BRIDGESTONE TIRES Complaints

TIRE FAILURE--BULGING/RIM DAMAGE ;REPLACING THIRD SET OF TIRES AT 8500 MILES. *TR

PREPARING TO PUT A THIRD SET OF TIRES ON MY MERCEDES BENZ SL550 @8500 MILES. ALREADY REPAIRED 2 RIMS.?! NO WARRANTY. 3 TIRES HAVE BUBBLES ON THEM. *TR

AT 2595 MILES,I NEEDED TO REPLACE 3 TIRES AND REPAIR 2 RIMS ON MY 2009 MERCEDES BENZ SL550;AT 7400 MILES,ANOTHER TIRE WITH A BULGE;AT 8000 MILES,3 MORE TIRES WITH BUBBLES...AWAITING MY SERVICE APPOINTMENT;AFAID TO DRIVE AND APPREHENSIVE TO CALL THE INSURANCE COMPANY FOR FEAR OF LOSING COVERAGE.THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OUT-NO TIRE WARRANTY AND THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT TELLS ME IT IS ME! MY CAR IS JUST TWO YEARS OLD AND HAS LESS THAN 8500 MILES ON IT.I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THIS MAKE/MODEL FOR 23 YEARS WITH NO PRIOR INCIDENT. THIS CAR WILL HAVE ITS THIRD SET OF TIRES AND MULTIPLE RIM REPAIRS AT 8500 MILES OR SO! *TR

I HAVE HAD THREE SEPARATE INSTANCES IN A NINE MONTH PERIOD STARTING IN MAY OF 2010 OF ALLOY WHEELS CRACKING ON MY 2006 BMW 325XIT, WHICH HAS RUN FLAT TIRES. THE DEALER SAID IT IS FROM HITTING POT HOLES, CURBS, OR PARKING BLOCKS. I FIND THIS TO BE VERY UNUSUAL AS I LIVE IN A WARMER STATE WHERE THERE ARE VERY FEW POT HOLES, AND I HAVE NOT HIT A CURB OR PARKING BLOCK. MOREOVER, IN THIRTY-THREE YEARS OF DRIVING, I HAVE NEVER HAD A SINGLE WHEEL CRACK ON ANY CAR THAT I OWNED. I ALSO OWN A 2002 BMW (THAT DOES NOT HAVE RUN FLATS) AND HAVE NEVER HAD A WHEEL CRACK ON IT. A REVIEW OF THE INTERNET REVEALS COMPLAINTS BY BMW OWNERS WITH RUN FLAT TIRES EXPERIENCING REPEATED WHEEL CRACKS. IT APPEARS THAT THE RUN FLAT TIRES MAY NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE WHEELS. YET, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE BY BMW TO RECALL OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND VERY EXPENSIVE WITH THE WHEELS COSTING $345 EACH TO REPLACE. *TR

THIS COMPLAINT IS RELATED TO HOW THE 2008 MAZDA CX9 HANDLES WHEN THE ROAD CONDITIONS HAVE A LAYER OF SNOW OR ICE. WHEN DRIVING ON A FLAT SURFACE THE CAR IS FINE. WHEN DRIVING UP A VERY SLIGHT INCLINE, THE CAR DOES NOT PERFORM. THE TIRES THAT ARE PUT ON THIS CAR FROM FACTORY ARE NOT GOOD, WHICH CAUSES THE TRACTION CONTROL TO ENGAGE FREQUENTLY. THE PROBLEM ARISES WHEN THE TRACTION CONTROL IS ON. PER THE MANUAL, THE TRACTION CONTROL COMES ON TO REDUCE RPM. WE HAVE FOUND THAT WHEN THE TRACTION CONTROL IS ACTIVATED, THE VEHICLE HAS NO POWER - IT FEELS LIKE IT IS IN NEUTRAL - THERE IS NO ENGINE SOUND WHEN PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. THIS LEAVES THE DRIVER STUCK WITH ABSOLUTELY NO POWER TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN SINCE THERE IS NO POWER TO MOVE OUT OF OTHER DRIVERS WAY. THIS HAS HAPPENED WITH BOTH DRIVERS OF THE VEHICLE. WE HAVE REPORTED THIS TO MAZDA DEALERSHIP 5 TIMES. WE HAVE REQUESTED SOMEONE DRIVE WITH US SO WE CAN REPLICATE THE SITUATION. THEY WERE UNABLE TO GET US AN APPOINTMENT RIGHT AWAY. THE LAST REQUEST TO MAZDA SERVICE WAS FEB. 2011, IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT WE WANTED TO BRING THE CAR IN SO SOMEONE COULD DRIVE IT IN THE SNOWY CONDITIONS. THEY SAID THEY WOULD CALL US WHEN THEY COULD FIT US IN. WE DID NOT RECEIVE A CALL FOR 3 DAYS. WE HAD TO CALL THEM. THE ROADS WERE CLEAR WHEN WE FINALLY GOT AN APPOINTMENT AND COULD NOT REPLICATE THE SITUATION. THE PROBLEM CONTINUES. *TR

I BOUGHT A TOYOTA SIENNA 2011, ON MARCH 6, 2010. CURRENTLY IT'S GOT 20,354 MILES AND THE RUN FLAT BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL 400, P235/55RF18 TIRES ARE BALD. REAR RIGHT TIRE, I CAN SEE THE METAL UNDERNEATH THE TREAD AND IT'S GOT ZERO PRESSURE, REAR LEFT TIRE HAS NO TREAD LEFT AND THE FRONT 2 TIRES GOT VERY LITTLE TREAD LEFT. THE TIRES WERE ROTATED ON 6/7/2010 AND 12/27/2010. *TR

