HAS A SPLIT ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE RIGHT REAR TIRE THAT LOOKS AS IF IT IS A GASH. LOOKED AT ALL OF THE OTHER TIRES AND THE RIGHT FRONT ONE IS JUST STARTING TO SHOW SIGNS OF SPLITTING IN THE SAME MANNER. VEHICLE HAS JUST ABOUT 3,000 MILES. MANY OTHER PEOPLE I KNOW THAT HAVE X-RUNNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM, SOME OF WHICH HAVE ALL 4 TIRES THAT ARE SPLIT. THE DOT # ON ALL 4 TIRES ON THIS TRUCK ARE Y79B JAC 0805. OTHER TIRES I'VE SEEN AFFECTED HAVE DIFFERENT DOT #'S AS WELL. AS OF NOW, NOTHING HAS BEEN TRIED TO FIX THE PROBLEM AS MANY PEOPLE I KNOW WITH HAVE HAD A HARD TIME TRYING TO GET THEM REPLACED AS BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE WILL NOT ADMIT A DEFECT YET. I HAVE TAKEN A COUPLE PICTURES THAT ARE AT THE FOLLOWING LINKS FOR YOUR EXAMINATION. RIGHT REAR TIRE HTTP://I11.PHOTOBUCKET.COM/ALBUMS/A193/14ASG/PICTURE165.JPG HTTP://I11.PHOTOBUCKET.COM/ALBUMS/A193/14ASG/PICTURE164.JPG HTTP://I11.PHOTOBUCKET.COM/ALBUMS/A193/14ASG/PICTURE166.JPG RIGHT FRONT TIRE HTTP://I11.PHOTOBUCKET.COM/ALBUMS/A193/14ASG/PICTURE172.JPG *JB