BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 TIRES Complaints

REAR TIRES ON NEW HONDA CIVIC LX 2008 BEGAN THUMPING AND SHAKING AT 12000 MILES AND KEPT GETTING WORSE UNTIL 15K, SO I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. HONDA DEALER SAID THE "C" ARMS THAT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM WITH 2007 CIVICS WERE INSTALLED IN MY CAR, AND THE PROBLEM MAY BE BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE TIRES ROTATED. (?) THEY WANTED $381 FOR TIRES AND ALIGNMENT WITH ONLY 9 MONTHS AND 15K MILES OF NEW CAR USE. *TR

I BROUGHT MY CAR IN FOR SCHEDULED INSPECTION APPOINTMENT. WHILE AT THE DEALER I WAS TOLD THE TIRES ON MY BMW 325I NEEDED ROTATING. I AGREED AND I WAS CHARGED $165 FOR THE SERVICE. WHILE DRIVING HOME, I NOTICED A LOUD HUMMING COMING FROM THE TIRES. IT WAS LOUD ENOUGH THAT I MADE A SECOND APPOINTMENT TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE SPECIALIST, ELY, AT HASSEL BMW OF FREEPORT N.Y., THAT EVERYTHING WAS OKAY. I ASKED HER WHAT WAS THE SOURCE OF THE NOISE AND SHE STATED THE TIRES WERE "FEATHERING." I INFORMED HER THAT I WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE THE NOISE WAS SO LOUD THAT I COULD NOT HAVE A NORMAL CONVERSATION INSIDE THE CAR. SHE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NORMAL WEAR AND IF I WISHED TO HAVE THE TIRES ROTATED TO THE ORIGINAL POSITION. I HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR BRAND AND MODEL OF TIRE, WHAT CONCERNS ME IS THE FACT THAT HASSEL BMW OF FREEPORT NY DID NOT BOTHER TO INFORM ME OF THE PROBLEM. THEY KNEW, I FOUND OUT, AND THEY STILL PUT THIS BRAND OF TIRES ON THEIR VEHICLES. I SPOKE WITH THE MANAGER OF THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT,JOHN, AND INFORMED HIM OF MY FINDINGS. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS AN SI BULLETINS, WHICH I HAD ALREADY OBTAINED FROM A TIRE SPECIALIST, ABOUT THE IRREGULAR TIRE WEAR OF THIS TYPE OF TIRE. JOHN INFORMED ME THAT I HAD NO RECOURSE WITH HASSEL BMW BECAUSE MY CAR HAD MORE THAN 20000 MILES ON IT. I TOLD JOHN THAT I PURCHASED THE CAR WITH 14775 MILES AND THE CAR HAD FOUR NEW TIRES INSTALLED, AND SINCE THE CAR HAS 28375 MILES ON IT, THE TIRES HAVE ABOUT 15000 MILES. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM AND HASSEL BMW SEEMS TO THINK THAT BY QUOTING THE CAR MILEAGE INSTEAD OF THE TIRE MILEAGE THEY DO NOT HAVE TO HONOR THE SI RECOMMENDATIONS. ACCORDING TO THE SI B 36 06 06 I SHOULD BE, AT A MINIMUM, ABLE TO PURCHASE TIRES AT 50% OF THE VALUE. JOHN TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD TAKE THIS UP WITH BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, SINCE THEY ARE THE ONES THAT BUILD THE CAR OR THE TIRE MANUFACTURER. HIS DEMEANOR WAS VERY UNPROFESSIONAL. *TR

I AM THE OWNER OF 2008 ACURA TL WHICH I PURCHASED BACK IN LATE NOVEMBER OF 2008 I HAVE ABOUT 3000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND HAVE HAD ONE BLOW OUT DURING REGULAR DRIVING (ON 12/24/08 WITH ONLY 2200 MILES) ON RESIDENTIAL STREETS WITHOUT AND WARNING I CONTACTED BRIDGESTONE ON REGARDS TO THIS AND THE COVERED ONLY 80% OF THE COST TO REPLACE THE TIRE. I NOW HAVE WHAT APPEARS TO BE A BUBBLE ABOUT THE SIZE OF AN EGG NOW IN THE SIDE WALL OF THE DRIVER SIDE TIRE. I BELIEVE THAT THE TIRES THAT CAME WITH THE CAR ARE DEFECTIVE. MY CONCERN IN NOT WITH THE OVER LINE OF TIRE BUT THAT THE LOT OF TIRES THAT WAS PROVIDED ON MY VEHICLE IS DEFECTIVE. ALL THE DRIVING THAT I HAVE DONE HAS BEEN UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS AND HAVE HAD NO ACCIDENTS NOR COME IN TO CONTACT WITH ANY ROADWAY HAZARDS. I FEEL THIS MATTER NEEDS FURTHER LOOKING INTO BY ANOTHER AUTHORITY. FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2007 MAZDA CX-7 FROM DIAMOND MAZDA IN BATON ROUGE, LA. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT A SET OF TIRES ON A NEW VEHICLE WOULD LAST ME AT LEAST TILL I PAID OFF THE LOAN WHICH WOULD BE 5 YEARS. I HAVE PURCHASED OTHER VEHICLES AND NEVER HAD THIS PROBABLY BEFORE NOW. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE BOUGHT A MAZDA AND PROBABLY MY LAST. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED ABOUT THE RUN AROUND THAT I AM GETTING FROM BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE TIRE RETAILERS. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS MAZDA CX-7 IS A HEAVY VEHICLE AND THAT THE TIRES ARE ONLY WARRANTY FOR 16,000 MILES I HAVE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE IN MY LIFE. IF I HAVE TO BUY TIRES EVERY YEAR I WILL GO BROKE. MY MAZDA CX-7 HAS 16,000 MILES ON IT AND THE TIRES ARE WORN TO WHERE THEY ARE SLICK. THEY ARE VERY DANGEROUS AND FOR ME TO BUY SOME NEW TIRES WILL COST ME $750.00. I HAD NO IDEA THAT THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPEN TO ME AFTER ONLY HAVING THE CAR FOR ONE YEAR. I SEE THERE ARE OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THE SAME ISSUE. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THESE TIRES. *TR

MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED 2 MAZDA CX-7'S IN OCT 07. IN SEPT 2008 1 VEHICLE AFTER JUST 13,000 MILES ON IT HAD EXCESSIVE AND ABNORMAL WEAR ON ALL 4 OF THE TIRES. WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED NOT TO DRIVE MUCH ON THESE TIRES IN THE CONDITION THEY ARE IN BY 4 SEPARATE OPINIONS WE RECEIVED FROM THE DEALERSHIP, TIRE MANUFACTURER AND 2 ADDITIONAL TIRE RETAILERS. WE HAVE HAD 1 FLAT TIRE DURING THE PROCESS OF GETTING THESE TIRES REPLACED HOWEVER NEITHER THE DEALERSHIP, CAR MANUFACTURER NOR THE TIRE MANUFACTURER WOULD STAND BEHIND THE FAULTY EQUIPMENT. ALL AGREED THAT THE TIRES SHOULD NOT WEAR THAT EXCESSIVELY HOWEVER EACH BLAMING THE OTHER FOR THE PROBLEM. SEVERAL POSTS ON THE INTERNET STATE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS TIRE AND THIS VEHICLE! I FEEL I HAVE THE RIGHT TO HAVE SAFE EQUIPMENT ON MY VEHICLE AND I AM LOOKING FOR SUPPORT TO KEEP MY PASSENGERS AS WELL AS OTHER'S WHO MAY BE DRIVING THIS CAR WITH THESE TIRES SAFE. I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THAT THE OTHER VEHICLE OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL BOUGHT ON THE SAME DAY HAS A DIFFERENT TIRE ON THE CAR AND THAT CAR HAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR.. TO ME THIS IS EVIDENCE THAT SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT WITH THIS CAR AND THIS TIRE. *TR

WE EXPERIENCED A SIDEWALL BLOWOUT OF A BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 (21565R16 98T) ON OUR 2003 DODGE CARAVAN (ONLY 20,800MI) WHEN I DROVE TO THE HOME. WHEN I CHECK OTHER TIRES. I FOUND A SAME PROBLEM ON ANOTHER TIRE --- FEW CRACKS ON THE SIDEWALL. *TR

WHILE ON A TRIP TO ATTEND A WEDDING IN GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, WE EXPERIENCED A SIDEWALL BLOWOUT OF A BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 (21565R16 98T) ON OUR 2006 DODGE CARAVAN. THE BLOWOUT OCCURRED PULLING INTO A PARKING PLACE AT A LOW ANGLE, AT A LOW SPEED, AND WITH A RELATIVELY LOW CURB HEIGHT' JUST PULLING IN AT WALKING SPEED. THIS IS THE SECOND BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 THAT HAS BEEN REPLACED ON A CAR THAT HAD 13,278 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE LAST ROUTINE SERVICE (12,000 MILES) WAS AT 10,970 MILES. THE FIRST REPLACEMENT WAS ON 5 NOVEMBER 2007 WITH 7,107 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THIS TIRE HAD A PRONOUNCED SIDEWALL BUBBLE AND WAS CLEARLY 'AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN.' IT WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER, MARTY CANCILA DODGE, AT OUR EXPENSE DESPITE THE 'TIRES FOR LIFE SERVICE PLAN' AND EXTENDED WARRANTY WE HAVE ON THE AUTOMOBILE. AT THIS POINT, WE PURCHASED A TIRE SAFETY WARRANTY EXPECTING, OF COURSE, MORE DIFFICULTIES WITH THESE TIRES. UNWILLING TO TRUST NEITHER MY SAFETY NOR THE SAFETY OF ANY OF MY PASSENGERS, I PROCEEDED TO PURCHASE TWO NEW TIRES. I COULD NOT OBTAIN TWO BRIDGESTONE TURANZA TIRES IN THE GRAND RAPIDS, MI, AREA SO I PURCHASED TWO MICHELIN'S OF THE SAME SIZE AND SIMILAR TREAD PATTERN. I DROVE THE CAR HOME WITH THE TURANZAS ON THE FRONT BUT WILL HAVE THE MICHELIN'S SWITCHED TO THE FRONT TO REDUCE THE PROBABILITY OF DEATH, DISMEMBERMENT, OR OTHER PAIN AND SUFFERING DUE TO TIRE FAILURE. TO GET SOME SENSE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE TURANZA TIRE, I HAVE INCLUDED A RECALL NOTICE THAT I FOUND AT THE FOLLOWING WEB SITE: HTTP://WWW.USAUTOINJURYLAW.COM/CASES/TIRES/FAILUREFIRESTONE.HTM: BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL41, P19565R15. THE EL42 MAY BE A RENAMED EL41 WHICH WAS NOTORIOUS FOR BLOWOUTS AND IS NOW A SUBJECT OF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. IN OTHER WORDS, LIPSTICK MAY NOT TRANSFORM A PIG IT TO A PRINCESS. I KEPT THE FAILED TIRE AND ACTUALLY CARRY THE OTHER TIRE IN THE CAR TO HAVE A REPLACEMENT READILY AVAILABLE. *TR

