BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 TIRES Complaints

APPARENT SIDEWALL FAILURE ON BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 TIRE AT 4622 MILES ON A NEW MINIVAN. *NM

EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR ON 2006 BMW 330I. FIRESTONE SAYS THAT THE CUPPING OF THE TIRES (STARTING AT ABOUT 8K MILES) CAUSES LESS TRACTION ON THE ROAD AND WILL GET WORSE. THE TIRES STARTED TO MAKE LOAD NOISE AT ABOUT 8K MILES AND THEY NOW HAVE 13K MILES ON THEM AND THE NOISE LEVEL IS VERY BAD. I HAVE CONTACTED BMW SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY SAY THAT THEY WILL CONSIDER REPLACING THE TIRES ONLY IF I WILL AGREE TO PAY HALF OF THE COST(ABOUT $600 MY COST FOR 4 TIRES). I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE ONLY WITH THIS BRAND AND TYPE OF TIRE AND FIRESTONE NEEDS TO REPLACE THE TIRES. THE TIRES IN QUESTION ARE BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42, SIZE 205/55/R16 RUN FLATS. THIS CUPPING ON THESE TIRES CAUSES THE TIRE TO LOOSE CONTACT WITH THE ROAD AND MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT ON WET ROADS. *NM

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 ACURA, AND COMPLAINED ABOUT THE TIRES. THE CONTACT HAD 3 INCIDENTS WITH THE TIRES THAT WERE ON THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. DURING THE FIRST INCIDENT, THE DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE LOST AIR DUE TO A NAIL. THE TIRE WAS REPAIRED ON MAY 6, 2006. IN JULY THE CONTACT NOTICED THE SAME TIRE WAS LOSING AIR, AND WAS REPAIRED ON DECEMBER 1, 2006. ALSO, THE CONTACT HAD THE TIRES ROTATED, ALIGNED, AND THE TIRE PRESSURE CHECKED. ON DECEMBER 31, 2006, THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AND NOTICED THE VEHICLE WAS SLOWING DOWN . SHE THEN ACCELERATED, BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SLOW DOWN. SUDDENLY A CLOUD OF SMOKE APPEARED ON THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE . THE POLICE ESCORTED THE CONTACT TO A SAFE LOCATION. THE TIRE WAS BURNT, AND THE RIM WAS DAMAGED. ON JANUARY 2, 2007 ALL 4 TIRES WERE REPLACED AT THE DEALER. THE CONTACT FELT THAT ACURA SHOULD NOT USE THIS TYPE OF DEFECTIVE TIRE. *AK

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 325XI BMW. THE TIRES ON THE BMW WERE BRIDGESTONE, TURANZA EL42, SIZE 205/55/R16 DOT# IS # EJ8KCNK4005. WHILE DRIVING THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM ALL FOUR TIRES. WHEN THE VEHICLE'S ODOMETER REACHED 7,000 AND AGAIN AT 10,000 MILES THE TIRES BEGAN TO VIBRATE. BOTH BMW AND BRIDGESTONE WERE AWARE OF THIS FAILURE, AND BRIDGESTONE OFFERED A 25% DISCOUNT TOWARD THE PURCHASE OF A NEW SET OF TIRES. THE VEHICLE'S CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 10,200. *AK TIRE SIZE RFT EL42 205/55/16 UPDATED 01/19/07. *JB

