BRIDGESTONE POTENZA TIRES Complaints

THIS IS IN REFERENCE TO THE AUDI RECALL REFERENCING REPLACEMENT OF TIRES TO MEET AXLE WEIGHT OF VEHICLE. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NO #03V143000.TIRES 225/45 R17 91Y WERE TO BE REPLACED BY 225/45 R17 94W. IN NOV 03 TOOK VEHICLE TO THE AUDI PHIL LONG DEALERSHIP IN COLORADO SPRINGS TO MEET COMPLIANCE PER RECALL LETTER. DEALERSHIP TOOK THE PERFORMANCE "ALL SEASON" TIRES OFF THE VEHICLE AND REPLACED THREE TIRES WITH 225/45 94W PERFORMANCE "SUMMER" TIRES AND ONE TIRE WITH A 225/45 91Y PERFORMANCE SUMMER TIRE. FIRST BY LOOKING AT THE SPECS OF THE TIRES THEY INSTALLED THEY PARTIALLY MET THE RECALL CRITERIA. SECONDLY, BY CHOOSING TO TAKE THE ORIGINAL PERFORMANCE "ALL SEASON" TIRES OFF THE VEHICLE IN THE PRESENT WINTER SEASON AND REPLACING THEM WITH A PERFORMANCE "SUMMER" TIRE WITHOUT TELLING ME (THE CONSUMER) OF THE TYPE OF TIRES THEY INSTALLED AND SENDING ME ON MY WAY ASSURING ME THAT MY SAFETY CONCERNS WITH THE RECALL HAD BEEN MET, BOTH AUDI USA, AND AUDI PHIL LONG DEALERSHIP CONFIGURED THE VEHICLE TO BE UNSAFE FOR NORMAL OPERATION. THE RECALL CRITERIA WAS NOT MET, ADDITIONALLY BY TAKING AWAY THE ALL SEASON TIRES AND REPLACING THEM WITH SUMMER TIRES IN WINTER SEASON WITHOUT ADVISING THE CONSUMER PRIOR TO RELEASING THE VEHICLE GENERATED A NEW HAZARD. AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS CHANGED, VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND AS DRIVER WAS ACCUSTOMED PRIOR TO RECALL, AND AS A RESULT DURING ICY ROAD CONDITIONS THE VEHICLE SLID AND SUFFERED DAMAGES. AUDI USA DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY, NOR PHIL LONG DEALERSHIP. THE RECALL ATTEMPTED TO MEET ONE HAZARD, AND BY THE CHOICE OF TIRES CHOSEN AS REPLACEMENT WITHOUT CONSIDERATION OF VEHICLE LOCATION, AND FAILURE TO ADVISE CONSUMER OF REPLACEMENT TIRES SPECIFICATIONS AND LIMITATIONS GENERATED A GREATER HAZARD.*AK

MY SITUATION DEALS WITH TWO OF BRIDGESTONES POORLY CONSTRUCTED TIRES WHICH I HAD PURCHASED NOT TOO LONG AGO. BELOW, I HAVE INCLUDED THE LETTER I HAD WRITTEN TO BRIDGESTONE. I TOOK MANY PICTURES OF THE TIRES THE DAY I DISCOVERED THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL CRACKS. THE TIRES ARE CURRENTLY IN MY GARAGE AND ARE STILL MOUNTED ON THE RIMS I HAD TAKEN OFF. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE PICTURES. THANK YOU. MARCUS LO 1381 SAN MARINO AVE SAN MARINO, CA 91108 (626)318-5322 -----ORIGINAL MESSAGE----- FROM: "MARCUS LO" <[email protected]> SENT: 24 NOV 03 01:34 TO: [email protected] DEAR BRIDGESTONE, I BOUGHT A PAIR OF BRIDGESTONE S-03 245/35ZR19 TIRES IN SEPTEMBER 2002 AT 67,731 MILES. AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE ALL FOUR WHEELS WERE ALIGNED. NOW AT 75,000 MILES, THESE TIRES HAVE DEVELOPED CIRCUMFERENTIAL CRACKS AROUND THE INNER SIDEWALLS ADJACENT TO THE TREADS. I WAS SHOCKED AND SCARED TO FIND THESE CRACKS EARLIER TODAY. I HAD THOUGHT BRIDGESTONE MADE GOOD TIRES, BUT THESE CRACKED TIRES PROVE THAT I WAS WRONG. CRACKS LIKE THESE WILL DEFINITELY LEAD TO TIRE TREAD SEPARATION AT ANY TIME AND IT WILL BE DISASTROUS. I FEEL REALLY FORTUNATELY THAT I DISCOVERED THEM BEFORE I GOT KILLED. I CANNOT IMAGINE ANY TIRE MANUFACTURER WILL MAKE SUCH INFERIOR AND DANGEROUS PRODUCTS. THESE ARE NOT INEXPENSIVE TIRES- I PAID MORE THAN $500 FOR THEM, AND THEY HAVE NOW FAILED AFTER ONLY 7200 GENTLE MILES. ATTACHED ARE DIGITAL PHOTOS SHOWING THE CRACKS. I AM WRITING TO DEMAND A FULL REFUND FROM BRIDGESTONE. AT THIS TIME I AM CONSIDERING MAKING THIS KNOWN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC THROUGH THE MEDIA. I MAY ALSO NOTIFY THE NHTSA SO THEY MAY START AN INVESTIGATION. MARCUS LO

