BRIDGESTONE TIRES Complaints

THIS IS IN REFERENCE TO THE AUDI RECALL REFERENCING REPLACEMENT OF TIRES TO MEET AXLE WEIGHT OF VEHICLE. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NO #03V143000.TIRES 225/45 R17 91Y WERE TO BE REPLACED BY 225/45 R17 94W. IN NOV 03 TOOK VEHICLE TO THE AUDI PHIL LONG DEALERSHIP IN COLORADO SPRINGS TO MEET COMPLIANCE PER RECALL LETTER. DEALERSHIP TOOK THE PERFORMANCE "ALL SEASON" TIRES OFF THE VEHICLE AND REPLACED THREE TIRES WITH 225/45 94W PERFORMANCE "SUMMER" TIRES AND ONE TIRE WITH A 225/45 91Y PERFORMANCE SUMMER TIRE. FIRST BY LOOKING AT THE SPECS OF THE TIRES THEY INSTALLED THEY PARTIALLY MET THE RECALL CRITERIA. SECONDLY, BY CHOOSING TO TAKE THE ORIGINAL PERFORMANCE "ALL SEASON" TIRES OFF THE VEHICLE IN THE PRESENT WINTER SEASON AND REPLACING THEM WITH A PERFORMANCE "SUMMER" TIRE WITHOUT TELLING ME (THE CONSUMER) OF THE TYPE OF TIRES THEY INSTALLED AND SENDING ME ON MY WAY ASSURING ME THAT MY SAFETY CONCERNS WITH THE RECALL HAD BEEN MET, BOTH AUDI USA, AND AUDI PHIL LONG DEALERSHIP CONFIGURED THE VEHICLE TO BE UNSAFE FOR NORMAL OPERATION. THE RECALL CRITERIA WAS NOT MET, ADDITIONALLY BY TAKING AWAY THE ALL SEASON TIRES AND REPLACING THEM WITH SUMMER TIRES IN WINTER SEASON WITHOUT ADVISING THE CONSUMER PRIOR TO RELEASING THE VEHICLE GENERATED A NEW HAZARD. AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS CHANGED, VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND AS DRIVER WAS ACCUSTOMED PRIOR TO RECALL, AND AS A RESULT DURING ICY ROAD CONDITIONS THE VEHICLE SLID AND SUFFERED DAMAGES. AUDI USA DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY, NOR PHIL LONG DEALERSHIP. THE RECALL ATTEMPTED TO MEET ONE HAZARD, AND BY THE CHOICE OF TIRES CHOSEN AS REPLACEMENT WITHOUT CONSIDERATION OF VEHICLE LOCATION, AND FAILURE TO ADVISE CONSUMER OF REPLACEMENT TIRES SPECIFICATIONS AND LIMITATIONS GENERATED A GREATER HAZARD.*AK

ACURA 2004 TL VIN [XXX] IS A PROBLEM WITH THE BRIDGESTONE TIRE A VIBRATION FROM FLAT SPOTTING. ACURA IS AWARE OF THIS ON A NUMBER OF VEHICLES. THEY SAY THAT THERE WILL BE A FIX FOR IT SOON. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE TIRES. THE TIRE PROBLEM IS WITH MANY OF THE ACURA 2004 TLS. I THINK THE DELAY IS NOT GOOD.*AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE SIDE WALL. THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *NLM WHEN THE TIRE WAS TAKEN TO FIRESTONE THEY DETERMINED THAT THE TIRE HAD A FLAT BUT THE CONSUMER STATED IT WAS NOT A FLAT TIRE BECAUSE IT EXPLODED. *CB *JB

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A HARD HESITATION, LACK OF POWER IN THE ENGINE AND LOST OF ACCELERATION WHEN THE PAVEMENT WAS WET OR UNEVEN. *JB THERE WAS ALSO A POSSIBLE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. *SC *JB

WHEN TURNING LEFT THE PASSENGERS SIDE TIRE PRODUCED A THUMPING NOISE. CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED THAT THE TIRE WILL SEPARATE FROM THE RIM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT AND HIT THE BRAKE LINE. AS A RESULT, THE BRAKES BECAME INOPERATIVE. *AK

VEHICLE'S PASSENGER SIDE REAR TIRE BLEWOUT RESULTING IN A SEVEN CAR ACCIDENT.*MR THE VEHICLE TIRE ONLY HAD 11263 MILES ON THEM AND THE TREAD WEAR WAS LF AND RF 55%, LR AND RR WAS 45%. THE INSURANCE COMPANY DEEMED THE VEHICLE A TOTAL LOSS. *NM THIS IS A CC TO NHTSA

MY SITUATION DEALS WITH TWO OF BRIDGESTONES POORLY CONSTRUCTED TIRES WHICH I HAD PURCHASED NOT TOO LONG AGO. BELOW, I HAVE INCLUDED THE LETTER I HAD WRITTEN TO BRIDGESTONE. I TOOK MANY PICTURES OF THE TIRES THE DAY I DISCOVERED THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL CRACKS. THE TIRES ARE CURRENTLY IN MY GARAGE AND ARE STILL MOUNTED ON THE RIMS I HAD TAKEN OFF. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE PICTURES. THANK YOU. MARCUS LO 1381 SAN MARINO AVE SAN MARINO, CA 91108 (626)318-5322 -----ORIGINAL MESSAGE----- FROM: "MARCUS LO" <[email protected]> SENT: 24 NOV 03 01:34 TO: [email protected] DEAR BRIDGESTONE, I BOUGHT A PAIR OF BRIDGESTONE S-03 245/35ZR19 TIRES IN SEPTEMBER 2002 AT 67,731 MILES. AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE ALL FOUR WHEELS WERE ALIGNED. NOW AT 75,000 MILES, THESE TIRES HAVE DEVELOPED CIRCUMFERENTIAL CRACKS AROUND THE INNER SIDEWALLS ADJACENT TO THE TREADS. I WAS SHOCKED AND SCARED TO FIND THESE CRACKS EARLIER TODAY. I HAD THOUGHT BRIDGESTONE MADE GOOD TIRES, BUT THESE CRACKED TIRES PROVE THAT I WAS WRONG. CRACKS LIKE THESE WILL DEFINITELY LEAD TO TIRE TREAD SEPARATION AT ANY TIME AND IT WILL BE DISASTROUS. I FEEL REALLY FORTUNATELY THAT I DISCOVERED THEM BEFORE I GOT KILLED. I CANNOT IMAGINE ANY TIRE MANUFACTURER WILL MAKE SUCH INFERIOR AND DANGEROUS PRODUCTS. THESE ARE NOT INEXPENSIVE TIRES- I PAID MORE THAN $500 FOR THEM, AND THEY HAVE NOW FAILED AFTER ONLY 7200 GENTLE MILES. ATTACHED ARE DIGITAL PHOTOS SHOWING THE CRACKS. I AM WRITING TO DEMAND A FULL REFUND FROM BRIDGESTONE. AT THIS TIME I AM CONSIDERING MAKING THIS KNOWN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC THROUGH THE MEDIA. I MAY ALSO NOTIFY THE NHTSA SO THEY MAY START AN INVESTIGATION. MARCUS LO

REAR RIGHT TIRE TREAD SEPARATED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL AND STOP ON A MEDIAN STRIP. REAR END OF THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED. *AK

TIRES ARE FEATHERING AFTER ABOUT 4000 MILES, ROAD NOISE IS EXTREMELY LOUD, NISSAN HAS DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, TIRES SHOULD NOT BE RUINED AFTER ONLY 4000 MILES. *AK