BRIDGESTONE TURANZA TIRES Complaints

I HAVE A 2008 HONDA CIVIC EX. AROUND 70,000 MILES MY ENGINE OVERHEATED ON THE HIGHWAY. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THERE WAS RADIATOR COOLANT LEAK FROM UNDERNEATH MY CAR. THE HONDA DEALERS STATED THERE WAS A CRACK ON THE ENGINE BLOCK. I INVESTIGATED THIS MATTER ON THE INTERNET AND THERE WERE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF CRACKED ENGINE BLOCKS ON THE 2008 HONDA CIVIC. DUE TO NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS HONDA EXTENDED THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY TO 8 YRS FOR UNLIMITED MILES. THERE IS CURRENTLY NO RECALL BUT THERE SHOULD BE IN MY OPINION. ALSO I HAVE REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES ON MY 2008 HONDA CIVIC TWICE IN ABOUT 70,000 MILES DUE TO UNEVEN WEAR (INNER FLAT AREAS ON THE TIRES) EVEN WITH TIRE ROTATIONS AND ALIGNMENTS. THERE ARE ALSO NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT EXTREME UNEVEN TIRE WEAR ON THE INTERNET. *TR

I HAVE HAD THREE SEPARATE INSTANCES IN A NINE MONTH PERIOD STARTING IN MAY OF 2010 OF ALLOY WHEELS CRACKING ON MY 2006 BMW 325XIT, WHICH HAS RUN FLAT TIRES. THE DEALER SAID IT IS FROM HITTING POT HOLES, CURBS, OR PARKING BLOCKS. I FIND THIS TO BE VERY UNUSUAL AS I LIVE IN A WARMER STATE WHERE THERE ARE VERY FEW POT HOLES, AND I HAVE NOT HIT A CURB OR PARKING BLOCK. MOREOVER, IN THIRTY-THREE YEARS OF DRIVING, I HAVE NEVER HAD A SINGLE WHEEL CRACK ON ANY CAR THAT I OWNED. I ALSO OWN A 2002 BMW (THAT DOES NOT HAVE RUN FLATS) AND HAVE NEVER HAD A WHEEL CRACK ON IT. A REVIEW OF THE INTERNET REVEALS COMPLAINTS BY BMW OWNERS WITH RUN FLAT TIRES EXPERIENCING REPEATED WHEEL CRACKS. IT APPEARS THAT THE RUN FLAT TIRES MAY NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE WHEELS. YET, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE BY BMW TO RECALL OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND VERY EXPENSIVE WITH THE WHEELS COSTING $345 EACH TO REPLACE. *TR

I BOUGHT A TOYOTA SIENNA 2011, ON MARCH 6, 2010. CURRENTLY IT'S GOT 20,354 MILES AND THE RUN FLAT BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL 400, P235/55RF18 TIRES ARE BALD. REAR RIGHT TIRE, I CAN SEE THE METAL UNDERNEATH THE TREAD AND IT'S GOT ZERO PRESSURE, REAR LEFT TIRE HAS NO TREAD LEFT AND THE FRONT 2 TIRES GOT VERY LITTLE TREAD LEFT. THE TIRES WERE ROTATED ON 6/7/2010 AND 12/27/2010. *TR

SERIOUS PROBLEM, I CAN NOT DRIVE AND CAN NOT REPLACE BLOWOUT, BROKEN RUN FLAT TIRES FROM BRIDGESTONE ON MY '08 BMW 328I. IT'S THE 4TH WARRANTY COVERAGE REPLACEMENT IN 6MONTHS BUT THIS TIME IT IS OUT OF STOCK AT MY COSTCO TIRE WHERE I PURCHASED THEM AND WAS TOLD BY THE MAKER, BRIDGESTONE TIRES THAT THERE'S 18,000+ BACKORDERS ON THESE TIRES AND THEY HAVE NO IDEA ON ETA. *TR