TIRES ARE FEATHERING AFTER ABOUT 4000 MILES, ROAD NOISE IS EXTREMELY LOUD, NISSAN HAS DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, TIRES SHOULD NOT BE RUINED AFTER ONLY 4000 MILES. *AK

2003 NISSAN 350 Z - FRONT TIRES ARE FEATHERING ON THE INSIDE TREAD WITH 4000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE.*AK

VEHICLE DRIFTS TO RIGHT AND IS EXPERIENCING VERY HIGH WEAR ON THE INSIDE OF THE FRONT TIRES. *JB

PROBLEMS WITH TIRE EQUIPMENT ON 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS.*MR CONSUMER REPLACED THE TIRES SEVEN TIMES TO DATE. PROBLEMS WITH THE TREAD AND SIDEWALL. MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE DEFECT. *PH

CUPPING AND FEATHERING OF TIRES- CAUSING ROAD NOISE, POOR TRACTION, & HANDLING. PER OWNER FORUMS, DUE TO SUSPENSION ISSUES WHICH EFFECT ALLIGNMENT. OTHERS HAVE HAD PROBLEMS RECOGNIZED AND FIXED. MY DEALER AND NISSAN SAY THERE IS NO PROBLEM.*AK

TIRES HAVE STARTED FEATHERING AT 4000 MILES. RIGHT SUSPENSION REPAIRED ONCE AND VEHICLE IS PULLING TO THE RIGHT AGAIN AND TIRE FEATHERING IS GETTING WORSE. *LA

VARIOUS THINGS GONE WRONG WITH THIS CAR: -RACK AND PINION / STEERING PUMP FAILED AT 4000 MILES. CAR REFUSED TO STEER WHEN AT IDLE. VERY DANGEROUS. REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY AFTER 2 WEEKS. -TWO TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENTS. SECOND TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT REQUIRES NEW FLYWHEEL, CLUTCH DISC, AND PRESSURE PLATE. BOTH UNDER WARRANTY. -UNEVEN TIRE WEAR. DEALER TOLD ME THAT I'M A "YOUNG SPEED RACER" AND THAT I NEED TO "SLOW DOWN". DENIED MY APPEAL FOR NEW TIRES, I BOUGHT NEW, WIDER RIMS AND TIRES, ALIGNMENT, AND PROBLEM WENT AWAY. TIRE SIZES ARE 245/40/18 AND 275/40/18. BRIDGESTONE POTENZA S03. NO FEATHERING AFTER 11000 MILES. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS CAR IS NOT VERY SAFE... AND NISSAN SERVICE / CUSTOMER SERVICE IS VERY UNCOURTEOUS AND RUDE IN THEIR APPROACH TO THE SITUATION AT HAND. *LA

FRONT PAIR OF TIRES CUPPING/FEATHERING ON THE INSIDE OF TIRES, CAUSING A LOUD GROWL WHEN BRAKING. *AK