BRIDGESTONE POTENZA TIRES Complaints

MY 2003 NISSAN 350Z HAS A PROBLEM KEEPING ALIGNMENT. THIS CAUSES PREMATURE WEAR ON THE TIRES AND THE ADDITIONAL COST OF ALIGNMENT. THIS BEGAN IMMEDIATELY (2003 AT 6,000 MILES). BOTH TIRES AND THE ALIGNMENT WERE REPLACED AND REPAIRED. HOWEVER THE CAR CONTINUES TO LOSE ALIGNMENT. A BIGGER ISSUE IS CAUSED IN THE WINTER ON SLICK ROADS. THE CAR WILL SWERVE UNEXPECTEDLY - TOTALLY LOSE CONTROL AND CROSS OVER INTO ON COMING LANES. I FEEL THESE CARS REPRESENT A HAZARD NOT ONLY TO THE DRIVER BUT OTHER INNOCENT PEOPLE ON THE ROAD. THE ONLY SAFE REMEDIAL ACTION WOULD BE A RECALL AND PERMANENT REPAIR OF THIS DEFECT. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 40 MPH BACK RIGHT TIRE WENT FLAT INSTANTLY WITHOUT WARNING. TIRE MAKE: BRIDGESTONE POTENZA P195/55R15. THE TIRE SHOWED NO SIGNS OF WEAR OR DAMAGE AND WAS ONLY DRIVEN ON FOR 25,000 MILES. I TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP (PEPBOYS) AND THEY FOUND THAT THE INSIDE STEEL BELT HAD BROKE AND CAUSED THE TIRE TO FAIL. I REPLACED THAT TIRE WITH ANOTHER BRAND (COST $100), AND STILL HAVE THE DAMAGED BRIDGESTONE TIRE FOR EVIDENCE.*AK

WITH LESS THAT 1" INCH OF SNOW ON THE GROUND, MY CAR COMPLETED A 360 DEGREE SPIN ON ROUTE 48 BY TAYLORVILLE, IL WHILE GOING 45 MILES AN HOUR. I WAS THE SLOWEST CAR ON THE ROAD. MY CAR IS A 2004 NISSAN 350Z WITH BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE040 TIRES. THIS IS THE SECOND "SPIN" ON THOSE TIRES. THE OTHER SPIN WAS 180 DEGREES WHILE GOING LESS THAN 25 MPH. IT HAS TAKEN ME 3 MINUTES TO GET MY CAR IN THE GARAGE WHEN THERE IS ANY SNOW ON THE DRIVEWAY. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE DISTANCE FROM THE STREET TO MY GARAGE IS PROBABLY LESS THAN 60 FEET.*AK

BRIDGESTONE POTENZA TIRES P225/50WR17(FRONT) AND P235/50WR17 (REAR)ON 2005 NISSAN Z350 TOURING EDITION: DO WE HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE KILLED BEFORE THIS IS LOOKED INTO! CAR HAS JUST 1,600 MILES, YES NOT EVEN 2,000, ONE MONTH OLD. THESE TIRES WILL NOT DRIVE SAFELY ON THIS CAR. SNOWED HERE IN WASHINGTON DC AREA ON 19JAN05...WIFE COULD NOT MOVE THE CAR FROM A RED LIGHT WITHOUT REAR END FISH-TAILING AT 3 MPH. COULD NOT MOVE...HELP HAD TO HAND PUSH HER TO SIDE OF A ROAD. I MADE IT TO HER AFTER 3 HOURS. POLICE WANTED TO GIVE ME A TICKET FOR NOT HAVING ALL WEATHER TIRES, M/S ON THE CAR, FOR HOLDING UP TRAFFIC BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. I HAD NO IDEA THE TIRES WERE NOT M/S. I GOT IN CAR AND IT WOULD NOT MOVE, EVEN WHEN REMOVING THE TRACTION BUTTON. SKIDDING/FISH TAILING WILL GET YOU KILLED; THESE TIRES WILL NOT MAKE IT IN SNOWY PARTS OF THE US. WHY HAVE THEY NOT TESTED THESE TIRES ON SNOW COVER ROADS. MY WIFE IS SCARED TO DEATH TO DRIVE THE CAR NOW. I'M STUCK WITH A CAR THAT IS NOT EVEN SAFE. I WILL LET MANY KNOW NOT TO BUY THIS CAR WITH THIS TIRE. NOWEVER, THERE IS A Z350, 2003 MODEL ON THE LOT OF THE DEALER WITH MICHELIN M/S ALL WEATHER ON IT. NOT ON THESE BRIDGESTONE POTENZAS!!! WHY DID NISSAN CHANGE FROM MICHELIN TO THE BRIDGESTONE. THE DEALER WILL TELL ME TO GO TO A TIRE COMPANY, THE TIRE COMPANY ALREADY IS TELLING ME TO GO BACK TO THE DEALER. PLEASE NHTSA, STOP THIS FROM GETTING PEOPLE POTENTIALLY INJURED OR KILLED. LJ. *AK

