BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 TIRES Complaints

IN MY OPINION THE MANUFACTURER IS KNOWINGLY WAS SELLING THE 2004 ACURA TL WITH THE BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE EL-42 TIRES KNOWING THAT THESE TIRES HAD A DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT CAUSING THEM TO FLAT SPOT WITHOUT WARNING THE BUYER FIRST ABOUT THE PROBLEM. NOT ONLY THIS IS DECEPTIVE AND IN MY OPINION VIOLATES IMPLIED WARRANTLY BUT IT WAS DANGEROUS AS IT FORCED US TO DRIVE THE CAR AT SLOW SPEEDS BECAUSE OF THE VIBRATION IN HIGH SPEED ROADS.

DURING ROUTINE OIL CHANGE ON OUR 2004 ACURA TL AT 12,000 MILES, EXCESSIVE TREAD WEAR WAS NOTED BY ACURA MECHANIC ON FRONT OEM BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 TIRES. TIRE SIZE IS P235/45R17 (THIS COMPLAINT FORM DID NOT HAVE THE CORRECT SIZE OPTION TO SELECT). SAID TIRES SHOULD BE REPLACED. FINDING IT HARD TO BELIEVE THESE TIRES WOULD LAST ONLY 12,000 MILES, WE GOT A 2ND OPINION BY A NON-ACURA GARAGE AND THEY AGREED TIRES WERE WORN AND SHOULD BE REPLACED. ACURA SAID PREMATURE WEAR WAS MOST LIKELY DUE TO "FRONT END BEING OUT OF ALIGNMENT" OR POSSIBLY "WRONG TIRE PRESSURE" (LATER FOUND NOT TO BE THE CASE WHEN ACURA REPLACED THE TIRES). NO MENTION OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH TIRES THEMSELVES. TRUSTING ACURA'S EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE, WE PURCHASED AND HAD THEM INSTALL TWO NEW EL42S. SINCE THEN, WE HAVE LEARNED THAT WE ARE JUST ONE OF MANY TO HAVE QUALITY AND SAFETY PROBLEMS WITH THESE TIRES. READ THE MANY BAD CUSTOMER REVIEWS/RATINGS REPORTED ON WWW.TIRERACK.COM (ENTER "2004 ACURA TL" IN THE "SHOP FOR TIRES" SECTION, AND READ "TIRE REVIEWS FOR THIS VEHICLE"). LUCKILY, WE HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THE POOR TRACTION, HYDROPLANING, NOISE, FLAT-SPOTTING, ETC THAT OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED.

OEM TIRES (BRIDGESTONE EL42) COMPLETELY WORN OUT AFTER 10,000 MILES. FROM VERY BEGINNING, "ALL SEASON" TIRES WOULD ROUTINELY HYDROPLANE AT SPEEDS AS LOW AS 40MPH AND WERE UNUSABLE IN THE SNOW.

MY 2004TL CAME WITH BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL-42 TIRES. THE DEALER STATED TIRES WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE WHEN I STATED CONCERNS WITH WHAT I HAD READ ABOUT FLAT SPOTTING. ON MY FIRST LONG DISTANCE TRIP (500+ MILES) MY FRONT PASSENGER TIRE BLEW OFF THE RIM. I HAD TO HAVE IT REPLACED AT PROCTER ACURA IN TALLAHASSEE WHICH IN FORMED ME TO TAKE TIRE TO A TIRE MANUFACTURER SINCE IT IS WARRANTIED THRU ITS MANUFACTURURER. AS OF THIS DATE NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. I BOUGHT A NEW TIRE ($225) AND AM WAITING TO HEAR WHAT ELSE BRIDGESTONE WILL DO TO COMPENSATE ME. *AK

OEM TIRES ON 05 ACURA TL'S AT 5000 WET WEATHER DRIVING IS DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS. DRIVING IN SNOW EVEN WHEN NEW WAS IMPOSSIBLE.. YET THESE TIRES ARE MARKED M/S ALL SEASON. DEALERS ARE AWARE BUT HAVE NO INCENTIVE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT...EXCEPT SELL YOU A NEW SET OF TIRE FOR $800 WE HAVE HAD TWO VERY CLOSE CALLS IN THE RAIN ARE IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING TIRES AT OUR EXPENSE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. RF TIRE HAS DEVELOPED A MAJOR SIDEWALL BLISTER AND WAS REMOVED FROM SERVICE BEFORE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE.

DURING LIGHT RAIN MY 2004 ACURA TL WITH BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL-42 TIRES HYDROPLANED AND LOST CONTROL. IT HIT THE CENTER DIVIDER AND SPUN AND ENDED UP ON THE RIGHT SHOULDER. THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL BROKE OFF. FORTUNETLY MY CAR OR THE BROKEN WHEEL DID NOT HIT ANOTHER CAR. THERE WERE QUITE A FEW CARS ON THE FREEWAY ALL AT NORMAL FREEWAY SPEED. I WAS ACTUALLY FOLLOWING MY WIFES 2003 HONDA ACCORD LX IN THE SAME LANE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. I HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH ACURA (800) 382-2238 AND MY CASE # B012005-02-2300320. SO FAR THE COMPLAINT HAS ACCOMPLISHED NOTHING FOR ME.

