BRIDGESTONE TIRES Complaints

THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. THE TIRE SEEMED TO SPONTANEOUSLY SPLIT WHERE THE TREAD MEETS THE SIDE WALL WHICH RESULTED IN AN IMMEDIATE BLOW OUT. FORTUNATELY THE VEHICLE WAS GOING AT A SLOW SPEED AT THE TIME SO NO CRASH OCCURRED. WE HAVE SINCE BEEN INFORMED THAT THIS TIRE IS UNSAFE TO USE AT WARMER TEMPERATURES EVEN THOUGH IT IS Q99 RATED. THE TIRE IS A BRIDGESTONE BLIZZAK 215/70QR16 THAT IS ON A 2003 HONDA ELEMENT. THE TIRE WAS PROPERLY INFLATED AND WAS JUST PUT ON NOVEMBER OF 2004.

I HAVE SERIOUS AND REPEATING PROBLEMS WITH SUSPENSION/ TIRES ON MY TOYOTA PRIUS 2001 CAR (MANUFACTURED 06/01). THREE TIMES THE FRONT TIRES WHERE ABNORMALLY AND SIGNIFICANTLY WORN (DURING APPROX 7,500 MILES) WITH, WITH SIDE AND TOP SCARS ETC. TOYOTA ALREADY CHANGED THE TIRES FOUR TIMES BUT THEY ARE UNABLE TO SOLVE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THE SAME PROBLEM IS LIKELY REPEAT ITSELF AGAIN AND AGAIN, AND CHANGING THE TIRES IS NOT A SOLUTION. I DO NOT LIKE DRIVING ON SUCH DANGEROUSLY WORN TIRES; MOREOVER, IT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO DRIVE ON TIRES IN SUCH CONDITION). CAR WAS REGULARLY IN SCHEDULED TOYOTA SERVICE (INCLUDING TIRES ROTATION, PRESSURE CHECK ETC.).

DT: TREAD CAME OFF 3/4 OF TIRE. THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE BUT THE TIRE REMAINED INFLATED. *NM

2003 TOYOTA MR2 SPYDER BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE040 215/45R16 DOT NO. EJ1EJAA3602, MOUNTED ON DRIVER'S SIDE REAR WHEEL MILEAGE AT FAILURE: 9142 ROAD CONDITIONS AT FAILURE: CLEAR, DRY, ~ 40 F., SOUTH-BOUND ON U.S. I-69 MICHIGAN EXIT NO. 3, NO ROAD HAZARDS, 70 MPH VEHICLE SPEED THE TIRE IN QUESTION WAS INSPECTED BY A QUALIFIED TIRE DEALER THE EVENING BEFORE THE BLOW OUT. THE TIRE PRESSURE WAS CERTIFIED TO MANUFACTURERS SPECIFICATIONS. FROM THE POINT OF INSPECTION, THE TIRE WAS OPERATED WAS OPERATED 10 MILES IN CITY TRAFFIC AND THEN PARKED IN A GARAGE OVERNIGHT. THE FOLLOWING DAY THE TIRE WAS OPERATED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (AVERAGE 50 MPH, MAX 70 MPH) FOR ~ 200 MILES. TIRE BLEW (TREAD COMPLETELY SEPERATED INTACT FROM SIDEWALL) WITHOUT ANY WARNING. STEERING WHEEL JERKED AND I LOST SOME CONTROL BUT REGAINED ENOUGH CONTROL TO COAST TO A STOP (BRAKES WERE NOT APPLIED). VEHICLE RODE ON SIDEWALL AND RIMS FROM BLOWOUT TO COAST TO STOP. THE ONLY TIME THE TIRE IS KNOWN TO HAVE INSUFFICIENT PRESSURE WAS AFTER IT BLEW WITHOUT ANY PRIOR PROBLEM OR WARNING. IT TOOK BETWEEN 30 60 SECONDS TO BRING THE MR2 RUNNING AT 70 MPH ON DRY ROADS WITH A BLOWN DRIVERS SIDE TIRE TO COAST TO A COMPLETE STOP. SUBMITTED INCIDENT CLAIM 835370 DATED 4/18/2005, FAILED TIRE, AND PICTURES OF TIRE AND DAMAGED CAST ALUMINUM RIM TO BRIDGESTONE. BRIDGESTONE LEGAL (NORMA Y DAVIS 800 543 7522 ) DENIED MY CLAIM AND REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR DAMAGED TIRE AND RIM. BRIDGESTONE FINDINGS: 1. TIRE WAS OPERATED FOR AN UNKNOWN PERIOD OF TIME WITH INSUFFICIENT AIR PRESSURE TO CARRY THE LOAD 2. INSUFFICIENT AIR PRESSURE CONDITION IS EVIDENCED BY THE TATTERED SIDEWALLS AND THE MELTED INNERLINER, AND WAS THE CAUSE OF THE SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE 3. TIRE FAILURE DID NOT RESULT FROM A DEFECT IN EITHER MATERIALS OR WORKMANSHIP ON 5/3/2005 I REQUESTED THAT THE CASE BE SENT TO ARBITRATION. NO RESPONSE YET FROM BRIDGESTONE.

