BRIDGESTONE TIRES Complaints

REF: MY EARLIER ODI #10047147 AND ODI #10080438. 2003 CAMRY (CURRENTLY 7700 MILES). GRADUAL RIGHT DRIFT SINCE PURCHASE JANUARY 2003. A TOTAL OF 10 NEW BRIDGESTONE 15" POTENZA RE92 TIRES (INCLUDING THE 4 ORIGINAL TIRES THAT CAME ON THE NEW VEHICLE) WERE MOUNTED ON THE CAR OVER A 4 MONTH PERIOD. RIGHT DRIFT WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE SERVICE MANAGER OF THE TOYOTA DEALER WHERE CAR WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND/OR CORRECT PROBLEM. THE SERVICE MANAGER OF SECOND TOYOTA DEALER PROMPTLY ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM, DIAGNOSED TIRES AS THE CAUSE, AND CORRECTED IT. ONCE TIRES WERE MOUNTED ON THE VEHICLE THAT WERE OTHER THAN BRIDGESTONE, THE RIGHT DRIFT WAS CORRECTED. THE VEHICLE NOW IS A SAFE AND ENJOYABLE VEHICLE TO DRIVE. *AK

COMPLAINT INVOLVES TOYOTA , 2004 4RUNNER. NOTICED SLIGHT VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEEL AT 62-64 MPH. HAD WHEELS AND TIRES ROTATED AND BALANCED AT 6000 MILES. PROBLEM CONTINUED. HAD TIRES BALANCED AGAIN BUT NO SUCCESS. NEW SET OF MICHELIN TIRES ORDERED BUT HAVE NOT BEEN PUT ON. ALSO, AM RADIO STATIONS EXPERIENCING EXTREME STATIC WHEN DRIVING OVER BLACKTOP ROADS. DOES NOT OCCUR WHILE DRIVING ON CONCRETE ROADS. IS NOT AFFECTED ON FM STATIONS. SERVICE MANAGER WILL EXPLORE WHEN TIRES ARE REPLACED. *LA

TREAD SEPARATION ON TIRE, LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, IMPACT WITH RETAINING WALL, CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. *LA

MY 2003 CAMRY HAD BEEN GREAT SINCE THE DATE OF PURCHASE. ONLY HAD 2 PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR, ONE MINOR THE OTHER WAS MAJOR. I HAVE 25000 MILES ON THE CAR, AND BOTH THE FRONT TIRES WERE BARE. I WAS ABLE TO SEE ALL THE TREADS FROM THE TIRES. THE MAJOR PROBLEM I GOT WAS MY CAMRY CAUGHT ON FIRE AND MELTED THE ENTIRE ENGINE. I'D PULLED UP TO THE PARKING LOT AT WORK, AND 20 MINUTES LATER, I WAS NOTIFIED THAT MY ENGINE WAS ON FIRE. SPOKE WITH FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THEY SAID IT LOOKS LIKE FAULTY/MALFUNCTION WIRE/CABLES. NOT SURE IF TOYOTA KNOWS OF THIS, BUT NOW I'M LEFT W/O A CAR UNTIL M INSURANCE FIGURES EVERYTHING OUT. TOYOTA SHOULD BE NOTIFY IN CASE THERE WAS A DEFECT IN THE 2003 MODELS. *AK

TOYOTA CAMRY SOLARA CONVERTIBLE EQUIPPED WITH 17" WHEELS AND BRIDGESTONE TURANZA P215/55R17 MUD AND SNOW TIRES HAVE EXPERIENCED TWO SIDEWALL FAILURES AT APPROXIMATELY 800 MILES AND 1700 MILES REQUIRING TIRE REPLACEMENT. UNSURE OF EXACT CAUSE OF FAILURE, POTENTIALLY ROAD IMPERFECTIONS OR CURB BUMPS, (NO DAMAGE TO ALLOY WHEELS) . BOTH HAPPENED AT LOW SPEED RAMIFICATIONS IF HIGH SPEED COULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE. THESE "LOW PROFILE" TIRES ARE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR ALL DRIVING CONDITIONS AND CAN BE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE REPLACED.*AK