MY 2004 ACURA TL CAME EQUIPPED WITH BRIDGRSTONE EL-42 TURANZA TIRES. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT, THESE TIRES HYDROPLANE LIKE CRAZY AND HAVE ZERO SNOW TRACTION AND CONTROL. THEY ARE SO BAD THAT WE PAID TO HAVE ALL 4 REPLACED AT 20,000 MILES. I NOW FIND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS TIRE, ALTHOUGH OUR DEALER CLAIMS OTHERWISE. I FEEL THAT THESE TIRES ARE PATENTLY UNSAFE AND ACURA OR BRIDGESTONE SHOULD RECALL AND REPLACE THEM. *AK

TIRE BLISTER ISSUE(TURANZA EL 42 P215/55R17 93H M+S)--- I NOTICED A TIRE BLISTER ON MY FRONT PASSENGER TIRE. I VISITED MY DEALER FOR ASSISTANCE BUT WAS ONLY REDIRECTED TO BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE. HOWEVER, BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE DID NOT ADDRESS THE MATTER AND SIMPLY IGNORED THE FAILURE OF THE TIRE INTEGRITY. I AM WORRIED AS BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE HAS A HISTOY OF IGNORING PROBLEMS WITH ITS PRODUCTS AND HAS SACRIFICED THE SAFETY OF THE CONSUMER IN ORDER TO GAIN A PROFIT. NO ONE ANSWERED THE PHONE WHEN I CONTACTED THE BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE WARRANTY NUMBER (800-847-3272). I EVENTUALLY LOCATED ANOTHER NUMBER VIA DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE (800-582-0962). HOWEVER THE SOLE TECH SUPPORT REPRESENTATIVE SIMPLY DISMISSED THE MATTER. THE REPRESENTATIVE DID NOT COMPLETE A CLAIM FORM OR PROVIDE A CLAIM NUMBER. HE DIRECTED ME TO SEEK THE ADVICE OF A BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE RETAILER. HOWEVER, THE RETAILER COULD NOT PROVIDE ASSISTANCE WITHOUT A CLAIM NUMBER, WHICH THE MANUFACTURER TECH REPRESENTATIVE SHOULD HAVE PROVIDED TO ME. I AM VERY CONCERNED WITH THE WAY BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE HANDLED THIS MATTER GIVEN ITS PREVIOUS HISTORY. I WISHED THAT NISSAN NEVER PLACED THIS BRAND OF TIRES ON ITS NEW VEHICLES, ESPECIALLY IF NISSAN DOES NOT PLAN TO PROTECT ITS CONSUMERS FROM BAD MANUFACTURERS. ***PLEASE NOTE THAT YOUR SYSTEM WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO INSERT THE CORRECT TIRE SIZE. MY TIRE SIZE IS P215/55R17 93H M. *AK

I OWN A 2004 ACURA TL WITH ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT BRIDGESTONE EL-42 TIRES. WHILE THE TIRE PREFORMED ACCEPTABLY DURING THE SUMMER THE PREFORMANCE ON WET ROADS AND PARTICULARY IN SNOW AND ICE WAS ABSOLUTLY TERRIBLE. MY FAMILY AND I TOOK A 500 MILE TRIP IN MICHIGAN OVER THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS AND I ALMOST HAD TO PARK THE CAR AND GET A RENTAL TO GET HOME. I REPLACED THE TIRES 2 DAYS AFTER GETTING HOME. THE TIRES HAD ONLY 12K MILES ON THERM.*AK

DRIVING ON A MOUNTAIN HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 50 MPH. TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS AROUND 10 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT (360 DEGREE RIP IN SIDEWALL). THERE WAS ABOUT 25,000 MILES ON THE TIRE AND THE TREAD WAS IN GOOD CONDITION. I MEASURED THE REMAINING TIRE PRESSURES AT ABOUT 36 PSI. FORTUNATELY, THE ROAD AT THAT POINT WAS STRAIGHT AND THERE WAS NO SNOW ON THE ROAD. WE WERE ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OVER. THE ONLY CORRECTION THAT HAS BEEN DONE, IS THE BRIDGESTONE TIRES WERE ALL REPLACED WITH GOODYEAR TIRES (EVEN THOUGH ALL THE TREADS WERE STILL IN GOOD CONDITION). NOTE: THE ENTRY FORM DIDN'T ALLOW ME TO SPECIFY EXACTLY WHAT SIZE MY TIRES WERE. THEY WERE 215/65R16! *NM