PREMATURE WEAR OF ALL 4 BRIDGESTONE TIRES WITH APPROXIMATELY 13,000-14, 000 MILES. TREAD WAS SIGNIFICANTLY BELOW REGULATORY LIMITS, BUT NOT BALD, YET THE MILEAGE WAS VERY LOW. ALL TIRES HAD BEEN REGULARLY ROTATED (APPROX. EVERY 4,000 MILES), AND WHEN TESTED WERE IN ALIGNMENT. CONTACTED THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, WHICH STATED THAT THEY ONLY WARRANTY TIRES FOR 12,000 MILES, OR 1 YEAR. THEN CONTACTED BRIDGESTONE AND WAS GIVEN A CASE NUMBER, AND AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALERSHIP. THE GENTLEMAN AT FIRESTONE CONFIRMED THAT THE TIRES WERE ABNORMALLY WORN AND MADE A RECOMMENDATION TO HIS BOSS THAT AT LEAST 3 OF 4 TIRES BE REPLACED AT NO COST TO ME. THE NEXT DAY, I RETURNED AND AT FIRST THE MANAGER WAS SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT, BUT AFTER HE HAD INSISTED ON TESTING THE ALIGNMENT AND FINDING THAT IT WAS CLOSE TO PERFECT, HIS TONE CHANGES AND HE COULDN'T HAVE BEEN NICER. HE AUTHORIZED THE REPLACEMENT OF ALL TIRES, WHICH HAD TO BE ORDERED, AS TOYOTA ONLY PERMITS SUBSTITUTIONS WITH THE SAME, OR ONE GRADE LOWER SPEED RATING, AND THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT HAVE V-RATED TIRES IN STOCK, BUT THE NEXT DAY I ONCE AGAIN RETURNED AND ONE HOUR LATER DROVE AWAY WITH BRAND NEW TIRES. N.B. IF YOU DO NOT REGULARLY ROTATE, BALANCE, AND IF-NEEDED ALIGN YOUR TIRES, BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE WILL NOT REPLACE. *TR

I TOOK MY 2007 CAMRY FOR 25,000 (AT 23,000) MILES SERVICE. I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED NEW TIRES. I QUESTIONED IT AND WAS TOLD 'YOU HAVE TO TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY, TOO' I TAKE MY CAR IN CONSISTENTLY DO PRETTY MUCH WHAT IS SUGGESTED TO ME AS PART OF PREVENTIVE CARE AND I HAVE ALL THE BILLS TO PROVE IT, MENTIONED THIS TO THE SERVICE PERSON, AND TALKED TO MANAGER AND WAS TOLD THAT YES I NEEDED THE NEW TIRES. THIS WAS "NORMAL" WEAR AND TEAR. I SURE WAS NOT READY FOR SUCH A LARGE EXPENSE. AS I WAS RESEARCHING FOR WHAT KIND OF TIRES TO BUY, I FOUND THAT MANY 2007 CAMRY OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM! ALSO I FOUND THAT THERE IS A LEAKAGE PROBLEM WITH THE BRIDGESTONE TIRES, AND CHECKING MY SERVICE BILLS, I SEE THAT I HAD TAKEN MY CAR IN TO HAVE THE PRESSURE LIGHTS CHECKED, BECAUSE I WOULD ADD AIR TO MY TIRES AND FEW WEEKS AFTER I WOULD HAVE THE LIGHT COME ON AGAIN. ALL THIS IS DOCUMENTED AND NOW I AM FURIOUS THAT I WAS NOT TOLD OF THIS PROBLEM. THANKFULLY, I AM NOT ON THE HIGHWAY DRIVING ANT 55+ MILES AN HOUR, AS I WORK NEAR MY HOME. I HATE TO THINK OF THE OUTCOME. WHEN I HAVE TAKEN MY SON BACK TO SCHOOL, IS WHEN THE PRESSURE LIGHT WOULD COME ON MOST OFTEN. NOW IT ALL MAKES SENSE! SINCE I TOOK THE CAR IN, THE PRESSURE LIGHTS HAVE NOT COME ON, I NOW WONDER IF THAT OPTION HAS BEEN DISABLED? OBVIOUSLY, I HAVE NOT YET CHANGED THE TIRES, AS IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE TO BUY ALL FOUR AT THE SAME TIME. I WAS HOPPING THE DEALER WOULD GIVE ME A BREAK. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HONDA ACCORD EQUIPPED WITH BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL41 TIRES, TIRE SIZE P195/65R15. THE DOT NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 65 -70 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE EXPLODED UNEXPECTEDLY. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TIRE WAS REPLACED WITH A NEW TIRE. THE IDENTICAL FAILURE OCCURRED WITH THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE WHICH WAS REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED PRIOR TO THE FAILURES THE TIRES WERE INSPECTED BY A CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO INFORMED THAT THE TIRES EXHIBITED GOOD TIRE TREAD. THE CONTACT HAD CONCERN OF THE POTENTIAL SAFETY RISK INVOLVED WITH THE OTHER TWO TIRES INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 19,700.