THE CLUTCH HAD GONE OUT. THEN TWO OF THE TIRES HAD BLOWN OUT. ONE TIRE HAD BLOWN OUT FROM THE INNER WALL AND THE OTHER BLOW OUT WAS DUE TO SIDEWALL FAILURE. *AK *SC *JB

I HAVE A 2003 SUBARU BAJA WITH 17,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THIS CAR CAME FACTORY EQUIPPED WITH BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE92 HIGH PERFORMANCE ALL SEASON TIRES, SIZE 225/60/R16. THESE TIRES ARE POSITIVELY HAZARDOUS ON SNOW AND ICE: I HAVE TWICE IN THE PAST SIX WEEKS LOST CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE ON SNOWY, FLAT, STRAIGHT ROADS, CAUSING A TOTAL OF $5,000 OF DAMAGE TO MY CAR. THE LOSS OF CONTROL IS UNPREDICTABLE AND SUDDEN, AS IF A GIANT HAND PICK THE CAR UP AND TOSSED IT OFF THE ROAD. WHILE RESEARCHING SNOW TIRES YESTERDAY, I FOUND NUMEROUS WARNINGS ON WEB SITES FROM CONSUMERS (TIRERACK.COM, 1010TIRES.COM, NHTSA.DOT.GOV) ABOUT THE DANGERS OF DRIVING ON WET/SNOWY/ICY PAVEMENT WITH BRIDGESTONE POTENZA TIRES. THESE TIRES ARE EXPOSING UNWARY CONSUMERS TO ACCIDENTS, INJURY AND WORSE. I FEEL RESENTFUL TO BRIDGESTONE FOR MAKING SUCH AWFUL TIRES, ALSO TO SUBARU CORPORATION FOR INSTALLING THEM ON A CAR WHICH IS ADVERTISED AS A VERY SAFE VEHICLE TO DRIVE IN WINTER WEATHER AND TO MY LOCAL DEALER WHO SOLD ME A VEHICLE WITH SUCH DANGEROUS TIRES. *JB

WHILE DRIVING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER THE VEHICLE REAR TRACTION MALFUNCTIONED WHICH RESULTED IN FREQUENT SPINOUTS AND A SUBSEQUENT COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. *NM (2004 LEXUS IS300) THE CONSUMER STATED THE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE PERFORMED POORLY AND SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PLACED ON THE VEHICLE. *JB THE CONSUMER STATED THAT EVEN USING THE SNOW FEATURE TRACTION AND THIRD GEAR HE HAD NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 25 MPH. *TC

BOTH FRONT TIRES CUPPING AND FEATHERING WITH SEVERE RUMBLING NOISE IN FRONT END. DEALER REPLACED BOTH FRONT TIRES 3/31/04 AND PERFORMED FRONT-END ALIGNMENT. RETURNED 1/12/05 WITH SAME PROBLEM AND DEALER INDICATED THAT THEY HAD SEVERAL IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER CONSUMERS ON THE 350Z. DEALER HAS NOTIFIED NISSAN AND ARE GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH THEM ON RESOLUTION. DEALER STATED THAT NISSAN IS TRYING TO CLAIM THAT THE TIRES ARE ONLY 15,000 MILE TIRES AND THAT THEY ARE THE PROBLEM. DEALER WILL CONTACT ME AGAIN WITHIN ONE WEEK WITH NISSAN'S RESOLUTION. DEALER DID NOT EVEN EXAMINE MY VECHICLE 1/12/05.*AK

THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN THE RAIN WHEN IT HYDROPLANED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS LOSING TRACTION EASILY. *SC AS A RESULT WHEN THE VEHICLE HYDROPLANED, THE CONSUMER STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE. *JB

CONSUMER HAS A 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW BUT NOW HAS 16000 MILES ON IT. IT IS EQUIPPED WITH BRIDGESTONE TIRES. ALREADY THE FRONT TIRES THREADS ARE LITERALLY COMING APART. THERE WAS NO RESULTING INJURY. *NM *JB