BRIDGESTONE POTENZA TIRES Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A SET OF BRIDGESTONE RUN FLAT POTENZA TIRES ON A 2007 BMW 328I. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A CLICKING NOISE. AFTER EXAMINING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE TREAD WAS DISCONNECTED FROM THE TIRE. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER ABOUT RELATED RUN FLAT TIRE COMPLAINTS AND THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED BY A DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THAT FORM OF TREAD SEPARATION; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. THE CONTACT WOULD LIKE FOR THE MANUFACTURER TO ASSUME THE REPAIR COST.

I BOUGHT A 2006 350Z IN 2007 AND HAVE REPLACED BRAKES AND ROTORS ONCE ALREADY AND NOT 6 MONTHS LATER HAD TO GET THE ROTORS RESURFACED AGAIN. IN ADDITION TO THIS PROBLEM I HAVE REPLACED ALL 4 TIRES TWICE. THE FRONT AND REAR WERE WAY OUT OF ALIGNMENT AS WELL. ALSO, THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENT THAT MOVES THE DRIVER SEAT FORWARD AND BACK IS STICKING, NOT ALWAYS ALLOWING THE SEAT TO MOVE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ON THE NYS THRUWAY, I HIT A VERY SMALL POTHOLE AND BOTH RIGHT SIDE TIRES RUPTURED AT THE TIRE BEAD. AT LEAST TWENTY OTHER CARS PASSED OVER THE SAME POTHOLE AND NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THEIR TIRES. THE TIRES PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM THE RIMS MAKING DRIVING THE EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS. EVEN THOUGH THE CARS HAS RUN FLAT TIRES, THE TIRES SEPARATED SO FAR FROM THE BEAD IT MADE DRIVING THE CAR DANGEROUS. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME SMALL OBJECTS IN THE ROADWAY CAUSED THESE RUNFLAT TIRES TO RUPTURE DANGEROUSLY ON VERY SMALL POTHOLES. HAD I CONTINUED DRIVING ON THEM AS STATED BY BMW, THEY WOULD HAVE SEPARATED FROM THE RIMS AND CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *TR

WAS DRIVING EAST ON I-70 CAR STARTED SHAKING AND HEARD A LOW ROAR. THOUGHT IT WAS THE ROAD. I GOT OFF EXIT 124 I BELIEVE AND CHECKED TIRES. ALL LOOKED NORMAL.. CHECKED TIRED PRESSURES ALL WAS 32 OR 34 PSI. I THOUGH MAYBE IT WAS THE ROAD SO I CONTINUED TO EXIT 126EAST ON I 70 GOT OFF EXIT BECAUSE I HEARD THE SAME NOISE. I THEN DROVE THE CAR AROUND THE TRUCKSTOP AND LISTENED TO THE TIRES.. REAR PASSENGER WAS MAKING A HORRIBLE NOISE SO I DECIDED TO TURN BACK AROUND AND COME BACK HOME EVEN THOUGH THE TIRES LOOKED FINE. I PULLED OUT OF THE TRUCK STOP AND OVER THE BRIDGE TO GO WEST ON I-70 HEADING ABOUT 20MPH AND HEARD A LOUD POP. THE TIRE BLEW OUT.. CONTINUED OVER THE BRIDGE TO THE PILOT TRUCK STOP AND NOTICED THERE WAS STILL AIR IN THE TIRE.. I PROCEEDED TO TAKE THE TIRE OFF AND FOUND THAT THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE SPLIT AT THE SEAM. THESE TIRES ARE DANGEROUS!!! THE ENTIRE SIDE BLEW OUT.. BUT THERE IS STILL AIR IN THEM.. FIRESTONE SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO MAKE TIRES ANYMORE.. IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN GOING 65MPH I WOULD PROBABLY BE DEAD. FIRESTONE 215/45R17 POTENZA. *TR

A LITTLE WHILE BACK AN ERROR MESSAGE CAME UP ON THE DASHBOARD OF MY CAR SAYING THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION WITH THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR. NOT LONG AFTER, I LEFT MY OFFICE ONE NIGHT; I GET IN MY CAR WITH MY COWORKER AND BEGIN DRIVING. AS I DROVE WE BOTH HEARD A SCREECHING NOISE FROM MY CAR AND THE CAR WAS STRUGGLING TO ACCELERATE, CARS BEHIND ME BEGIN TO HONK AND DRIVE AROUND ME LEAVING ME IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHERE A CAR MAY HIT ME OR MY CAR. I WAS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC WITH MY CAR ALMOST COMPLETELY DISABLED. THE NEXT DAY I HAD THE CAR PICKED UP FROM MY HOME AND DROPPED OFF BY A SERVICE CENTER. THEY CALL ME A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER SAYING THERE WAS DAMAGE DONE TO ALL THE TIRES OF THE CAR AND THE PRESSURE MONITOR FOR THE TIRES. THE TIRES FOR THIS CAR ARE SPECIAL TIRES WITH PRESSURE MONITORS TO INDICATE WHEN THEY ARE LOW ON PRESSURE OR FLAT. I'VE ONLY PUT 6500 MILES ON THE CAR AND DRIVEN IT WITH A LOT OF CARE UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. THE SERVICE CENTER IS SAYING I INFLICTED THE DAMAGE AND THEY WANT ME TO PAY FOR IT. I HAD BEGUN SPEAKING WITH FRIENDS WHO HAVE THE SAME CAR AND THEY ALL SAID THEY ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE LOOK INTO THE SITUATION AND RESPOND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THIS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

