BRIDGESTONE POTENZA TIRES Complaints

I HAVE A 2006 BMW 330XI WITH 28,000 MILES. IT CAME WITH BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE050A RUN FLAT TIRES. I HAVE HAD 6 TIRE FAILURES, ONE OF WHICH WAS A BLOWOUT, ALL FROM THE SAME CAUSE ---SIDEWALL BUBBLES/BULGES. THERE IS CLEARLY SOMETHING WRONG WITH THESE TIRES JUDGING FROM THE NUMBER OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON TIRERACK.COM. I HAVE SO LITTLE CONFIDENCE IN THESE VERY EXPENSIVE TIRES THAT I'VE PURCHASED ROAD HAZARD PROTECTION WITH THE LAST FIVE TIRES AT A COST OF $245. I'VE SPENT A TOTAL OF $1,640.27 FOR REPLACEMENT OF THESE TIRES, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE COVERED BY THE ROAD HAZARD PROTECTION AND BRIDGESTONE AGREED TO REPLACE 2 TIRES AT HALF PRICE. THE HUGE SAFETY CONCERN OF CATASTROPHIC SIDEWALL BLOWOUT IS THE PRIMARY REASON I AM POSTING THIS. SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE. *KB

ORIGINAL TIRE DEFECT DISCOVERED AT 16K MILES ON ONE TIRE (BULGE IN SIDEWALL) WITH NO KNOWN REASON (NO IMPACTS OR POTHOLES). NEEDED TO REPLACE ALL 4 SINCE IT IS AN AWD. EXTREME COST OF $500 AND PUT ME IN DANGER OF AN ACCIDENT. DEFECTIVE TIRE: FIRESTONE/ BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE92A (DOT EM8KJLL0309) ONLY 16K MILES ON CAR AND TIRES. DID PREVENT ACCIDENT BUT FLAWED TIRES SHOULD BE MONITORED FOR FUTURE RECALL OF DEFECTIVE AND UNSAFE PRODUCTS. *KB

FLAT TIRE, JAN 2011, WHILE DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING. TIRE WAS SEPARATED AT TREAD-SIDEWALL ON BRIDESTONE POTENZA, 205/60/16. I ASSUMED MY DAUGHTER DID NOT PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY AND THAT CAUSED THE SEPARATION. DAUGHTER SWEARS OVER THE BIBLE SHE WASN'T FAR FROM DRIVEWAY (STILL IN NEIGHBORHOOD) WHEN SHE REALIZED SHE HAD A FLAT AND PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY. THE SEPARATION BETWEEN TREAD AND SIDEWALL HAD ME DOUBT MY DAUGHTER, AT LEAST UNTIL JULY 2011. JULY 2011, TOOK SAME VEHICLE TO THE SAME DEALER THAT REPLACED THE FLAT IN JANUARY, (AUTO TIRE OF ST. LOUIS), FOR TIRE ROTATION, BALANCE, AND ALIGNMENT DUE TO EXCESSIVE VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEEL. AUTO TIRE IMMEDIATELY CALLED ME TO STATE THAT THREE OF MY TIRES, (BRIDESTONE POTENZA, 205/60/16) WERE DEFECTIVE AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. I ASKED DEALER TO SHOW ME THE DEFECT AND THE DEFECT WAS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE TIRE THAT WAS REPLACED IN JANUARY, EXCEPT NOT AS SEVERE - MEANING THE SEPARATION WAS ONLY A FEW INCHES IN LENGTH AND SEPARATION WAS MUCH LONGER ON THE TIRE THAT HAD GONE FLAT. IN JANUARY, I ASSUMED THE SEPARATION WAS CAUSED BY DAUGHTER DRIVING AFTER TIRE HAD GONE FLAT. I DID NOT SUSPECT IT TO BE A DEFECTIVE TIRE SINCE BRIDGESTONE IS A REPUTABLE COMPANY. THE DEFECTS ON THE THREE TIRES REPLACED AT NO CHARGE IN JULY 2011 WERE IDENTICAL TO WHAT WAS OBSERVED ON THE TIRE REPLACED IN JANUARY 2011. THE DEALER, AUTO TIRE, DID NOT MAKE A WARRANTY CLAIM TO BRIDGESTONE IN JAN 2011AS THEY SHOULD HAVE, THEY TREATED IT AS A FLAT REPLACEMENT AND NOT A DEFECT AND BRIDGESTONE WOULD NOT COMPENSATE ME FOR THE FLAT TIRE I REPLACED. SO WHY AM I FILING THIS COMPLAINT? TO WARN OTHER CONSUMERS THAT BRIDGESTONE IS AWARE THEY HAVE A DEFECTIVE LOT OF BRIDESTONE POTENZA, 205/60/16 AND AS A CONSUMER YOU MAY HAVE A FLAT AND NOT KNOW THAT IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A WARRANTY DEFECT. *TR

BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RUN FLAT TIRES CAUSE NOISE AND VIBRATION AFTER 7000KM ON A 2010 BMW 328IX. *TR

BLOW OUT OF RIGHT REAR TIRE ON 2006 PONTIAC GTO WITH FACTORY BRIDGESTONE POTENZA 18 TIRES WITH 22,000 MILES ON THEM. INSIDE TREAD SEVERELY WORN BEFORE THE REST OF THE TIRE CAUSING A TEAR ALL THE WAY AROUND THE TIRE. THIS WAS NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL AFTER THE BLOW OUT. *TR

TIRE FAILURE--BULGING/RIM DAMAGE ;REPLACING THIRD SET OF TIRES AT 8500 MILES. *TR

PREPARING TO PUT A THIRD SET OF TIRES ON MY MERCEDES BENZ SL550 @8500 MILES. ALREADY REPAIRED 2 RIMS.?! NO WARRANTY. 3 TIRES HAVE BUBBLES ON THEM. *TR

BRIDGESTONE POTENZA 245-40-R19 94W MAJOR SIDEWALL FAILURE, 3 INCH SECTION OF TIRE FROM BEAD OF TIRE AT RIM SURFACE LOOKS AS IF BEAD FAILED AND SIDE WALL TORN AWAY FROM BEAD TOWARDS TREAD, NO SIDEWALL OR RIM IMPACT DAMAGE AND TORN OUTWARD FROM RIM TOWARDS TREAD INDICATING SIDEWALL MATERIAL FAILURE ON 2008 BMW OE TIRE WITH LESS THAN 15,000 MILES ABOUT 50% TREAD REMAINING, NO SURFACE DAMAGE TO TIRE OR RIM, FAILURE APPEARS TO BE INTERNAL DEFECT AND COULD CAUSE MAJOR PROBLEMS, COMPLETE IMMEDIATE LOSS OF AIR OCCURRED. TIRE STILL ON RIM WILL TAKE PICS, NO RIM OR TIRE DAMAGE. THERE IS NO PHYSICAL DAMAGE TO TIRE OR RIM, JUST TWO TEARS FROM BEAD TOWARDS TREAD AND 3 INCH SECTION HANGING OUTWARD LARGE OPEN HOLE CAUSED OPEN HOLE AND IMMEDIATE COMPLETE LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE. I HAVE OVER 30 YEARS IN AUTOMOTIVE NEW CAR DEALER, SHOP FOREMAN AND SERVICE MANAGEMENT AND NEVER HAVE SEEN A FAILURE OF THE SIDEWALL LIKE THIS WHERE THERE IS A CLEAN NON DAMAGED SURROUNDING SURFACE INCLUDING THE RIM. FAILURE ISOLATED TO 2 SIDEWALL TEARS FROM BEAD AWAY TOWARDS TREAD OUTWARD. *TR

I JUST BOUGHT A USED 2005 SUBARU LEGACY GT. 20 MINUTES AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE I WAS DRIVING ALONG A SNOWY HIGHWAY AND ACCELERATED JUST AFTER A SET OF LIGHTS. THE REAR END OF THE CAR FELT VERY LOOSE AND THE CAR SQUIRRELED AFTER GAINING CONTROL AND ACCELERATING TO KEEP TRAFFIC MOVING THE REAR END SQUIRRELED OUT AND I WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL. THE CAR SPUN 180 AND SLAMMED INTO THE SNOW BANK SIDEWAYS. IT HAS THE STOCK POTENZA 205-45-17'S I HAVE NEVER LOST CONTROL OF A VEHICLE IN MY LIFE LIKE THAT 2WD OR 4WD. DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE WAS MINOR THE DRIVERS SIDE DOORS ARE BOTH CRINKLED AT THE BOTTOMS AND PART OF THE SHROUD UNDERNEATH WAS BROKEN OFF. PLAN IS TO REPLACE TIRES ASAP SHAME ON SUBARU PUTTING OUT A WINTER VEHICLE WITH POOR PERFORMANCE TIRES. VEHICLE AND STOCK TIRES HAVE 36000KMS. *TR

BRIDGESTONE POTENZA G009 205/60R16. CATASTROPHIC TIRE / SIDEWALL FAILURE. TREAD/BELTS SEPARATED FROM SIDEWALL. TIRE PRESSURE PROPERLY MAINTAINED. TREADWARE REMAINING WAS 7/32. TIRES ROTATED EVERY 5000 MILES. OTHER MARKINGS ON TIRE: L08R AND 37224 GX BH32688. MADE IN USA. *TR