BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 TIRES Complaints

DT: THE CONTACT STATED VEHICLE HAD A BLOW OUT. THE THREE REMAINING TIRES WERE BALD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. THE BLOW OUT OCCURRED ON THE RIGHT REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS VIBRATION BEFORE THE BLOW OUT. THE SPARE TIRE WAS IN PLACE AT THIS TIME. THE TIRE WERE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE TIRES HAVE BEEN MAINTAINED REGULARLY. THE COMPLETE TIRE SIZE IS P235/45/17.

THE MAJORITY OF THE OWNERS OF 2004 AND NEWER ACURA TLS KNOW THAT THERE IS AN EXISTING PROBLEM WITH THE BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 TIRES THAT THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH. THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH VIBRATION WITH THESE TIRES. IN 2005, ACURA STARTED SELLING THE TL WITH MICHELIN TIRES BECAUSE OF THE COMPLAINTS. THOSE OF US WHO STILL HAVE THE BRIDGESTONES ARE STILL EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS. CURRENTLY, MY VEHICLE (2004 TL) HAS CRACKING ON THE SIDEWALLS OF THE TIRES NOW. I AM REQUIRED TO FILL IT WITH AIR APPROXIMATELY EVERY 2 OR 3 DAYS. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP, THEY INSPECTED THE TIRES AND ACKNOWLEDGED THE CRACKS, AND THEY REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THEY WANTED ME TO HANDLE THE WARRANTY CLAIM WITH BRIDGESTONE AND SENT ME OFF ON MY WAY, WITH A POTENTIALLY UNSAFE VEHICLE. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT A BLOWOUT OF THE TIRE IS UNPREVENTABLE AND IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE IT HAPPENS, BUT THEY DO NOT CARE. I AM SUGGESTING THAT A RECALL BE PLACED ON THE BRIDGESTONE EL42 TIRES AND THAT ALL ACURA TLS WITH THESE TIRES BE REPLACED WITH THE MICHELIN TIRES, WHICH THE CURRENT YEAR TLS COME EQUIPPED WITH. *JB

I PURCHASED A NEW 2005 ACURA TL IN AUGUST 2005. MY CAR IS A NON-NAVIGATION 6 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION MODEL DELIVERED WITH BRIDGESTONE EL42 TIRES. THE FIRST TIME I DROVE THE VEHICLE IN THE RAIN, I NOTICED THAT EVEN AT LOW SPEEDS ON WET ROADS, THE TIRES DO NOT HAVE ANY TRACTION AT ALL. ON RAMPS AT 20 MPH THE FRONT TIRES LOOSE GRIP. AS OF TODAY, THE WEATHER IS GETTING COLDER AND THE TIRES ARE FLAT SPOTTING ON TOP OF THAT. THESE TIRES ARE ALL SEASON RATED AND DELIVERED ON A $35,000 VEHICLE. THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY UNSAFE IN ANYTHING BUT DRY WEATHER, BUT ARE RATES ALL SEASON. I FEAR FOR MY SAFETY ON THE HIGHWAY AT FREEWAY SPEEDS AND EVEN MORE FEAR THE FIRST DAY OF SNOW. ACURA HAS SO FAR REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING AND REFERRED ME TO THE TIRE MANUFACTURER. THEY DO DELIVER OTHER TL MODELS WITH MICHELIN TIRES THAT ARE RATED BY CUSTOMER MUCH MUCH HIGHER. WHILE THE EL42 TIRES PRESENT A BIG PROBLEM FROM WET WEATHER TRACTION, OVER FLAT SPOTTING TO PREMATURE WEAR, ACURA HAS CHOSEN NOT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT YET. HOW SHAMEFUL FOR OTHERWISE SUCH A GREAT CAR, PUTTING ON TIRES THAT WILL LAND THEM A LAWSUIT IF ANYTHING HAPPENS AT ALL! IT IT THEIR CHOICE TO PUT THESE TIRES ON SOME OF THEIR CARS, SO THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX THE PROBLEM!! *JB

MY 2004 ACURA 3.2 TL USES BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 TIRES (235/45R17), W SPEED-RATED. THE EL 42 TIRES HAD A SO CALLED "FLAT SPOT" PROBLEM AND THEY WERE WORN OUT ONLY AT 15,500 MILE. THERE HAS BEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS TYPE OF TIRES ON THE INTERNET. MANY OF THEM MENTIONED THAT "FLAT SPOT" PROBLEM COULD BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE.

I OWN A NEW ACURA TL WHICH HAS BRIDGSTONE TURANZA EL 42 235/45-17 TIRES AS OEM. FROM THE BEGINNING IT BECAME CLEAR THE TIRES ARE DANGEROUS. THEY HYDROPLANE ON WET SURFACES, SKID EASILY ON RESIDUAL ROAD SAND. THE RIGHT FRONT AND REAR SIDEWALLS FAILED--ONE WITH AN EGG SHAPED BUBBLE AND THE OTHER WITH A DEEP CUT--DESPITE NO EVIDENCE THAT I STRUCK A CURB OR POTHOLE ETC. BOTH TIRES WERE LIKELY TO BLOW OUT WITH CONTINUED DRIVING. SURVEYS BY TIRE RACK INDICATE THESE TIRES ARE ALSO VERY DANGEROUS IN THE WINTER, WHICH IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN HERE IN THE NORTHEAST WHERE I LIVE. THESE TIRES ALSO "COLDSPOT" AFTER BEING PARKED FOR A WHILE, SOMETIME CAUSING THE CAR TO STEER POORLY. THE DEALER COULD ONLY REPLACE THE BAD TIRES ON A "ROAD HAZARD" WARRANTY, DESPITE MY MANY COMPLAINTS TO BOTH ACURA AND THE PARENT COMPANY HONDA USA. *NM

I'M VERY UPSET ABOUT THE OEM TIRES ON MY 2005 ACURA. I'VE HAD IT SINCE MARCH OF THIS YEAR AND COMPLAINED FROM THE BEGINNING THAT THE TIRES SHOULD BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF THE FLAT SPOTTING AND VIBRATION. I COMPLAINED TO ACURA IN CALIFORNIA WHO HAD MY CAR IN TWICE SO FAR. THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THE VIBRATION IN MANY OF THEIR TLS BUT WON'T REPLACE THE TIRES. THEY PLACED A SMALL DAMPENING RUBBER BY THE ENGINE MOUNT BUT IT'S STILL VERY OBVIOUS AND VERY ANNOYING. WE AS CITIZENS COME TO YOU AS A LAST RESORT MANY TIMES TO VOICE OUR CONCERNS OVER SAFETY ISSUES. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT WITH ALL THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FOR OVER TWO YEARS NOW ABOUT THESE TIRES FAILING, VIBRATING AND VERY PREMATURE WEAR FROM NEW CAR BUYERS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, NOBODY THERE IS DOING THERE JOB! ACURA AND BRIDGESTONE SHOULD BE MADE TO REPLACE ALL BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 TIRES IMMEDIATELY.*JB

DT THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE SEPARATED FROM INSIDE TOP ON OCTOBER 1, 2005. HAD NOT CONTACTED THE DEALER AT THIS POINT. THE REAR END HAD BEEN MAKING A ROARING SOUND AT 65 MPH, SLOWED DOWN TO 50 MPH, AND THEN A FEW SECONDS LATER COULD HEAR THE PLOPPING SOUND. THESE WERE BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE TIRES, TURANZA EL 42, P215/55R17. THE TIRES WERE SERVICED REGULARLY. THERE WAS NO VIBRATION, AND THERE WAS NO ABNORMAL BULGING IN THE TIRES. *AK

I HAVE CALLED THE ACURA CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER AND DID NOT GET THROUGH WITH ANYONE. MY 2004 ACURA TL HAS A CONSISTENT VIBRATION PROBLEM WHEN THE CAR IS RUNNING BETWEEN 50 AND 60 MPH. THE VIBRATION SEEMS TO COME FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. I REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO THE ACURA DEALER AND THEY HAVE ASSURED ME THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE TIRES. I ALSO HAD A SECOND OPINION FROM ANOTHER DEALERSHIP WHOM ALSO ASSURED ME THE PROBLEM ARE THE TIRES. I FIND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH THE BRIDGESTONE TIRES, AND I FEEL THAT THESE TIRES ARE UNSAFE AND ACURA/BRIDEGSTONE SHOULD RECALL AND REPLACE THESE TIRES. THE CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY TO REPLACE THESE TIRES. MY CAR HAS ABOUT 10,000 MILES AND THIS IS A REAL PROBLEM FOR CONSUMERS WHO JUST PURCHASED A BRAND NEW VEHICLE TO HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT TIRES, WHICH I FEEL MAY HAVE A DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT CAUSING A VIBRATION IN THE CAR. THIS MAY LEAD TO ACCIDENTS AND I ALSO KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY OTHER 2004 ACURA OWNERS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. I HOPE THIS PROBLEM GETS RESOLVED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. *NM

THIS COMPLAINT REFERS TO THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES (BRIDGESTONE EL-42, 235/45-17 93W ) SUPPLIED ON THE 2004 ACURA TL WITH 5 SPEED AUTOMATIC 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 AND ON SNOW. AT ABOUT 14,000 MILES WE JUST HAD A FLAT TIRE ON A HIGHWAY AND WHEN WE TOOK IT FOR FIXING WE WERE TOLD THAT THE SIDEWALL HAS COLLAPSED (AND LOOKS LIKE A BUBBLE) AND THAT WE CAN NO LONGER USE IT AS IT WILL EXPLODE. WE MUST REPLACE IT AFTER RIDING OVER A NAIL. WE BELIEVE THE SIDEWALL SHOULD BE REINFORCED MORE TO WITHHOLD DRIVING ON A FLAT TO SAFETY WITHOUT HAVING TO REPLACE IT. FROM A RIDE QUALITY POINT OF VIEW THE TIRE IS ALSO UNSATISFACTORY IN THAT IT FLAT SPOTS EVERY MORNING, LEADING TO VIBRATIONS DURING OUR DRIVE. 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

WHEN I HAD MY TIRES ROTATED ON MY 2005 CHRYSLER T&C AT 18,000 MILES THEY SAID I HAD RADIAL PULL. CHRYSLER DIDN'T SUGGEST TO REPLACE TIRES, SO I ROTATED THEM AT 23,000 MILES AND STILL HAD THE SAME RESULT. NOW THEY SAY I SHOULD REPLACE THEM TO CORRECT THE PULL. I DON'T THINK TIRES SHOULD WEAR OUT AT 24,000 WHILE THEY HAVE PLENTY OF TREAD LEFT. THE TIRES ARE BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42.