SERIOUS PROBLEM, I CAN NOT DRIVE AND CAN NOT REPLACE BLOWOUT, BROKEN RUN FLAT TIRES FROM BRIDGESTONE ON MY '08 BMW 328I. IT'S THE 4TH WARRANTY COVERAGE REPLACEMENT IN 6MONTHS BUT THIS TIME IT IS OUT OF STOCK AT MY COSTCO TIRE WHERE I PURCHASED THEM AND WAS TOLD BY THE MAKER, BRIDGESTONE TIRES THAT THERE'S 18,000+ BACKORDERS ON THESE TIRES AND THEY HAVE NO IDEA ON ETA. *TR

PREMATURE WEAR OF ALL 4 BRIDGESTONE TIRES WITH APPROXIMATELY 13,000-14, 000 MILES. TREAD WAS SIGNIFICANTLY BELOW REGULATORY LIMITS, BUT NOT BALD, YET THE MILEAGE WAS VERY LOW. ALL TIRES HAD BEEN REGULARLY ROTATED (APPROX. EVERY 4,000 MILES), AND WHEN TESTED WERE IN ALIGNMENT. CONTACTED THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, WHICH STATED THAT THEY ONLY WARRANTY TIRES FOR 12,000 MILES, OR 1 YEAR. THEN CONTACTED BRIDGESTONE AND WAS GIVEN A CASE NUMBER, AND AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALERSHIP. THE GENTLEMAN AT FIRESTONE CONFIRMED THAT THE TIRES WERE ABNORMALLY WORN AND MADE A RECOMMENDATION TO HIS BOSS THAT AT LEAST 3 OF 4 TIRES BE REPLACED AT NO COST TO ME. THE NEXT DAY, I RETURNED AND AT FIRST THE MANAGER WAS SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT, BUT AFTER HE HAD INSISTED ON TESTING THE ALIGNMENT AND FINDING THAT IT WAS CLOSE TO PERFECT, HIS TONE CHANGES AND HE COULDN'T HAVE BEEN NICER. HE AUTHORIZED THE REPLACEMENT OF ALL TIRES, WHICH HAD TO BE ORDERED, AS TOYOTA ONLY PERMITS SUBSTITUTIONS WITH THE SAME, OR ONE GRADE LOWER SPEED RATING, AND THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT HAVE V-RATED TIRES IN STOCK, BUT THE NEXT DAY I ONCE AGAIN RETURNED AND ONE HOUR LATER DROVE AWAY WITH BRAND NEW TIRES. N.B. IF YOU DO NOT REGULARLY ROTATE, BALANCE, AND IF-NEEDED ALIGN YOUR TIRES, BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE WILL NOT REPLACE. *TR

THREE BLOW OUTS DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING, FROM THREE DIFERENET TIRES SAME BRAND, SAME SIZE ETC. *TR

I HAD 4 BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE960AS POLE POSITION SIZE 215/50R17 TIRES INSTALLED IN MAY OF 2008 ON MY 2002 ACURA TL TYPE S VEHICLE. TWO SEPARATE DEFECTS. 1. I WAS FORCED TO REPLACE ONE TIRE IN JANUARY OF 2010. I REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE TIRE UNDER ROAD HAZARD INSURANCE DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE SIDEWALL. 2. ON FEBRUARY 3, 2011 I HAD A CATASTROPHIC TIRE FAILURE ON INTERSTATE 64 IN ST. LOUIS. THE TIRE DIDN'T JUST BLOW OUT, IT HAD FULL TREAD SEPARATION. THE HIGHWAY WAS CLEAR OF ALL SNOW AND SLUSH IN THE LOCATION WHERE THE FAILURE OCCURRED. MY ESTIMATED SPEED WAS 50 MPH AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS 9 DEGREES ABOVE ZERO. I WAS NOT IN A TURN, AND DID NOT HIT ANY ROAD HAZARDS. THE TIRES ON MY VEHICLE WERE INFLATED PROPERLY. THE SHOP REPORTED THAT THE OTHER TIRES HAD VERY EVEN TIRE WEAR, SUGGESTING THAT THE WHEELS WERE ALIGNED PROPERLY, THE SUSPENSION WAS OPERATING PROPERLY, AND THE TIRES WERE INFLATED PROPERLY. THE RESULTING DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE WAS SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE LEFT REAR ALLOY WHEEL, THE DEFECTIVE TIRE, AND THE NEED FOR A WHEEL ALIGNMENT DUE TO THE CAR RIDING ON THE ALLOY WHEEL. I CONTACTED BRIDGESTONE, AND WAS GIVEN THE RUNAROUND. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT BRIDGESTONE DID NOT WANT TO HELP ME IN ANY WAY. THE BRIDGESTONE LAWYER TOLD ME ON FEBRUARY 4, 2011, THAT THEY HAD ALREADY LOOKED AT THE TIRE. I CONTACTED THE SHOP, AND BRIDGESTONE DID NOT LOOK AT THE TIRE. I INFORMED THE LAWYER THAT THEY COULD FIND THE REST OF MY TIRE ON TOP OF A SNOW BANK ON I-64 BETWEEN KINGSHIGHWAY AND GRAND AVENUE. THE TREAD WAS INTACT, AND IN ONE PIECE. SHE DID NOT SEEM INTERESTED IN SEEING THE TREAD, SUGGESTING THAT BRIDGESTONE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE ENOUGH TO INVESTIGATE PROBLEMS ON THEIR OWN, AND NEED A GOVERNMENT WATCH DOG TO FORCE THEM TO LOOK INTO DEFECTS. THE BLOWOUT THAT I EXPERIENCED WOULD HAVE LIKELY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT IF IT HAD HAPPENED ON A FRONT WHEEL. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THESE TIRES ASAP, AS THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR