BRIDGESTONE POTENZA TIRES Complaints

THE SIDE WALL BLEW OUT AT 75 MPH ON THE FIRST 100 + DEGREE DAY. BRIDGESTONES REP CLAIMED THAT THERE WAS MAYBE AN INDICATION OF NAIL DAMAGE; HOWEVER THE TIRE WAS TOO BADLY DAMAGED TO BE SURE. NEXT, IT HAD BEEN RUN FLAT, HOWEVER THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN QUICKLY APPARENT IN THE ENGINE NOISE WITH THE CV TRANS. THEY FAILED TO HONOR THEIR WARRANTY, ADMITTING THAT DOING SO WOULD RAISE A RED FLAG AT THE NHTSA. *AK

MY HONDA S2000, WHICH WAS PURCHASED NEW IN JUNE OF 2002 CAME WITH BRIDGESTONE POTENZA SO-2 TIRES FRONT AND REAR. THIS VEHICLE IS USED AS A THIRD VEHICLE IN A TWO DRIVER HOUSEHOLD, AND IS USED ONLY AS A DAILY COMMUTER CAR TO TRAVEL 15 MILES TO WORK (ROUND TRIP). I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR MY STATE INSPECTION, AND AT 6100 MILES, THE REAR TIRES WERE DOWN BELOW 2/32 OF TREAD DEPTH AND THE FRONT TIRES WERE FEATHERED BADLY ON THE INSIDE EDGES (BOTH) AND TREAD WAS BELOW 5/32 OF DEPTH. I HAVE SEEN MANY POSTS OF PEOPLE WITH THESE TIRES WHO HAVE HAD TREAD LIFE WELL BELOW 10K MILES UNDER LITE DRIVING CONDITIONS, WHILE OTHERS CLAIM UP TO 20K, EVEN UNDER HEAVY CONDITIONS. THE TIRES WERE UNACCEPTABLE IN THE RAIN AFTER ABOUT 4000 MILES ON IT AS THE REAR WOULD FISHTAIL EVEN UNDER THE LIGHTEST OF CORNERING. I HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF HONDA AND BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTON, AND NO ONE SEEMS TO WANT TO FESS UP TO A POSSIBLE PROBLEM WITH CERTAIN BATCHES OF THE TIRE HAVING TOO SOFT A COMPUND, OR DESIGN SPEC ISSUES. THIS IS A SERIOUS POTENTIAL PROBLEM. IF I HAD DRIVEN THE VEHICLE MORE OFTEN, I WOULD HAVE RUN THE RISK OF HAVING A TIRE PROBLEM (BLOWOUT OR LOSS OF CONTROL) DUE TO UNACCEPTABLE TIRE WEAR ON THE DRIVE WHEELS. *AK

BRIDGESTONE TIRE EQUIPMENT UNRAVELED ON VEHICLE WHILE IN MOTION. *MR WHILE DRIVING DOWN EXPRESSWAY, THE CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD BANG, AND FOUND THAT THE INSIDE OF TIRE HAD GONE BALD AND PART OF THREAD HAD COME LOOSE. *SCC *JB

THE TIRES THAT COME ON HONDA S 2000 AUTOMOBILES ARE OFTEN EXHIBITING A TREAD WEAR LIFE OF ONLY 6,000 MILES OR SO, BEFORE THE TREAD BECOMES UNSAFE IN WET WEATHER. AT 10,000 MILES, WEAR IS OFTEN SO THE STEEL BELTS SHOW THROUGH. NEITHER HONDA OR BRIDGESTONE (THE TIRE MAKER) IS TAKING ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS. ALL OF THESE CARS ARE EFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM, SO THE CAUSE SEEMS TO BE FROM ONE OR MORE BATCHES OF DEFECTIVE TIRES. IT IS NOT KNOWN HOW MANY INJURIES, DAMAGE, OR FATALITIES HAVE RESULTED. HOWEVER, IT IS BEYOND DISPUTE THAT "BALD" TIRES, AND THOSE WITH THE STEEL BELTS IN CONTACT WITH THE ROAD, CONSTITUTE A PUBLIC SAFETY HAZARD THAT YOUR AGENCY SHOULD INVESTIGATE. *NLM

