BRIDGESTONE TIRES Complaints

PREMATURE WEARING OF BOTH FRONT BRAKES AND TIRES (BOTH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BY 15,000 MILES). *TR

THE FOLLOWING WAS SENT TO BRIDGESTONE VIA EMAIL THIS IS TO INFORM BRIDGESTONE TIRE OF A CATASTROPHIC SIDEWALL BLOWOUT THAT OCCURRED ON A BRIDGESTONE POTENZA TIRE ON JULY 25, 2008. THE BLOWOUT OCCURRED AT THE START OF A CROSS COUNTRY TRIP ON INTERSTATE 40 HEADING TOWARDS MEMPHIS, TN. THE CAR IS A 2007 SUBARU IMPREZA PURCHASED NEW IN SEPTEMBER 2007 AND HAD APPROXIMATELY 6500 MILES ON IT AT THE START OF THE TRIP. THE MARKINGS ON THE TIRE ARE AS FOLLOWS: BRIDGESTONE POTENZA P 205/55R16 89V K0350 E92ADZ DOT EM8K JLL1207 THE SIDEWALL BLOWOUT OCCURRED TO THE LEFT REAR TIRE. PRIOR TO THE START OF THE TRIP THE CAR HAD A TUNE-UP AT AN AUTHORIZED SUBARU SERVICE DEALER. WHEN THE BLOWOUT OCCURRED THE CAR WAS PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE TIRE WAS CHANGED USING THE PROVIDED SPARE TIRE THAT COMES WITH THE CAR. THE CAR WAS THEN DRIVEN TO THE NEAREST TIRE SERVICE COMPANY WHICH WAS WAL MART TIRE AND LUBE IN SAVANNAH, TN. STORE # 0268 175 J.I. BELL LANE, SAVANNAH, TN 38372. (731) 925 ' 3020. THE CAR'S OFFICIAL MILEAGE AS RECORDED ON THE ODOMETER AND NOTED ON THE SERVICE INVOICE WAS 6824 MILES. DAMAGE TO THE TIRE WAS TWO TEARS - ONE APPROXIMATELY TWO INCHES LONG AND ANOTHER ONE APPROXIMATELY 6 INCHES LONG ON THE SIDEWALL HALF WAY UP BETWEEN THE INNER RIM AND THE EDGE OF THE TIRE. THE DAMAGED TIRE IS AT MY HOME ADDRESS AND IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. THE TIRE WAS REPLACED AT A COST OF $98.25. INVOICE # 77525. AT THIS TIME I EXPECT BRIDGESTONE TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE COST OF THE TIRE IN THE AMOUNT OF $98.25. PROVIDE A NEW TIRE OF EQUAL VALUE TO MATCH THE REMAINING 3 TIRES AND INSPECT THE REMAINING THREE TIRES FOR ANY POTENTIAL POSSIBILITIES OF HAVING A SIDEWALL BLOWOUT. IF THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF A SIDEWALL BLOWOUT OCCURRING IN ANY OF THE THREE REMAINING TIRES I WOULD WANT THEM REPLACED. A COPY OF THIS LETTER HAS BEEN SENT TO THE DOT. DAVID HABER *TR

STARTED HEARING A ROTATIONAL NOISE FROM BACK WHEELS OF CAR. IT GOT LOUDER AS SPEED INCREASED. TOOK TO HONDA DEALER. THEY PERFORMED A SERVICE BULLETIN TO REPLACE THE REAR UPPER CONTROL ARMS AND DID ALIGNMENT. THE INCORRECT PARTS WERE INSTALLED AT THE FACTORY. HOWEVER, THE BAD PARTS ALLOWED THE REAR TIRES TO 'CUP' CAUSING THE NOISE. THE DEALER (AND MANUFACTURER) ARE REFUSING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE PREMATURE TIRE WEAR CAUSED BY THE INCORRECT PARTS INSTALLED DURING MANUFACTURER. *TR

I DRIVE A 2006 BMW 330XI WITH THE OEM BRIDGESTONE TURANAZA RUNFLAT TIRES. FROM 2006 TO TODAY I HAVE REPLACED ALL 4 OF MY TIRES AND RIMS TWICE AND STILL HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE TIRES BEING TO ROUGH ON NEW YORK CITY ROADS WHICH MEANS IT JUST CRACKING AND BENDING EACH AND EVERY RIM ON MY CAR OVER TIME. NOW THIS PROBLEM WITH THE TIRES BEING TO ROUGH AND LACK OF CONTROL WITH THERE TIRES LEAD TO ANOTHER PROBLEM SOMETHING IN MY STEERING RACK HAS CRACKED. BMW NOT WANTING TO TELL ME WHAT PART OF THE STEERING RACK WAS BROKEN ALL THEY TOLD ME WAS IT WILL COST 3000 DOLLARS AND I COULDN'T PAY IT IN MONTHLY INSTALLMENTS, I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO ALERT THEM OF MY SITUATION FOR ABOUT 1 YEAR BUT THEY DO NOT TAKE ME SERIOUSLY SINCE I AM ONLY 22 YEARS OLD AND TAKE ME FOR A FOOL. AS OF YESTERDAY ALSO MY LOCK ACTUATORS WHICH IS THE PART OF THE CAR THAT ALLOWS YOUR ALARM TO UNLOCK YOUR DOORS ARE FROZEN AND WILL NOT UNLOCK ANY OTHER DOORS EXPECT THE DRIVER BY USING THE MANUAL KEY. FOR THE IM PAYING EVERYMONTH BMW IS NOT DIVING ME THE ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE, I WILL NOT RECOMMEND THIS CAR TO ANYONE SOUL IN THE NEW YORK AND I AM LOOKING TO TAKE LEGAL ACTION FOR MY RIGHTS AGAINST THE LACK OR QUALITY AND SAFETY THEY HAVE PUT ME IN OVER THE LACK YEAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE VEHICLE HAS BRIDGESTONE DUELER A/T 693 TIRES, SIZE P265/70R17. THE TIRES WERE PURCHASED NEW WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD 25,000 MILES. THE TREAD BEGAN TO WEAR IN AN UNUSUAL MANNER IN THE CENTER OF ALL FOUR TIRES. THE CONTACT CHECKED THE TIRE PRESSURE ON A REGULAR BASIS, BUT THE CENTER OF ALL FOUR TIRES CONTINUED TO WEAR UNNATURALLY. NEITHER THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER NOR THE TIRE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04T018000 (TIRES:TREAD/BELT). THE DOT NUMBER AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 42,000.

I OWN AN 05 F650 AND A 07 F650 BOTH HAVE FRONT END PROBLEMS AS WELL AS BRAKE PROBLEMS SPOKE WITH FORD THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO WARRANTY A PRODUCT UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