HAVE OWNED A 2005 CHRYSLER T&C FOR 7 MONTHS SINCE MAY 2006 AND THE BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 TIRES HAVE EXPERIENCED ABNORMAL OUTSIDE EDGE TIRE WEAR AS WELL AS SEVERE ABNORMAL VIBRATION WHEN ACCELERATING. VIBRATION IS FELT IN GAS PEDAL, SEAT AND STEERING WHEEL. HAD TIRES ROTATED/BALANCED/ALIGNMENT CHECK AND 5 SEPARATE SERVICE GARAGES LOOK AT VIBRATION ISSUE BUT NO SOLUTION. CHRYSLER DEALER TOLD ME BACK IN JULY 2006 THEY DID NOT FEEL THE VIBRATION BUT EVERY OTHER PERSON THAT HAS DRIVEN VEHICLE FEELS THE ABNORMAL VIBRATION AND THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. TIRES ALSO HAVE HAD "INDENTATIONS/LINES" IN ALL TIRES SINCE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE NEW WITH LESS THAN 200 MILES ON IT. I NOW HAVE 8,200 MILES ON VEHICLE AND AM CONCERNED ABOUT REPORTS OF DOZENS OF OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT TIRE FAILURE/BLOW OUT AS VALID REGISTERED COMPLAINTS. I WOULD LIKE TO REPLACE THESE TIRES WITH ANOTHER BRAND BUT NOT AT MY EXPENSE SINCE IT SHOULD BE A TIRE MANUFACTURER SAFETY ISSUE. TIRE SIZE IS 215/65R16 EVEN THOUGH THE PULL DOWN BOX DID NOT LET ME SELECT MY CORRECT SIZE. *NM

NEW VEHICLE WITH BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 TIRES. THE CAR REPORTED LOW TIRE PRESSURE. I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE (MAZDA CX-7) TO THE DEALERSHIP FROM MY HOME. 5 MINUTES AFTER I ENTERED THE FREEWAY, THE TIRE ON THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE HAD A BLOW OUT. THE TIRES ONLY HAD 3,000 MILES ON THEM. *JB

EXCESSIVE PREMATURE TIRE WEAR ON A 2006 BMW 330I. I HAVE MADE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAY THEY ARE WORKING ON A FIX OR A TIRE REPLACEMENT BUT THAT I SHOULD CONTINUE TO DRIVE. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 2,000 MILES AND IT HAS PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE. I DRIVE MY 3 YEAR OLD SON TO DAY CARE AND I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO FEEL SAFE WHILE DRIVING HIM. HAVING GIVEN THE DEALERSHIP OVER 2 MONTHS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM I FEEL IT IS TIME TO LOOK INTO OTHER AVENUES TO GET A RESOLUTION. *JB

TIRES ARE EXTREMELY NOISY AT LOW VEHICLE SPEEDS-2006 BMW 330I TURANZA EL42 RUN FLAT TIRE (RFT), P225/45R17: I WAS TOLD TODAY BY FIRESTONE THAT THE CUPPING OF THE EDGES OF ALL FOUR TIRES WILL CAUSE LACK OF TRACTION IN THE WINTER MONTHS. THEREFORE, HE SUGGESTED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES SHOULD BE REPLACED. *NM

I HAVE OWNED THIS 2004 ACURA TL SINCE JAN. 2004. IT HAS BEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP ON AT LEAST 4 OCCASIONS DUE TO A SIGNIFICANT VIBRATION. THE VIBRATION IS MOST NOTICEABLE AT ABOUT 60 MPH. ONE CAN FEEL AND SEE THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATE. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE TIRES (AT NO CHARGE) WITH LESS THAN 20,000 MILES DUE TO PREMATURE WEAR. HOWEVER, THE VIBRATION PROBLEM HAS NEVER BEEN CORRECTED. IN REVIEWING WEB SITES IT APPEARS THE VIBRATION PROBLEM I AM HAVING IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT, BUT ONE COMMON TO MANY ACURA TL OWNERS. IT SEEMS THAT HONDA HAS AN OBLIGATION TO IDENTIFY AND CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *NM

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 3 BRIDGESTONE EL42 TIRES DUE TO THEM HAVING SMALL PINHOLES IN THE SIDEWALL. THE FIRST TIRE WAS ON 2005 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY AND THE SECOND AND THIRD TIRES ON A 2006 TOWN & COUNTRY. EACH TIRE HAD SMALL PIN HOLES IN THE SIDEWALL. I TOLD THE BRIDGESTONE DEALER THAT I THOUGHT THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE AND THAT THREE TIRES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM WAS A LOT MORE THAN COINCIDENTAL. HE TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE TIRES AND THAT I HAD TO PAY FOR NEW ONES SINCE SIDE WALL LEAKS CANNOT BE REPAIRED. I TOLD HIM THAT BRIDGESTONE DIDN'T RECALL THE FORD EXPLORER TIRES UNTIL FORCED TO. *NM