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

WE PURCHASED A TOYOTA SIENNA 2004 IN NOVEMBER 2003. I WAS TOLD YESTERDAY THAT THE TIRES ARE SO WORN THEY ARE DANGEROUS TO DRIVE ON. THE CAR IS ONLY 17 MONTHS OLD WITH 20.000 MILES. WE HAVE HAD THE CAR IN FOR ALL ITS ROUTINE SERVICES. THE TIRES HAVE BEEN ROTATED 3 TIMES, AIR PRESSURE AND ALIGNMENT IS FINE. CONSUMERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW BEFORE THEY PURCHASE THIS PRODUCT THAT THE TIRE WILL WEAR DOWN QUICKLY AND COST $1300 TO REPLACE THEM. THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS PER TIRE. BUT MOST IMPORTANT IS THE SAFETY ISSUE. THE CONSUMER IS NOT AWARE THAT THE TIRES CAN WEAR SO QUICKLY AND POSE A HAZARD TO THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILY. NEITHER THE TIRE MAKERS(BRIDGESTONE NOR TOYOTA WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. WE ARE HOPING THAT YOU WILL LOOK INTO THIS MATTER. *AK

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA LE AWD VAN. ON APRIL 2, 2005, MY FAMILY AND I WERE ON A TRIP APPROXIMATELY 200 MILES FROM HOME. DURING THAT TRIP, THE LIGHT TO INFLATE THE TIRES CAME ON. WE INFLATED THE TIRES AND THE LIGHT TURNED OFF. THEN, IT CAME ON VERY SOON AFTER THE INITIAL INFLATION. MY HUSBAND TOOK THE CAR TO SEVERAL TIRE PLACES, THEN FINALLY A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO TREAT THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED US THAT OUR VAN WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND THAT TWO OF OUR TIRES (THEY ARE OF THE "RUN-FLAT" VARIETY) WERE SEVERELY WORN, ONE EVEN PAST THE WEAR BARS. AT THAT TIME, OUR VAN HAD APPROXIMATELY 20,500 MILES ON IT. WE HAD TAKEN IT FOR REGULARLY RECOMMENDED SERVICING AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN OUR HOMETOWN, INCLUDING TWO PRIOR EPISODES OF HAVING THE TIRES ROTATED. THE MOST RECENT TIRE ROTATION OCCURRED AT THE 15,000 MILE CHECK-UP. AT THAT TIME, THE DEALERSHIP NOTED NO EXCESSIVE WEAR ON OUR TIRES. IN FEWER THAN 5,000 MILES, APPARENTLY, THE TIRES HAD WORN DOWN BEYOND WHAT IS SAFE. THE CONSEQUENCE WAS THE NEED TO BUY FOUR NEW TIRES AT THE 20,500 MILE MARK. BOTH TOYOTA MOTOR CO. AND OUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP INDICATED TO ME TODAY UPON INQUIRY THAT WE CAN EXPECT ONLY APPROXIMATELY 20,000 MILES FROM THESE TIRES. I AM CONCERNED THAT THESE TIRES CAN WEAR DOWN SO QUICKLY AND FAIL.*AK