2001 TOYOTA CAMRY ALL FOUR BRIDGESTONE POTENZA TIRES HAVE WORN DOWN AND THERE IS ONLY 25,500 MILES ON THEM. *NLM

ALL FOUR BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE92 TIRES WERE CRACKED. TIRE SIZE# P205/60R15, DOT K19LY7CDPVD030. *JB *TS

TWO BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE92 [P175/65 R14 84S, DOT EL(PJDH4801] TIRES FAILED ON MY 2002 PRIUS WITHIN ONE WEEK. THESE ARE THE TIRES INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE WHEN WE BOUGHT IT. OUR VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS SLIGHTLY LESS THAN 25,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AND IS DRIVEN PRIMARILY FOR COMMUTING ON FREEWAYS. WE DISCOVERED THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE EXTREMELY LOW ON AIR WHEN RETURNING TO A PARKING GARAGE ON 4/12/03. AS WE WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE A GAS STATION MY HUSBAND CHANGED THE FAILED TIRE WITH THE TEMPORARY TIRE AND HAD THE THE FAILED TIRE REPAIRED THE NEXT DAY. WHEN SERVICED WE WERE TOLD THE TIRE HAD A PIN HOLE AND IRREGULAR WEAR PATTERN. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP FOR ITS SCHEDULED 22,500 MILE SERVICE AND TO HAD THE TIRES INSPECTED AND THE FRONT END ALIGNED. WHEN QUESTIONED ABOUT THE TIRES WEAR PATTERN WE WERE TOLD THE "TIRES WERE MARGINAL" AND THAT WE SHOULD EXPECT TO REPLACE THE TIRES IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS. THE SECOND TIRE FAILED TODAY WHEN MY HUSBAND WAS CUT OFF IN A PARKING LOT (TRAVELING LESS THAN 5 MILES AN HOUR AND SWERVED TO AVOID BEING HIT AND HIT THE PARKING CURB), THE TIRE FAILED AND REQUIRED IMMEDIATE REPLACEMENT WITH THE TEMPORARY TIRE. WE ARE HAVING ALL FOUR TIRES REPLACED, AT THIS TIME, DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE TWO BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE92 [P175/65 R14 84S, DOT EL9PJDH4801] WITHIN A SEVEN DAY PERIOD. *NLM

I AM CONCERNED ABOUT MY NISSAN 350Z SUSPENSION/TIRES. I HAVE BEEN READING A LOT OF BULLETIN BOARD ENTRIES ON WWW.MY350Z.COM AND WWW.ZCAR.COM ABOUT VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BEFORE DEC. OF 2002. I ALSO VISITED THE NISSAN WEBSITE AND SEE THAT THERE IS A TECH BULLETIN POSTED ABOUT THE WEAR ON THE TIRES. THERE APPEARS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH THE SUSPENSION SET UP ON THE 350Z THAT IS RESULTING IN EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE TIRES OR FEATHERING. THERE ARE A LOT OF PICTURES ON THE WWW.MY350Z.COM WEBSITE OF ACTUAL TIRES. THE FEATHERING SEEMS TO BEGIN ANYWHERE FROM 5000 TO 10000 MILES.*JB

WHILE MAKING A TURN , VEHICLE SLID OFF THE ROAD, WITHOUT CAUSE OR WARNING. THE DEALERSHIP CANNOT LOCATE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.

FRONT TIRES ON MY VEHICLE ARE FEATHERING DUE TO SUSPENSION PROBLEMS. MANUFACTURER WILL NOT FIX THE MECHANICAL PROBLEM. IT IS A NISSAN 350Z 2003 UNDER WARRANTY WITH 8000 MILES. HAVE HAD 3 TIRE INSPECTIONS BY DIFFERENT TIRE MANUFACTURER'S, ALL POINT TOWARD SUSPENSION DEFECT. TRACTION IS LESS THEN 100% *JB