BRIDGESTONE POTENZA TIRES Complaints

WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD REAR DRIVER'S TIRE BLEW OUT. NO RECALLS FOUND. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER.*AK

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY WHEN STEERING WHEEL BECAME SHAKE BACK AND FORTH HARD TO CONTROL. STOPPED AUTO FOUND THAT BELTS HAD BROKEN IN THE TIRES AND THAT TREAD HAD SHIFTED TO WHERE IT WAS NO LONGER STRAIGHT.*AK

CONSUMER INSPECTED THE TIRES AND THE BELTS WORE INTO THE STEEL. TIRES WERE REPLACED ON THE FRONT FOUR TIMES. VEHICLE WAS ALIGNED SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE TIRES CONTINUED TO WEAR. THEY WERE REPLACED WITH THE SAME MAKE/MODEL TIRE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. AS A RESULT THE REAR QUARTER PANEL AND BUMPER WERE SEVERELY DAMAGED. NO IMPACT REPORTED. *AK *NM

I WAS DRIVING 65 MPH ON ROUTE 495 AFTER LEAVING ROUTE 66 FROM VIENNA, VA. I WAS GETTING AN UNEVEN LIGHT THUMP FEELING LIKE I WAS DRIVING LINED PAVEMENT, BUT IT IS NOT ON 495. I HAD A VERY STRONG PULL OF THE STEERING WHEEL, AND I CHECKED MY MIRRORS TO SEE IF I MAY HAVE RUN OVER SOMETHING. I SAW THE FULL CIRCULAR PART OF MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE ROLLING ACROSS THE HIGHWAY BEHIND ME. I HAD TO GRAB THE STEERING WHEEL TIGHTLY TO BRING THE VEHICLE ACROSS THREE LANES OF HIGHWAY TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE. I WAS HELPED WITH PUTTING ON MY SPARE TIRE, BUT ONLY HAD ABOUT AN INCH OF RUBBER LEFT ON THE RIM OF MY WHEEL. I DROVE TO THE WALDORF OFFICE OF TIRES PLUS ON THE SPARE AND HAD THE TIRE REPLACED THE NEXT MORNING AFTER THEY FOUND A REPLACEMENT AT APPROXIMATELY HALF PRICE BASED ON MILEAGE.*AK

I HAVE A 2003 NISSAN 350Z WITH TIRE FEATHERING AND FRONT WHEEL ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS. AT 22K MILES, NISSAN REPLACED MY FRONT TIRES AND EXTENDED THE ALIGNMENT WARRANTY TO TWO YEARS, BUT THAT WARRANTY WILL EXPIRE 12/04.*AK

FRONT TIRES EMIT A LOUD "ROAR" TYPE NOISE, INSIDE TREAD OF TIRES HAVE UNUSUAL WEAR. *AK

REF: MY EARLIER ODI #10047147 AND ODI #10080438. 2003 CAMRY (CURRENTLY 7700 MILES). GRADUAL RIGHT DRIFT SINCE PURCHASE JANUARY 2003. A TOTAL OF 10 NEW BRIDGESTONE 15" POTENZA RE92 TIRES (INCLUDING THE 4 ORIGINAL TIRES THAT CAME ON THE NEW VEHICLE) WERE MOUNTED ON THE CAR OVER A 4 MONTH PERIOD. RIGHT DRIFT WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE SERVICE MANAGER OF THE TOYOTA DEALER WHERE CAR WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND/OR CORRECT PROBLEM. THE SERVICE MANAGER OF SECOND TOYOTA DEALER PROMPTLY ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM, DIAGNOSED TIRES AS THE CAUSE, AND CORRECTED IT. ONCE TIRES WERE MOUNTED ON THE VEHICLE THAT WERE OTHER THAN BRIDGESTONE, THE RIGHT DRIFT WAS CORRECTED. THE VEHICLE NOW IS A SAFE AND ENJOYABLE VEHICLE TO DRIVE. *AK

ON THE EVENING OF 21 JUN 04 I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK. AS I MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN IN TO MY DRIVEWAY. I FELT AND THEN HEARD WHAT SEEMED TO TO A FLAT TIRE ON THE RIGHT (PASSENAGER) SIDE OF THE CAR. I HAD FILLED UP WITH GAS ON EITHER THE PREVIOUS FRIDAY OR SATURDAY. WHEN I FILL UP WITH GAS I CHECK MY OIL AND TIRE PRESSURE. ALL WAS OK. WHEN I GOT INTO MY GARAGE, I WENT AROUND TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR AND CLEARLY SAW A FLAT RIGHT REAR TIRE. I CALLED AAA TO PUT ON A SPARE. THE AAA REPAIR MAN THOUGHT THE TIRE LOOKED DEFECTIVE. THE NEXT MORNING I WENT TO NTW AND REPLACED THE FLAT TIRE AND A SECOND TIRE WITH NEW MICHELIN TIRES. THE MANAGER AT THE NTW IN ROCKVILLE INDICATED THAT THIS WAS THE SECOND TIRE HE HAD SEEN THAT WEEK WITH THE SAME DEFECT. BECAUSE I ONLY HAD 19,600 MILES ON THE TIRES, HE GAVE ME A DISCOUNT ON EACH TIRE. HE ALSO AGREED THAT THE FLAT TIRE LOOKED DEFECTIVE. THEY CHECKED MY REMAINING TWO TIRES FOR ANY WEAKNESS. *AK

2004 TOYOTA CAMARY WITH FIRESTONE BRIDGESTONE TIRES ARE VERY UNSAFE. I EXPERIENCED A BLOW OUT ON THE I-10, THE TIRE UNRAVELED FROM THE SIDE WALLS SPLITING THE TIRE INTO 2 PIECES. *JB