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED CONSUMER NOTICE THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE SIDEWALL. ORGINAL EQUIPMENT, TIRE SIZE 245/45R17, DOT # JNK2707. THIS TIRE WAS MOUNTED ON BMW, 525I ,2004 VEHICLE. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED.*AK

ORIGINAL TIRES DO NOT FUNCTION ON ROAD IF ANY LIGHT RAIN OR SNOW IS PRESENT. HAZARDOUS.

I WAS TRAVELING S/B FRY 99 AT KIMBERLINA RD, JUST NORTH OF BAKERSFLELD CALIF. I WAS IN THE CENTER LANE TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF APPROX 70 TO 75 MPH. AT THIS TIME I HEARD A LOUD "THUD" AGAINST THE LEFT DOOR OF MY 1998 ISUZU AMIGO, THE TREAD ON THE LEFT FRONT TIRE HAD SEPARATED AND HAD STRUCK THE SIDE OF MY VEHICLE. THE TYPE OF TIRE ON MY VEHICLE IS A BRIGESTONE DUELER. THE TREAD SEPARATION CAUSED SEVERE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE. THE ESTIMATES ARE BETWEEN $1700 TO $2100 DOLLARS. THE TREAD PUT THREE DENTS ON THE DRIVERS DOOR, BROKE OF THE DRIVER SIDE MIRROR, BROKE THE BUMPER, KNOCKED THE LEFT FRONT FENDER OUT OF LINE, DAMAGED THE MUG GUARDS AND OTHER PROTECTIVE SHIELD UNDER THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL WELL. THE TIRE DID NOT DEFLATE,& I WAS ABLE TO COME TO A SLOW STOP ON A VERY ACTIVE FAST ROADWAY. I CONTACTED FIRESTONE/BRIDGESTONE AND FILED A CONSUMER COMPLAINT I COMPLETED THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK AND SENT THEM PHOTOS OF THE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE. I ALSO ACQUIRED THE ESTIMATES AND SENT THEM MY TIRE AT MY OWN EXPENSE. THEY HAVE SINCE REJECTED MY COMPLAINT STATING THE SEPARATION WAS MY FAULT CAUSED MY LOW TIRE PRESSURE. I DISAGREE. THIS TIRE WAS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT PURCHASED WITH THE VEHICLE. THIS TIRE WAS THE SPARE AND HAD ONLY APPROX 5 TO 7000 MILES ON THE TIRE. MY VEHICLE RECEIVES REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND THE TIRES WERE RECENTLY ROTATED. THE TIRE PRESSURE IS CHECKED / BALANCED AND THE PRESSURE CHECKED. I PERSONALLY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO TAKING THIS TRIP. ALL I ASK IS THAT I AM REIMBURSED FOR THE DAMAGE SUSTAINED TO MY VEHICLE AND MY TIRES BE REPLACED WITH A MAKE/BRAND OF MY OWN CHOOSING. I HAVE EFFECTED SOME OF THE REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE INCLUDE THE TIRE, AND MIRROR THESE ARE NECESSARY TO KEEP THE VEHICLE ON THE ROAD. I WAS FORCED TO PURCHASE ANOTHER BRIDGESTONE TIRE IN ORDER STAY CONSISTENT WITH THE OTHER TIRES ON THE VEHICLE. I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE WITH THE BRIDGESTONE PRODUCTS I WOULD LIKE TO REPLACE ALL FIVE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE. TO INCLUDE THE SPARE.