SIDEWALL TIRE FAILURE IN ORDINARY USE; 2009 SUBARU OUTBACK, 5500 MILES, BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE TIRE FAILED, INNER RIGHT REAR SIDEWALL FRACTURED. NO EXCESSIVE DRIVING, SPEED, OR SEVERE USE AT ALL. I REPLACED ALL BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE TIRES AND HAVE THEM AVAILABLE FOR OSI/ODI EXPERT ANALYSIS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA SCION TC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER, SEAT BELTS, AND AIR BAG COVER HAVE FAILURES. THE SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT WORK WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT LATCH WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND WAS REPAIRED. CURRENTLY, THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT IS EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY DISCONNECTING FROM THE LATCH. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE E CLIP FAILED IN THE AIR BAG COVER. THE COVER WAS REPAIRED, WHICH ONLY LASTED A FEW MONTHS BEFORE FAILING AGAIN. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER APPROXIMATELY FOUR TIMES FOR THESE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,997 AND CURRENT MILEAGE IS 38,000. UPDATED 03/09/09. *LJ THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM FAILED TO ALERT THE CONSUMER SHE HAD A SIDEWALL BLOWOUT. UPDATED 03/11/09. *JB

MY 2005 SCION TC SURGES/LURCHES FORWARD WHEN RESUMING FROM A STOP. THE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE YOU APPLY TO THE GAS PEDAL HAS NO EFFECT ON HOW THE CAR IS GOING TO MOVE FORWARD. THE PROBLEM WAS VERY INTERMITTENT AND HARD TO NOTICE BUT STARTED HAPPENING MORE AND MORE OFTEN AS OF AUG./SEPT. 2008. IN MID SEPT. I ALMOST REAR ENDED THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME TAKING OFF FROM A STOP LIGHT. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE SELLING DEALERSHIP AND THE SERVICE MGR. WENT ON A TEST DRIVE AND SAID HE NOTICED THE PROBLEM AT LEAST 5 TIMES IN A FEW MILE DRIVE. WHEN I PICKED MY CAR UP 2 DAYS LATER THE SERVICE INVOICE STATED "UNABLE TO DUPLICATE" AND IT WAS RECOMMENDED I HAVE A 30,000 MILE MAINT. DONE I HAD JUST HAD THOSE SERVICES DONE 1 MONTH EARLIER AND THEY WERE AWARE OF THAT. IT WAS THEN RECOMMENDED THAT I SWITCH GAS STATIONS AND USE HIGH OCTANE FUEL AND USE A FUEL INJECTION CLEANER PURCHASED FROM ANY GAS STATION, THEN IF NO IMPROVEMENT FURTHER DIAGNOSTICS WOULD BE NEEDED BUT NO CODES IN THE ECU. I FOLLOWED THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OVER 2 MONTHS AND NO CHANGE. WENT BACK TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD NOTHING COULD BE DONE AND EVEN WITH AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THE REGIONAL SERVICE MGR SENT TO "INSPECT" MY CAR DID NOT INSPECT IT AND REFUSED TO AUTHORIZE THE REPAIR AND SUBMIT THE CLAIM UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. I ALSO AT THIS TIME REMINDED THEM THAT THE SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT WORK ALL THE TIME. AND WHEN IT DOESN'T WORK AND THE CAR IS IDLING THE SPEEDOMETER SHOWS A SPEED OF 5-10 MILES PER HOUR, YET WHILE DRIVING SHOWS A SPEED OF 0. I ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE DRIVERS SIDE PILLAR AIRBAG COVER THEY FIXED WEEKS AGO IS HANGING LOOSE. IT COMES OFF EVERY TIME YOU SHUT THE DOOR. THIS HAS BEEN REPAIRED AT LEAST TWICE BEFORE. THEY REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM AS WELL. MY CAR HAS OR IS HAVING ABOUT 95% OF THE ITEMS DISPLAYED IN YOUR SERVICE BULLETINS, SEATBELTS,AIRBAGS,FUEL INJECTORS,WINDOW CONTROLS,SUN ROOF,AIR CONDITION AND TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR SYSTEM. AND THE DEALERSHIP AWARE OF ALL OF THEM. *TR

VEHICLE EXPERIENCES SEVERE "TRAMLINING" OR PULLING OF THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT UNDER BRAKING OR ON UNEVEN ROAD SURFACES. I HAVE ALMOST ENDED UP IN THE NEXT LANE AND MUST APPLY ACTIVE PRESSURE TO KEEP THE STEERING CENTERED. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2009 PONTIAC G8 GT IN SEPTEMBER. I LIVE IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN. ACCORDING THE PONTIAC WEBSITE HTTP://WWW.PONTIAC.COM/G8-2009/SPECS-FEATURES MY VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED (STANDARD EQUIPMENT) WITH ALL-SEASON TIRES. MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE HAS SUMMER ONLY TIRES, MAKING IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE IN THE WINTER MONTHS. THERE IS NO MENTION OF THIS DANGEROUS RESTRICTION ON MY VEHICLE OR WINDOW STICKER OR DEALER PAPERWORK. LUCKILY I REALIZED THIS BEFORE DRIVING IN WINTER CONDITIONS WHICH EASILY COULD HAVE LEAD TO A SERIOUS CRASH. *TR