LEFT FRONT TIRE SUDDENLY LOST ALL AIR PRESSURE AS CAR WAS CLEANED IN A CAR WASH. THE CARWASH HAS NO BRUSHES OR ANY DEVICE THAT CAN TOUCH THE VEHICLE. EXAMINATION AFTERWARDS BY THE DEALER REVEALED THE PROBABLE CAUSE WAS PART OF THE TIRE PRESSURE VALVE WAS MISSING DUE TO THE VALVE STEM BREAKING. THIS TIRE WAS PART OF A NEW SET OF FOUR BOUGHT ONLY 2 DAYS BEFORE AND HAD APPROX. 400 MILES OF USAGE. THEY WERE BRIDGESTONE TURANZA TIRES. *TR

I HAVE A 2009 TOYOTA CAMRY LE THAT I HAVE OWNED FOR LESS THAN TWO YEARS. CURRENTLY HAS LESS THAN 13,000 MILES. THE 40,000 MILE BRIDGESTONE TURANZA TIRES, SIZE 215/60/16 THAT CAME WITH THIS CAR, HAVE WORN DOWN TO 5/32 WITHIN 18 MONTHS. THAT IS 1/2 OF THE TREAD GONE. MINIMAL CITY DRIVING WITH VERY LITTLE FREEWAY DRIVING. ALWAYS PROPERLY INFLATED AND ROTATED EVERY 5,000 MILES .I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE TIRES. I DID NOT REPLACE THEM THROUGH THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. I PURCHASED QUALITY TIRES ELSEWHERE. IT IS RIDICULOUS THAT A CONSUMER SPENDS OVER $20,000 FOR A VEHICLE AND MUST REPLACE THE TIRES WITH SO FEW MILES. AFTER READING ALL OF THE NEGATIVE REPORTS ABOUT THESE TIRES FROM CONSUMERS, I DID NOT COMPLAIN TO TOYOTA OR BRIDGESTONE, BECAUSE IT IS APPARENTLY A LOST CAUSE. I AM TOTALLY DISGUSTED WITH TOYOTA AND THE POOR QUALITY THEY HAVE BEEN SELLING OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. *TR

MY ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL-470 TIRE DEVELOPED A BLISTER IN THE SIDEWALL AFTER ONLY 16,803 MILES. FORTUNATELY THE BLISTER WAS SPOTTED DURING A MEAL BREAK IN TEMPLE, TEXAS. WE WERE RETURNING HOME TO SAN ANTONIO FROM DALLAS ON DECEMBER 26, 2010. BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAY, THE LATE HOUR AND THE UNAVAILABILITY OF A REPLACEMENT WE WERE FORCED TO PAY FOR A HOTEL ROOM IN TEMPLE FOR THE NIGHT. HAD WE NOT SPOTTED THE BLISTER, THE TIRE WOULD HAVE LIKELY BLOWN OUT WHILE WE TRAVELED IN HEAVY HOLIDAY TRAFFIC ON IH35, ENDANGERING OUR LIFE AND HEALTH AS WELL AS THOSE AROUND US. THE LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP PARTS MANAGER EXPLAINED THAT HONDA ESCHEWS ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE TIRES WHICH THEY SELL WITH THEIR AUTOMOBILES. THESE TIRES ARE CLEARLY DEFECTIVE. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS CONCERNING PREMATURE FAILURE. IT IS HIGH TIME FOR THE NHTSA TO TAKE ACTION TO MAKE HONDA AND BRIDGESTONE CORRECT THIS. *TR