BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE050A TIRES Complaints

I have had 5 tire blow outs on my 2019 CLS 450 Mercedes. I purchased the car in August of 2023 and since that time I have experienced 5 tire blow outs on brand new tires within a 1-year time frame. When I got the tire blow outs all of them were while I was driving in local city traffic. This car uses run flat tires. I am having the tires replaced at Discount Tire stores in California. The tire is the following: BRI Potenza 245/35 R20 95 Y. This incident happened on several dates [XXX, XXX, XXX, XXX, XXX]. I have taken the car to the Mercedes dealership Escondido Mercedes. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

TIRES ARE 235/40 R18 REAR TIRES. This is the second set of these tires that have worn out after about 3500 city/highway road miles. No racing, no drifting, no tire spinning on launch. Porsche dealer replaced both sets as part of CPO process; now I need a third set. Current mileage on the car is 63590; I purchased it in Sept of 2021 with 57K miles. Tire wear is even across the tread; no alignment issues observed. Excessive wear was noted both times by the Discount Tire tech who checked the air in the tires at my request-routine for me. Last time, the tech said the tires were so bad he shouldn't put air in and I should get them replace ASAP. The danger arises from unexpectedly low mileage to complete tread loss and cord appearing without warning with the risk of a blowout at highway speeds on out of town trips. The excessive wear is being discussed in Boxster forums with no recognition that this must be a design or manufacturing defect unique to this model of tire. Please investigate. [XXX] Litigation consultant INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 650I EQUIPPED WITH BRIDGESTONE TIRES, TIRE LINE: POTENZA RE050A, TIRE SIZE: 275/35/R19 AND DOT NUMBER: EJ9HDJH4311. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE OBSERVER A BLISTER IN THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR TIRE SIDEWALL. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THE TIRE WAS ALWAYS FLAT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE VEHICLE AND TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 92,132.

THE BRIDGESTONE TIRES THAT ARE STANDARD ON MY BMW 328I ARE STRESSED WITH BUBBLES FORMING ON THE SIDEWALLS. MY 2007 BMW HAS HAD ALL THE TIRES REPLACED AS A RESULT OF BUBBLES OR BLOWOUTS. THE MOST RECENT WAS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24TH. I TIRE WAS LEAKING AIR AND FOUND TO BE DAMAGED. I BARELY MADE IT BACK TO BMW DEALER 3.2 MILES AWAY FROM WHERE IT HAPPENED. WHEN THEY INSPECTED THE CAR THEY FOUND ANOTHER TIRE THAT HAD A BUBBLE FORMED ON IT CAUSING A FAILED VA INSPECTION. MARCH 2014, THE TIRE BLEW OUT ON I-95 IN GA. THE CAR WAS FLAT BED TOWED TO SAVANNAH WHERE THE TIRE WAS REPLACED. AGAIN CAUSED BY BUBBLES FORMED ON THE SIDEWALL. OVER THE EIGHT YEARS I HAVE HAD THE CAR, I HAVE REPLACED THE 8 TIRES DUE TO BUBBLES. THE CAR HAS 31,115 MILES ON IT. I TAKE EXTRA CARE OF THE CAR. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY BRIDGESTONE AND BMW. I HAVE REPEATEDLY TRIED TO DISCUSS THIS WITH THE COMPANIES BUT THEY GIVE ME THE RUN AROUND AND BLAME EACH OTHER. BRIDGESTONE SAID THAT BMW BUILT THE CAR TO LOW TO THE GROUND. BMW SAYS THEY DON'T MAKE TIRES. THIS IS SERIOUS.

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

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

BMW 3 SERIES AND ALSO OTHER SERIES WITH RUN FLAT TIRES HAVE AN ISSUE THAT WITH AN AVERAGE BUMP LIKE A MANHOLE COVER THE WHEEL WILL CRACK. I HAVE REPLACED 3 SO FAR ON MY 2007 335I AT MY COST. AFTER RESEARCH I HAVE SEEN THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE AND THAT EVERYONE HAS HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE WITH BMW DENYING IT WAS THE WHEEL. THE CAR HAS 45,000+/- MILES ON IT. WHEN BROUGHT IN DUE TO RAPID AIR LOSS BMW STATES IT WAS THE DRIVING CONDITIONS NOT THEIR WHEEL. I DRIVE ON MOSTLY HIGHWAY ROADS AND SECONDARY ROADS TO MY HOUSE. I HAVE NEVER HIT ANY KIND OF POTHOLE OR CURB THAT WOULD CAUSE AN ALLOY RIM TO BE CRACKED. IN ALL 3 INSTANCES, THE CRACK IS EXACTLY THE SAME AND THE REPLACEMENT FOR THIS DAMAGE IS IN EXCESS OF $500 FOR THE RIM. IN TWO OF THE INSTANCES, I HAD TO GET A NEW RUN FLAT TIRE AS WELL AT A COST OF $400 A PIECE. ALL THREE OF THESE PROBLEMS HAVE OCCURRED OVER THE PAST 5 MONTHS!! *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