BRIDGESTONE POTENZA TIRES Complaints

VEHICLE WANDERS, SAFTEY RELATED, BEEN TO DEALER 3 TMES. ALSO HAVE SPECIFIC DOCUMENTATION UPON REQUEST

I HAVE SERIOUS AND REPEATING PROBLEMS WITH SUSPENSION/ TIRES ON MY TOYOTA PRIUS 2001 CAR (MANUFACTURED 06/01). THREE TIMES THE FRONT TIRES WHERE ABNORMALLY AND SIGNIFICANTLY WORN (DURING APPROX 7,500 MILES) WITH, WITH SIDE AND TOP SCARS ETC. TOYOTA ALREADY CHANGED THE TIRES FOUR TIMES BUT THEY ARE UNABLE TO SOLVE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THE SAME PROBLEM IS LIKELY REPEAT ITSELF AGAIN AND AGAIN, AND CHANGING THE TIRES IS NOT A SOLUTION. I DO NOT LIKE DRIVING ON SUCH DANGEROUSLY WORN TIRES; MOREOVER, IT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO DRIVE ON TIRES IN SUCH CONDITION). CAR WAS REGULARLY IN SCHEDULED TOYOTA SERVICE (INCLUDING TIRES ROTATION, PRESSURE CHECK ETC.).

2003 TOYOTA MR2 SPYDER BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE040 215/45R16 DOT NO. EJ1EJAA3602, MOUNTED ON DRIVER'S SIDE REAR WHEEL MILEAGE AT FAILURE: 9142 ROAD CONDITIONS AT FAILURE: CLEAR, DRY, ~ 40 F., SOUTH-BOUND ON U.S. I-69 MICHIGAN EXIT NO. 3, NO ROAD HAZARDS, 70 MPH VEHICLE SPEED THE TIRE IN QUESTION WAS INSPECTED BY A QUALIFIED TIRE DEALER THE EVENING BEFORE THE BLOW OUT. THE TIRE PRESSURE WAS CERTIFIED TO MANUFACTURERS SPECIFICATIONS. FROM THE POINT OF INSPECTION, THE TIRE WAS OPERATED WAS OPERATED 10 MILES IN CITY TRAFFIC AND THEN PARKED IN A GARAGE OVERNIGHT. THE FOLLOWING DAY THE TIRE WAS OPERATED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (AVERAGE 50 MPH, MAX 70 MPH) FOR ~ 200 MILES. TIRE BLEW (TREAD COMPLETELY SEPERATED INTACT FROM SIDEWALL) WITHOUT ANY WARNING. STEERING WHEEL JERKED AND I LOST SOME CONTROL BUT REGAINED ENOUGH CONTROL TO COAST TO A STOP (BRAKES WERE NOT APPLIED). VEHICLE RODE ON SIDEWALL AND RIMS FROM BLOWOUT TO COAST TO STOP. THE ONLY TIME THE TIRE IS KNOWN TO HAVE INSUFFICIENT PRESSURE WAS AFTER IT BLEW WITHOUT ANY PRIOR PROBLEM OR WARNING. IT TOOK BETWEEN 30 60 SECONDS TO BRING THE MR2 RUNNING AT 70 MPH ON DRY ROADS WITH A BLOWN DRIVERS SIDE TIRE TO COAST TO A COMPLETE STOP. SUBMITTED INCIDENT CLAIM 835370 DATED 4/18/2005, FAILED TIRE, AND PICTURES OF TIRE AND DAMAGED CAST ALUMINUM RIM TO BRIDGESTONE. BRIDGESTONE LEGAL (NORMA Y DAVIS 800 543 7522 ) DENIED MY CLAIM AND REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR DAMAGED TIRE AND RIM. BRIDGESTONE FINDINGS: 1. TIRE WAS OPERATED FOR AN UNKNOWN PERIOD OF TIME WITH INSUFFICIENT AIR PRESSURE TO CARRY THE LOAD 2. INSUFFICIENT AIR PRESSURE CONDITION IS EVIDENCED BY THE TATTERED SIDEWALLS AND THE MELTED INNERLINER, AND WAS THE CAUSE OF THE SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE 3. TIRE FAILURE DID NOT RESULT FROM A DEFECT IN EITHER MATERIALS OR WORKMANSHIP ON 5/3/2005 I REQUESTED THAT THE CASE BE SENT TO ARBITRATION. NO RESPONSE YET FROM BRIDGESTONE.

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED CONSUMER NOTICE THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE SIDEWALL. ORGINAL EQUIPMENT, TIRE SIZE 245/45R17, DOT # JNK2707. THIS TIRE WAS MOUNTED ON BMW, 525I ,2004 VEHICLE. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED.*AK

MY VEHICLE, A 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY, IS COMPLETELY UNSAFE IN SNOW/ICE, NO MATTER HOW LITTLE SNOW OR ICE. LESS THAN 2 YEARS OLD, IT HAS ONLY 23,000 MILES AND ALL ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER EQUIPMENT AND TIRES. ALL REGULAR MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN DONE AT THE HONDA DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED. VEHICLE LACKS TRACTION IN SNOW OR ICE, WHEELS SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL (WHETHER TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM IS ON OR OFF). VEHICLE CANNOT GO UP SLIGHTEST INCLINE. CANNOT STOP NORMALLY IN ANY KIND OF SNOW OR ICE, SKIDDING PAST DESTINATION (TAKING ME THROUGH A RED LIGHT WITH CHILDREN IN BACK SEATS). A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN / RISK. BOTH MANUFACTURER AND DEALER REFUSE TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM SAYING THAT ABS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT IS WORKING PROPERLY. DEALER ALLEGES PROBLEM IS TIRES. GIVEN LOW MILEAGE AND FACTORY ORIGINAL TIRES, THIS DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO ME. NEITHER IS WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. THIS VEHICLE IS THE MOST UNSAFE VEHICLE THAT I'VE EVER HAD. TO FURTHER CLARIFY, I VERY MUCH LIKE HONDA - SO MUCH SO THAT I ALSO OWN A CIVIC. HOWEVER, MY CIVIC HANDLES SNOW EXTREMELY WELL, WHILE THE ODYSSEY IS VERY, VERY DANGEROUS. *JB

THE RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE CONSUMER WAS ON THE ROAD. SHE WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. THE TIRES COMPLETELY SEPARATED. *AK

EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR ON BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE92 TIRES. TIRES REPLACED ON MY 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS MAY 2004 AT 23,555 MILES. SERVICE MANAGER ADVISED THAT ORIGINAL TIRES WERE UNSAFE AND CONTINUED USE COULD RESULT IN A BLOW OUT. CURRENTLY, THE SECOND SET OF TIRES ARE AGAIN WORN (44,000 MILES) AND UNSAFE. *AK

SEVERE TIRE FEATHERING. TWO SETS OF FRONT TIRES IN UNDER 12,000 MILES. SERVICE BY DEALER DID NOT SOLVE PROBLEM.*AK

CONSISTANCE STEERING SHIMMY EVEN AFTER TIRE BALANCE ROTATION ROAD FORCE VARIATION BALANCE AND POWER STEERING PUMP EVEN A NEW TIRE

THE TWO FRONT TIRES WORE OUT UNEVENLY, THE TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE, AND THE FRONT END ALIGNED TWICE. DEALER DID NOT KNOW WHY THE VEHICLE PERFORMED AS SUCH. HOWEVER, THE TIRES CONTINUED TO WEAR OUT UNEVENLY.*AK