BRIDGESTONE TURANZA TIRES Complaints

MY 2005 ACURA TL EL42 BRIDGESTONE REAR TIRES WENT COMPLETELY BALD ON A 3000 MILE TRIP(19000 MILES TOTAL) FROM DALLAS TO COLORADO AND BACK. IT APPEARS THAT THERE IS A SUSPENSION/TIRE PROBLEM WHERE THE REAR ALIGNMENT UNDER FULL LOAD OF 2 PASSANGERS AND LUGGAGE IN THE TRUNK DEGRADES AND CAUSES SEVERE TIRE WEAR. THIS CAUSES SEVERE LOSS OF CONTROL ON WET PAVEMENT WITH REAR HYDROPLANING AT EVEN <50 MPH. ACURA HAS A TSB AND REPLACE TIRES AT LOWERED COST BUT ONLY WITH THE SUSPECT EL42 TIRES. AFTER FURTHER INTERNET SEARCHES THIS SEEM NOT TO BE ISOLATED INCIDENT.

MY 2005 ACURA TL HAS 21,000 MILES AND ALREADY THE TIRES NEED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO WEAR. THE BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 TIRES ARE RATED FOR MUCH HIGHER WEAR AND I HAVE NOTICED MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET. SOME ON THIS WEBSITE BUT THE MAJORITY ON OTHER WEBSITES. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE TIRE IS DEFECTIVE. THE DEALER SAYS WE NEED TO REPLACE THEM, I REACHED OUT TO BRIDGESTONE BUT HAVE NOT RECEIVED THEIR COMMENTS YET. *NM

AT APPROXIMATELY 12:00 AM 6/23/06, I WAS DRIVING FROM ALBANY, TX TO DALLAS, TX ON HIGHWAY 180... AND THE TREAD ON MY RIGHT REAR TIRE SEPARATED FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE. THE TIRE IS A BRIDGESTONE TURANZA. I WAS DOING BETWEEN 70 AND 75 AT THE TIME AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO REDUCE SPEED TO ABOUT 25. INTERESTINGLY, THE REMAINING TIRE DID NOT GO FLAT. IT WAS STILL INFLATED WHEN I CAME TO A HALT. THE TREAD TORE OFF PART OF MY REAR BUMPER AND MARKED UP THE REAR SIDE PANEL OF MY VEHICLE. I HAVE TAKEN MANY PICTURES OF THE TIRE AND OF THE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE. THIS IS THE THIRD TIRE OF A 4 TIRE SET THAT HAS GIVEN ME PROBLEMS. THE FIRST TWO DEVELOPED RIDGES IN THE TREAD. I REPLACED THEM LAST AUGUST. THE REAR TIRES AT THE TIME SEEMED FINE. NOW, TEN MONTHS LATER... HERE I AM ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE TREAD SEPARATES. I COULD HAVE EASILY DIED OR BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. IF THERE HAD BEEN TRAFFIC AT THE TIME... THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT AS MY VEHICLE WAS ALL OVER THE HIGHWAY UNTIL THE SPEED WAS REDUCED AND CONTROL COULD BE REGAINED. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ORIGINAL REAR TIRES WERE REPLACED AT 15,000 MILES DUE TO BALDNESS TWO-THIRDS FROM THE OUTSIDE TO THE INSIDE. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP. THE TIRES ARE BRIDGESTONE TURANZA P23545R17.

OEM BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 TIRE DISINTEGRATED ON DRIVE SIDE REAR WHEEL OF 2004 ACURA TL. DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT APPROX 55 MPH. VIBRATION AND THEN SUDDENLY TIRE FELL APART. SIDEWALL COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM BEAD. TIRE SIZE P235/45 R17. *NM

THIS COMPLAINT REFERS TO THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES (BRIDGESTONE EL-42, 235/45-17 93W ) SUPPLIED ON THE 2004 ACURA TL WITH 6 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. AFTER JUST A SHORT TIME I HAVE FOUND THIS TIRE TO BE ENTIRELY UNSAFE AND UNSUITABLE TO THIS VEHICLE. I BELIEVE THAT BOTH ACURA AND BRIDGESTONE SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING THIS TIRE ON ALL EXISTING VEHICLES. THIS TIRE EXHIBITS UNSAFE CHARACTERISTICS IN WET WEATHER, WITH NOTICEABLE DRIFT AND HYDROPLANING IN ANY AMOUNT OF STANDING WATER, EVEN AS LITTLE AS 1/16 INCH. IN HEAVY RAINS, EVEN WITH NO STANDING WATER PRESENT, THE TIRE SEEMS INCAPABLE OF DISPERSING WATER AS QUICKLY AS IT FALLS, AGAIN LEADING TO VEHICLE INSTABILITY. FROM A RIDE QUALITY POINT OF VIEW THE TIRE IS ALSO UNSATISFACTORY IN THAT IT FLAT SPOTS EVERY MORNING, ESPECIALLY IN COOL WEATHER BUT EVEN IN WARMER WEATHER AS WELL, LEADING TO VIBRATIONS IN THE INITIAL MILES OF ANY DRIVE. IT IS ALSO ESPECIALLY HARSH OVER ROADWAY EXPANSION JOINTS, AND IS SO LOUD ON CONCRETE PAVEMENTS THAT IT POSES A SAFETY HAZARD DUE TO DRIVER FATIGUE INDUCED BY THE CONTINUOUS NOISE. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE MAY BE AN ISSUE REGARDING THE RATING AS AN "ALL SEASON TIRE" WITH MANY OWNERS REPORTING THAT THIS TIRE IS VIRTUALLY USELESS IN ANY KIND OF SNOW CONDITIONS. *JB

