BRIDGESTONE TIRES Complaints

BRIDGESTONE POTENZA 245-40-R19 94W MAJOR SIDEWALL FAILURE, 3 INCH SECTION OF TIRE FROM BEAD OF TIRE AT RIM SURFACE LOOKS AS IF BEAD FAILED AND SIDE WALL TORN AWAY FROM BEAD TOWARDS TREAD, NO SIDEWALL OR RIM IMPACT DAMAGE AND TORN OUTWARD FROM RIM TOWARDS TREAD INDICATING SIDEWALL MATERIAL FAILURE ON 2008 BMW OE TIRE WITH LESS THAN 15,000 MILES ABOUT 50% TREAD REMAINING, NO SURFACE DAMAGE TO TIRE OR RIM, FAILURE APPEARS TO BE INTERNAL DEFECT AND COULD CAUSE MAJOR PROBLEMS, COMPLETE IMMEDIATE LOSS OF AIR OCCURRED. TIRE STILL ON RIM WILL TAKE PICS, NO RIM OR TIRE DAMAGE. THERE IS NO PHYSICAL DAMAGE TO TIRE OR RIM, JUST TWO TEARS FROM BEAD TOWARDS TREAD AND 3 INCH SECTION HANGING OUTWARD LARGE OPEN HOLE CAUSED OPEN HOLE AND IMMEDIATE COMPLETE LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE. I HAVE OVER 30 YEARS IN AUTOMOTIVE NEW CAR DEALER, SHOP FOREMAN AND SERVICE MANAGEMENT AND NEVER HAVE SEEN A FAILURE OF THE SIDEWALL LIKE THIS WHERE THERE IS A CLEAN NON DAMAGED SURROUNDING SURFACE INCLUDING THE RIM. FAILURE ISOLATED TO 2 SIDEWALL TEARS FROM BEAD AWAY TOWARDS TREAD OUTWARD. *TR

I TOOK MY 2007 CAMRY FOR 25,000 (AT 23,000) MILES SERVICE. I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED NEW TIRES. I QUESTIONED IT AND WAS TOLD 'YOU HAVE TO TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY, TOO' I TAKE MY CAR IN CONSISTENTLY DO PRETTY MUCH WHAT IS SUGGESTED TO ME AS PART OF PREVENTIVE CARE AND I HAVE ALL THE BILLS TO PROVE IT, MENTIONED THIS TO THE SERVICE PERSON, AND TALKED TO MANAGER AND WAS TOLD THAT YES I NEEDED THE NEW TIRES. THIS WAS "NORMAL" WEAR AND TEAR. I SURE WAS NOT READY FOR SUCH A LARGE EXPENSE. AS I WAS RESEARCHING FOR WHAT KIND OF TIRES TO BUY, I FOUND THAT MANY 2007 CAMRY OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM! ALSO I FOUND THAT THERE IS A LEAKAGE PROBLEM WITH THE BRIDGESTONE TIRES, AND CHECKING MY SERVICE BILLS, I SEE THAT I HAD TAKEN MY CAR IN TO HAVE THE PRESSURE LIGHTS CHECKED, BECAUSE I WOULD ADD AIR TO MY TIRES AND FEW WEEKS AFTER I WOULD HAVE THE LIGHT COME ON AGAIN. ALL THIS IS DOCUMENTED AND NOW I AM FURIOUS THAT I WAS NOT TOLD OF THIS PROBLEM. THANKFULLY, I AM NOT ON THE HIGHWAY DRIVING ANT 55+ MILES AN HOUR, AS I WORK NEAR MY HOME. I HATE TO THINK OF THE OUTCOME. WHEN I HAVE TAKEN MY SON BACK TO SCHOOL, IS WHEN THE PRESSURE LIGHT WOULD COME ON MOST OFTEN. NOW IT ALL MAKES SENSE! SINCE I TOOK THE CAR IN, THE PRESSURE LIGHTS HAVE NOT COME ON, I NOW WONDER IF THAT OPTION HAS BEEN DISABLED? OBVIOUSLY, I HAVE NOT YET CHANGED THE TIRES, AS IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE TO BUY ALL FOUR AT THE SAME TIME. I WAS HOPPING THE DEALER WOULD GIVE ME A BREAK. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HONDA ACCORD EQUIPPED WITH BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL41 TIRES, TIRE SIZE P195/65R15. THE DOT NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 65 -70 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE EXPLODED UNEXPECTEDLY. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TIRE WAS REPLACED WITH A NEW TIRE. THE IDENTICAL FAILURE OCCURRED WITH THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE WHICH WAS REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED PRIOR TO THE FAILURES THE TIRES WERE INSPECTED BY A CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO INFORMED THAT THE TIRES EXHIBITED GOOD TIRE TREAD. THE CONTACT HAD CONCERN OF THE POTENTIAL SAFETY RISK INVOLVED WITH THE OTHER TWO TIRES INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 19,700.

I OWN A 2009 GMC SIERRA 2500 PICKUP WITH 12,000 MILES. AS I WAS DRIVING TO WORK TODAY THE LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT. THE SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE WAS WHERE THE BLOW OUT OCCURRED. I HAD NOT HIT ANYTHING AND THE TIRE MONITORING SYSTEM HAD NOT COME ON UNTIL AFTER THE TIRE BLEW OUT. THERE IS NO SIGN OF ANY DAMAGE OR REASON FOR THE TIRE SIDE WALL TO FAIL. I WENT TO A BRIDGESTONE DEALER, THEY INSPECTED THE TIRE AND AGREED THERE WAS NO SIGN OF ANY EXTERIOR DAMAGE TO THE TIRE. THEY THEN CONTACTED BRIDGESTONE BY TELEPHONE. BRIDGESTONE STATED THAT THE ONLY ASSISTANCE WOULD BE A 15% DISCOUNT ON A NEW TIRE. I FEEL THAT THIS IN VERY UNFAIR. *TR

LEFT FRONT TIRE SUDDENLY LOST ALL AIR PRESSURE AS CAR WAS CLEANED IN A CAR WASH. THE CARWASH HAS NO BRUSHES OR ANY DEVICE THAT CAN TOUCH THE VEHICLE. EXAMINATION AFTERWARDS BY THE DEALER REVEALED THE PROBABLE CAUSE WAS PART OF THE TIRE PRESSURE VALVE WAS MISSING DUE TO THE VALVE STEM BREAKING. THIS TIRE WAS PART OF A NEW SET OF FOUR BOUGHT ONLY 2 DAYS BEFORE AND HAD APPROX. 400 MILES OF USAGE. THEY WERE BRIDGESTONE TURANZA TIRES. *TR

I JUST BOUGHT A USED 2005 SUBARU LEGACY GT. 20 MINUTES AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE I WAS DRIVING ALONG A SNOWY HIGHWAY AND ACCELERATED JUST AFTER A SET OF LIGHTS. THE REAR END OF THE CAR FELT VERY LOOSE AND THE CAR SQUIRRELED AFTER GAINING CONTROL AND ACCELERATING TO KEEP TRAFFIC MOVING THE REAR END SQUIRRELED OUT AND I WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL. THE CAR SPUN 180 AND SLAMMED INTO THE SNOW BANK SIDEWAYS. IT HAS THE STOCK POTENZA 205-45-17'S I HAVE NEVER LOST CONTROL OF A VEHICLE IN MY LIFE LIKE THAT 2WD OR 4WD. DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE WAS MINOR THE DRIVERS SIDE DOORS ARE BOTH CRINKLED AT THE BOTTOMS AND PART OF THE SHROUD UNDERNEATH WAS BROKEN OFF. PLAN IS TO REPLACE TIRES ASAP SHAME ON SUBARU PUTTING OUT A WINTER VEHICLE WITH POOR PERFORMANCE TIRES. VEHICLE AND STOCK TIRES HAVE 36000KMS. *TR

I HAVE A 2009 TOYOTA CAMRY LE THAT I HAVE OWNED FOR LESS THAN TWO YEARS. CURRENTLY HAS LESS THAN 13,000 MILES. THE 40,000 MILE BRIDGESTONE TURANZA TIRES, SIZE 215/60/16 THAT CAME WITH THIS CAR, HAVE WORN DOWN TO 5/32 WITHIN 18 MONTHS. THAT IS 1/2 OF THE TREAD GONE. MINIMAL CITY DRIVING WITH VERY LITTLE FREEWAY DRIVING. ALWAYS PROPERLY INFLATED AND ROTATED EVERY 5,000 MILES .I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE TIRES. I DID NOT REPLACE THEM THROUGH THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. I PURCHASED QUALITY TIRES ELSEWHERE. IT IS RIDICULOUS THAT A CONSUMER SPENDS OVER $20,000 FOR A VEHICLE AND MUST REPLACE THE TIRES WITH SO FEW MILES. AFTER READING ALL OF THE NEGATIVE REPORTS ABOUT THESE TIRES FROM CONSUMERS, I DID NOT COMPLAIN TO TOYOTA OR BRIDGESTONE, BECAUSE IT IS APPARENTLY A LOST CAUSE. I AM TOTALLY DISGUSTED WITH TOYOTA AND THE POOR QUALITY THEY HAVE BEEN SELLING OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. *TR

BRIDGESTONE POTENZA G009 205/60R16. CATASTROPHIC TIRE / SIDEWALL FAILURE. TREAD/BELTS SEPARATED FROM SIDEWALL. TIRE PRESSURE PROPERLY MAINTAINED. TREADWARE REMAINING WAS 7/32. TIRES ROTATED EVERY 5000 MILES. OTHER MARKINGS ON TIRE: L08R AND 37224 GX BH32688. MADE IN USA. *TR

MY ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL-470 TIRE DEVELOPED A BLISTER IN THE SIDEWALL AFTER ONLY 16,803 MILES. FORTUNATELY THE BLISTER WAS SPOTTED DURING A MEAL BREAK IN TEMPLE, TEXAS. WE WERE RETURNING HOME TO SAN ANTONIO FROM DALLAS ON DECEMBER 26, 2010. BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAY, THE LATE HOUR AND THE UNAVAILABILITY OF A REPLACEMENT WE WERE FORCED TO PAY FOR A HOTEL ROOM IN TEMPLE FOR THE NIGHT. HAD WE NOT SPOTTED THE BLISTER, THE TIRE WOULD HAVE LIKELY BLOWN OUT WHILE WE TRAVELED IN HEAVY HOLIDAY TRAFFIC ON IH35, ENDANGERING OUR LIFE AND HEALTH AS WELL AS THOSE AROUND US. THE LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP PARTS MANAGER EXPLAINED THAT HONDA ESCHEWS ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE TIRES WHICH THEY SELL WITH THEIR AUTOMOBILES. THESE TIRES ARE CLEARLY DEFECTIVE. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS CONCERNING PREMATURE FAILURE. IT IS HIGH TIME FOR THE NHTSA TO TAKE ACTION TO MAKE HONDA AND BRIDGESTONE CORRECT THIS. *TR

VIBRATION IN STEERING SYSTEM OF CAR AFTER INSTALLING 4 NEW BRIDGESTONE DUELLER 684 TIRES. TIRES HAVE BEEN BALANCED 3 TIMES BUT VIBRATION CONTINUES. CHECKED LATERAL RUNOUT ON TIRES AND FOUND IT TO VARY FROM .055 TO .070" WHILE RADIAL RUNOUT WAS FOUND TO BE ..060" TO .065". THESE READING WERE FROM 3 TIRES MANUFACTURED IN TOKYO PLANT IN WEEK 44 OF 2009. A 4TH TIRE MANUFACTURED IN A MEXICO PLANT HAD VERY LOW LATERAL AND RADIAL RUNOUTS. TIRE IDENTIFICATION DATA IS AS FOLLOWS: BRIDGESTONE DUELLER HT 684 DOT EMHBCEK4409. (3 EACH) ALL TIRES STILL IN USE. *TR