MADE APPT. WITH MAZDA SERVICE , REGARDING EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR ON CX-7 SUV. I HAVE A FIRESTONE TIRE PROTECTION FOR THIS SUV, ACCORDING TO FIRESTONE IT DOES NOT COVER WEAR. AT MY LAST OIL CHANGE BY FIRESTONE, THEY TOLD ME MY TIRES NEED TO BE REPLACED, GAVE ME A PRICE, ETC. I TOLD THEM I WOULD CONTACT DEALER AND SEE WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY. APPT. WAS 8/1/08, I WAS TOLD MY TIRES ARE ONLY HALF WORN@20,113 MILES. TREAD WEAR WAS MEASURED @ 5/32 ON FRONT AND 4/32 ON REAR. FIRESTONE ROTATED AND BALL. TIRES @ 5,000 MI. OIL CHANGES. I WAS TOLD TO COME BACK WHEN 50% MORE WEAR. TOLD SERVICE ADVISER THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THERE IS NO TREAD TO WEAR, AND MENTIONED WHAT FIRESTONE HAD TOLD ME. HIS COMMENT WAS THEY JUST WANTED TO SELL YOU TIRES ". TOOK MY CX-7 TO NTB TIRE SERVICE, THEY CHECKED MY TIRES, REAR @ 2/32" AND FRONT @4/32", THEY SUGGESTED I NOT DRIVE WITH THESE WORN-OUT TIRES, THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED. PURCHASED A SET OF TAKE-OFF'S FOR $160.00 AND HAD NTB ALIGN AND BALL TIRES. I SENT A E-MAIL TO MAZDA CUST. SERVICE AND EXPLAINED , DEALER MEASURED 4/32" NOT 2/32".I WANTED TO MEET WITH MAZDA REP AT ANY NE OHIO DEALER, AND HAVE HIM CHECK TIRES, ETC. THEY NEVER RETURNED MY E-MAIL. FOLLOWED-UP WITH PHONE CALL TO MAZDA CUST. SERVICE, THEY WILL CHECK DEALER, ETC. MAZDA CALLED BACK AND SUGGEST I TAKE UP PROBLEM WITH DEALER, THEY WOULD NOT SET UP MEETING WITH REP, ETC. IF MAZDA SERVICE DEPT AT DEALER CAN'T MEASURE TIRE TREAD, AND BE CONCERNED WITH CUST SAFETY, I WOULD NEVER BUY ANOTHER MAZDA VEHICLE. *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING BACK HOME ON THE TURNPIKE. THE FRONT LEFT TIRES TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE CORE AND ALMOST CAUSED A SERIOUS 2-CAR ACCIDENT. THE TREAD DAMAGED OUR CAR. NO ONE WAS HURT AND THE ONLY DAMAGE WAS TO OUR CAR. THE BAD TIRE DID NOT GO FLAT; IT JUST LOST ALL OF ITS TREAD. I CONTACTED BRIDGESTONE AND USED THEIR PROCEDURE TO CLAIM DAMAGES. I GOT ALL THE ESTIMATES AND SHIPPED THE TIRE TO THEM FOR EXAMINATION. THEY SENT ME A FORM LETTER STATING THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF "OVER DEFLECTION" AND DENIED ANY COMPENSATION. OVER DEFLECTION IS AN UNDER INFLATED TIRE. MY TIRE WAS NOT UNDER INFLATED. I KEPT DETAIL RECORDS OF THE ENTIRE SET OF TIRES. I CHECK INFLATION REGULARLY AND I NEVER LET A CAR LEAVE TOWN WITHOUT CHECKING THE INFLATION. ALL 4 TIRES WERE PROPERLY INFLATED. I HAVE REPLACED ALL THE TIRES (EVEN THOUGH ALMOST HALF THE TREAD WAS STILL LEFT ON THE OTHER 3 TIRES). I REQUESTED THAT THEY SEND ME THE OFFENDING TIRE BACK TO ME--WHICH THEY DID. ON THE INTERNET THERE ARE OTHER STORIES OF TREAD SEPARATING FROM BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE TIRES. PEOPLE CONTACT THEM FOR DAMAGE REIMBURSEMENTS AND THEY RECEIVED THE SAME FORM LETTER ABOUT "OVER DEFLECTION". WHAT COURSE DO WE HAVE? WHEN I GOT THE CAR BACK TO TOWN I CHECKED ALL 4 TIRES AND THEY WERE STILL PROPERLY INFLATED. THE TIRE IS A B 420, P195/70R14 DOT 0BRWP 213801. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 ISUZU TROOPER. THE VEHICLE HAS ORIGINAL BRIDGESTONE DUELER 684 TIRES. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO RIDE AS IF THE TIRES WERE UNBALANCED. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO FIND A SAFE PLACE TO PULL OVER AND NOTICED THAT THE TREAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE. THERE WAS NO BLOW OUT. THE CONTACT DID NOT DRIVE OVER ANY POTHOLES. THE VIN AND TIRE SIZE WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 119,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 5 SERIES. THE VEHICLE HAS BRIDGESTONE POTENZA TIRES. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WAS FLATTENED BY A SCREW IN THE ROAD AND ALSO A POTHOLE. THE TIRE IS A RUN FLAT TIRE, WHICH MEANS THE VEHICLE CAN BE DRIVEN FOR AT LEAST FIFTY MORE MILES AFTER A FLAT WITHOUT ANY DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL. ONCE THE CONTACT ARRIVED HOME, THE WHEEL SPLIT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WHEEL SHOULD NOT HAVE SPLIT AND CRACKED. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE TIRE, THE WHEEL, AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE STRUT. THE TIRE DEPTH AND SIZE WERE UNKNOWN. THE TIRE AND VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 25,596.