MADE APPT. WITH MAZDA SERVICE , REGARDING EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR ON CX-7 SUV. I HAVE A FIRESTONE TIRE PROTECTION FOR THIS SUV, ACCORDING TO FIRESTONE IT DOES NOT COVER WEAR. AT MY LAST OIL CHANGE BY FIRESTONE, THEY TOLD ME MY TIRES NEED TO BE REPLACED, GAVE ME A PRICE, ETC. I TOLD THEM I WOULD CONTACT DEALER AND SEE WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY. APPT. WAS 8/1/08, I WAS TOLD MY TIRES ARE ONLY HALF WORN@20,113 MILES. TREAD WEAR WAS MEASURED @ 5/32 ON FRONT AND 4/32 ON REAR. FIRESTONE ROTATED AND BALL. TIRES @ 5,000 MI. OIL CHANGES. I WAS TOLD TO COME BACK WHEN 50% MORE WEAR. TOLD SERVICE ADVISER THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THERE IS NO TREAD TO WEAR, AND MENTIONED WHAT FIRESTONE HAD TOLD ME. HIS COMMENT WAS THEY JUST WANTED TO SELL YOU TIRES ". TOOK MY CX-7 TO NTB TIRE SERVICE, THEY CHECKED MY TIRES, REAR @ 2/32" AND FRONT @4/32", THEY SUGGESTED I NOT DRIVE WITH THESE WORN-OUT TIRES, THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED. PURCHASED A SET OF TAKE-OFF'S FOR $160.00 AND HAD NTB ALIGN AND BALL TIRES. I SENT A E-MAIL TO MAZDA CUST. SERVICE AND EXPLAINED , DEALER MEASURED 4/32" NOT 2/32".I WANTED TO MEET WITH MAZDA REP AT ANY NE OHIO DEALER, AND HAVE HIM CHECK TIRES, ETC. THEY NEVER RETURNED MY E-MAIL. FOLLOWED-UP WITH PHONE CALL TO MAZDA CUST. SERVICE, THEY WILL CHECK DEALER, ETC. MAZDA CALLED BACK AND SUGGEST I TAKE UP PROBLEM WITH DEALER, THEY WOULD NOT SET UP MEETING WITH REP, ETC. IF MAZDA SERVICE DEPT AT DEALER CAN'T MEASURE TIRE TREAD, AND BE CONCERNED WITH CUST SAFETY, I WOULD NEVER BUY ANOTHER MAZDA VEHICLE. *TR

EXCESSIVE ROAD NOISE AND ABNORMAL (PREMATURE) WEAR OF BRIDGESTONE-FIRESTONE TURANZA EL42 RUN FLAT TIRES 205/55R16. EXCESSIVE ROAD NOISE STARTED BEFORE 10,000 MILES AND ALL TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED AFTER ONLY 1 YEAR (APPROX 14,000 MILES). CAR WAS A 2007 BMW 328I. BMW HAS A SERVICE BULLETIN (SI B 36 06 06) REGARDING THIS ISSUE AND IS REPLACING ALL TIRES (UPON COMPLAINT) IF < 10,000 MILES. IF TIRES HAVE BETWEEN 10,001 TO 20,000 MILES, REPLACEMENT IS AT 50%. TIRES WERE "CUPPING" AND DEMONSTRATING VERY ABNORMAL WEAR PATTERNS. UPON COMPLAINT TO BRIDGESTONE FIRESTONE, THEY AGREED TO 100% REPLACEMENT COSTS. OLD TIRES ARE NOT AVAILABLE. *TR

215/55/17 BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL-42 TIRE ON FRON DRIVER SIDE BEGIN TO SPLIT ON SIDE TRADWEAR. ONLY 15000 MILES ON THE TIRE. EXPER TIRE CARE WOULD NOT REPLACE THE DEFETIVE TIRE FOR FREE. *TR