THIS COMPLAINT IS IN REFERENCE TO THE BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL 42 TIRE SUPPLIED AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON THE 2004 ACURA TL. THIS TIRE IS TOTALLY UNSUITABLE FOR THE VEHICLE AND IS UNSAFE FOR THE INTENDED CONDITIONS. ALTHOUGH IT IS RATED MS AS AN ALL SEASON TIRE, IT CAN NOT MAINTAIN EVEN MINIMAL TRACTION IN LIGHT SNOW. ALSO, AS THE TREAD WEARS, IT SHOW SIGNIFICANT TENDENCIES TO HYDROPLANE IN ANY AMOUNT OF STANDING WATER. THE FLAT SPOTTING ALSO CREATES DISTRACTING VIBRATIONS DURING COLD WEATHER. THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITH THIS TIRE INSTALLED, YET ACURA AND BRIDGESTONE REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR ADDRESS THE PROBLEM UNLESS DIRECTED TO BY NHTSA. *NM

IN SPRING 2004 I PURCHASED AN ACURA TL WITH BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL 42 HIGH PERFORMANCE TIRES. AFTER 6,500 MILES ONE OF THE TIRES HAD A FLAT. ALTHOUGH THE GARAGE ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE FLAT, IT CONTINUED TO LOSE AIR AND I WAS INFORMED THAT I NEEDED A NEW TIRE. IT SEEMED ODD THAT A TIRE WOULD NOT BE REPARABLE AFTER THAT SHORT A USE, BUT I WAS ADVISED THAT IT HAD TO DO WITH THE LOCATION OF THE PUNCTURE AND WAS NOT A DEFECT. IN NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR, AFTER PUTTING 14,500 MILES ON THE CAR I HAD A MORE SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH ANOTHER TIRE. ON THIS OCCASION, WHILE TRAVELING AT 65 MILES PER HOUR ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, MY CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE. I MANAGED TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND STOP. THE TIRE SIDEWALL HAD DISINTEGRATED AND WAS COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE RIM. THE FOLLOWING DAY I TOOK THE TIRE INTO A FIRESTONE SHOP WHERE THE SERVICE MANAGER, TOM CURRY, ADVISED ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO A ROAD HAZARD AND WAS NOT A DEFECT. HE INSPECTED THE TIRE FOR A PUNCTURE, AND AFTER NOT FINDING ONE, ASSURED ME THAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN IN THE DISINTEGRATED SIDEWALL. I THEN ASKED HIM IF HE HAD EVER SEEN A TIRE THAT WAS DAMAGED IN THE ABSENCE OF A ROAD HAZARD, AND HE TOLD ME HE HAD NOT. IT IS CLEAR TO ME THAT THESE TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE AND THAT BRIDGESTONE REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR PRODUCTS. *NM

CONSUMER BRIDGESTONE TIRES SHOWED WEAR AT 7000 MILES. *TS THE CONSUMER CONTACT THREE BRIDGESTONE DEALER AND THEY INDICATED THAT THE LIABILITY SHOULD BE WITH TOYOTA MOTOR COMPANY. TOYOTA WAS CALLED AND THEY TO THE CONSUMER TO SEEK REIMBURSEMENT OR OTHER REMEDIES FROM BRIDGESTONE (BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42. ). *NM

BRIDGESTONE TURANZA E42 OEM TIRE ON 2004 ACURA TL HAVE FLAT SPOTTING ISSUES AND WERE WORN OUT AFTER 15,000 MILES. VERY POOR TRACTION IN RAIN AND SNOW FOR AN ALL SEASON TOURING TIRE. ACURA AND BRIDGESTONE SHOULD RECALL AND REPLACE THESE TIRES. *JB