LTR FM LLOYD SORKIN (FL) REPORTING PREMATURE TIRE WEAR ON HIS VEHICLE A 2002 LEXUS ES300 QUESTION IF ANY TIRE RECALL NOTICE APPLY.*MR THE TIRES SHOWED SIGNS OF EXCESSIVE WEAR EVERY 18,000 MILES. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THAT THE VEHICLE MAY BE THE PROBLEM NOT THE TIRES (DOT NUMBERS- EJF1DMM4401, EJF1DMM4501, EJF1DMM4501, EJF1DMM4601). *NM

CONSUMER NOTICED THAT AFTER HAVING THE TIRES ROTATED AT 10,000 MILES AND WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH VEHICLE VIBRATED UNCONTROLLABLY. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND PULLED OVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO TREAD SEPARATION. *AK

ON THE EVENING OF 21 JUN 04 I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK. AS I MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN IN TO MY DRIVEWAY. I FELT AND THEN HEARD WHAT SEEMED TO TO A FLAT TIRE ON THE RIGHT (PASSENAGER) SIDE OF THE CAR. I HAD FILLED UP WITH GAS ON EITHER THE PREVIOUS FRIDAY OR SATURDAY. WHEN I FILL UP WITH GAS I CHECK MY OIL AND TIRE PRESSURE. ALL WAS OK. WHEN I GOT INTO MY GARAGE, I WENT AROUND TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR AND CLEARLY SAW A FLAT RIGHT REAR TIRE. I CALLED AAA TO PUT ON A SPARE. THE AAA REPAIR MAN THOUGHT THE TIRE LOOKED DEFECTIVE. THE NEXT MORNING I WENT TO NTW AND REPLACED THE FLAT TIRE AND A SECOND TIRE WITH NEW MICHELIN TIRES. THE MANAGER AT THE NTW IN ROCKVILLE INDICATED THAT THIS WAS THE SECOND TIRE HE HAD SEEN THAT WEEK WITH THE SAME DEFECT. BECAUSE I ONLY HAD 19,600 MILES ON THE TIRES, HE GAVE ME A DISCOUNT ON EACH TIRE. HE ALSO AGREED THAT THE FLAT TIRE LOOKED DEFECTIVE. THEY CHECKED MY REMAINING TWO TIRES FOR ANY WEAKNESS. *AK

EL42 BRIDGESTONES THAT CAME WITH MY NEW 2004 ACURA TL ARE UNSAFE. THEY FLAT SPOT AND HYDROPLANE IN THE RAIN. THE TIRES ARE VERY UNSAFE IN RAIN AND THEY ARE CONSIDERED "ALL SEASON" THEY ARE NOT ALL SEASON IN MY OPINION. I LOST CONTROL ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS WITH THE EL42 BRIDGESTONES BECAUSE OF HYDROPLANING. THE FALTSPOTTING CAUSES THE TIRES TO VIBRATE AND BOUNCE UNTIL THEY WARM UP. THE CAR CAME WITH THE ORIGINAL PVC TYPE (EARLY BUILD) AND THE DEALER REFUSED TO PUT THE NEW "TU@" ON MY CAR. RATINGS ON THIS TIRE ARE TERRIBLE AS SHOWN ON "TIRERACK.COM" ACURA DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE MY EL42 PVC ORIGINAL TIRES WITH ACCEPTABLE SAFE TIRES. I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO PUT MICHELIN PILOT SPORT ALL SEASONS ON MY CAR QUICKLY BECAUSE I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR WITH THE EL42. PLEASE ADVISE- I KNOW MANY PEOPLE WITH THE 2004 ACURA TL ARE UNHAPPY WITH THE EL42'S THAT CAME WITH THEM. THE EL42'S ARE UNSAFE IN THE RAIN AND SNOW THEY ARE NOT ALL SEASON AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AGRESSIVELY BEFORE PEOPLE LOSE CONTROL AND GET IN ACCIDENTS. *LA

2004 TOYOTA CAMARY WITH FIRESTONE BRIDGESTONE TIRES ARE VERY UNSAFE. I EXPERIENCED A BLOW OUT ON THE I-10, THE TIRE UNRAVELED FROM THE SIDE WALLS SPLITING THE TIRE INTO 2 PIECES. *JB