BRIDGESTONE POTENZA TIRES Complaints

THE FRONT OE TIRES ON MY 2008 BMW HAVE DEVELOPED SIDEWALL BUBBLES. THE TIRES ARE BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE050A, 225/40 R18. THIS IS INHERENTLY DANGEROUS. THERE ARE ALREADY SOME BRIDGESTONES WHICH THE COMPANY HAS RECOGNIZED AS FAULTY, THE ABOVE MODELS SHOULD BE ADDED TO THEIR LIST. *TR

THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR TIRE BLEW OUT, CAUSING THE CAR TO SPIN OUT WHILE DRIVING N ON I-55 BETWEEN JACKSON, MS AND MEMPHIS, TN RESULTING IN A CRASH. INITIAL INVESTIGATION DID NOT SHOW ANY NAILS, TO CAUSE THE FLAT. THE COMPLETE INSIDE SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE CAME APART. *TR

SIDEWALL SEPARATION (RIGHT FRONT) ON BRIDGESTONE SIZE 225/40R18 REO50A ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT RUN FLAT TIRE AT 20,000 MILES. THESE TIRES SEEM PRONE TO DELAMINATION. VERY POOR TREAD MILEAGE FOR HIGHWAY DRIVING. WORN OUT NOW. UTQG RATING SEEMS EXAGGERATED AS I'M NOT IN STOP-AND-GO DRIVING MODE. THESE TIRES ARE PRICED $70+ TO $90+ PER TIRE MORE THAN NON-RF TIRES AND B'STONE HAS A VIRTUAL MONOPOLY....BMW N.A. ONLY PERMITS REPLACEMENT OF THESE TIRES AND IT REALLY HITS THE POCKET BOOK. CONTACTED B'STONE CONSUMER RELATIONS AND MET A BRICK WALL AS THEY KNOW THEY HAVE YOU OVER A BARREL. WROTE THE PRES. OF BRIDGESTONE AND NOT EVEN THE COURTESY OF A RESPONSE. *TR

NEW 350Z ROADSTER PURCHASED IN JULY 2009 WITH BRIDGESTONE POTENZA 225/45R 18 HIGH PERFORMANCE TIRES. CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN 9000 MILES. AFTER HAVE A FLAT DUE TO A NAIL IN THE TREAD AND BEING PLUGGED. THE TIRE DEVELOPED AN HENS EGG SIZE BUBBLE ON THE SIDEWALL. ( CAR WAS NOT DRIVEN ON FLAT) WHEN I CONTACTED THE NISSAN DEALER I WAS TOLD THE TIRES WERE WARRANTED BY FIRESTONE. WHEN I CALLED THE FIRESTONE DEALER AND EXPLAINED THE BUBBLE, I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD BRUISED THE TIRE BY HITTING A CURB AND THAT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. I TOLD THE DEALER THAT HAD NOT HIT A CURB . NO ASSISTANCE FOR WARRANTY WAS EVEN OFFERED. HAD TO PURCHASE A NEW TIRE AT FULL RETAIL. MY QUESTION TO YOU IS AFTER READING ALL OF THESE COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM ALONG WITH THE UNKNOWN NUMBER THAT DOES NOT REPORT THESE WILL IT TAKE TO GET THESE UNSAFE TIRES ( IN MY OPINION) OFF THE ROAD. YES I AM UPSET WITH THE MANUFACTURER FOR NOT STANDING BEHIND THIS PRODUCT. TIRE WARRANTIES SEEM TO ONLY PROTECT THE MANUFACTURE NOT THE CONSUMER. YOU CAN REST ASSURED BRIDGESTONE WILL NOT BE ON THIS NEW CAR MUCH LONGER. *TR

I BOUGHT MY 2006 PONTIAC GTO END OF JULY 2006, AND SINCE THEN THERE HAS BEEN A CLICKING NOISE. I'VE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CLAIMS IT WAS THE STRUT MAKING THE NOISE. I HAVE TAKEN IT IN OVER 3 TIMES FOR THE SAME NOISE, BUT THE NOISE STILL REMAINS. THE DEALERSHIP HAD TO REPLACE THE LEFT STRUT BECAUSE IT COMPLETE CAME OUT. SHORTLY AFTER THE STRUT WAS REPLACED I HAD A TIRE COMPLETELY POP. I HAD TO REPLACE MY TIRES (NOT EVEN 2 YEARS OF PURCHASING THE VEHICLE). SECOND PROBLEM, THE SWAY BAR HAD TO BE REPLACE. IT STARTED AS CLICKING NOISES, TURNED INTO RATTLING, AND THE SHAKING OF THE VECHILE WHEN IN DRIVE. THIRD PROBLEM, GAS DOOR FELL OFF BY ITSELF AND SO DID AC VENT ON DRIVER SIDE DOOR. FOURTH, THE KEYS DON'T ALWAYS UNLOCK THE DOOR WHEN THE UNLOCK BUTTON IS PRESSED. FIFTH, THE UNLOCK/LOCK BUTTON INSIDE GETS STUCK. SIXTH, THE ORANGE TAB ON THE SHIFTER WOULDN'T SHIFT INTO RIGHT GEAR (DEALERSHIP HAD TO FIX). FINALLY, THE WINDSHEILD SPRAYERS WERE SPRAYING OVER THE WINDOWS AND THAT TOO HAD TO BE FIXED AT THE DEALERSHIP.

EXPERIENCED SEVERE FISHTAILING ON SLIGHTLY SLIPPERY ROADS WITH A 2008 SUBARU OUTBACK. THIS WAS HIGHLY UNUSUAL FOR AN ALL WHEEL DRIVE CAR AND I DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY WIFE'S HONDA CR-V THAT I DROVE ON THE SAME DAY ON THE SAME ROADS.

MY 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS CONSISTENTLY WORE OUT THE FRONT TIRES ON THE INSIDE PART OF THE TREAD, NOT EASILY VISIBLE FROM THE STREET. THE TIRES WORE DOWN TO THE CORDS IN LESS THAN 10,000 MILES. MY WIFE HAD AN ACCIDENT WHERE SHE COULD NOT STOP THE CAR IN TIME TO AVOID IT. MY YOUNG DAUGHTER WAS IN THE CAR AT THE TIME. THESE CARS ARE STILL ON THE ROAD. I COMPLAINED TO TOYOTA BUT THE COMPLAINT FELL ON DEAF EARS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SUBARU IMPREZA. THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE 92 TIRES, TIRE SIZE 205/55/16. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS AND HEARD A LOUD NOISE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DROVE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND OBSERVED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE EXHIBITED AN EXCESSIVE SEPARATION IN THE SIDEWALL. THE TIRE WAS REPLACED WITH A SPARE TIRE. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF PURCHASING TWO NEW TIRES. THE DOT NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WERE 70,000.

1. WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH AND THE CAR BEGAN SHAKING HARDER AND HARDER. 2. THE TIRE'S SIDEWALL WAS COMPLETELY SHREDDED ON BOTH SIDES, AS IF IT WERE DEFECTIVE. 3. THE TIRE WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED, BUT IT IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AS OF LAST MONTH. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE. THE VEHICLE HAS BRIDGESTONE TIRES, TIRE LINE POTENZA, TIRE SIZE 205/55/R16. DURING ROUTINE INSPECTION, THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED CRACKS ON THE SIDEWALL OF ALL FOUR TIRES. THE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 39,500. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 11/04/09*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED FIRESTONE DEALER WOULD NOT REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE TIRES. UPDATED 11/05/09.*JB