BRIDGESTONE TIRES Complaints

2006 SUBARU OUTBACK GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT:26450 DATE OF PURCHASE:05/18/2007 ODOMETER AT PURCHASE:32743 DEALER:WALSER SUBARU INC. ADDRESS:14900 BUCK HILL ROAD BURNSVILLE, 55306 DEALER LICENSE:DT36027 ON 07/02/2007 FOUND OUTER EDGE OF REAR TIRES WERE SEVERELY WORN, STEEL BELTS VISIBLE. CALLED DEALER TOLD THEM NEEDED VEHICLE INSPECTED IMMEDIATELY, AS WE FELT IT WAS UNSAFE. DEALERSHIP THE STATED WE NEEDED TWO NEW TIRES AND A FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT. PICKED UP THE VEHICLE WERE INFORMED THAT THE ALIGNMENT WAS FINE AND THAT WE HAD ?OVER LOADED? THE VEHICLE. THAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE WEAR ON THE TIRES. IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT THE AXLE HAD BEEN DEPRESSED SUFFICIENTLY TO CAUSE WEAR MARKS FROM THE RUBBER STOPS ON TORSION ARMS?? ASKING WHAT CONSTITUTED ?OVER LOADING? WE WERE REFERRED TO THE STICKER ON THE DRIVER?S SIDE DOOR. SEATING CAPACITYTOTAL5FRONT2REAR3 THE COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND CARGO SHOULD NOT EXCEED 408KG OR 900LBS TIRESIZECOLD TIRE PRESSURE FRONTP225/55R17220KG/32LBS REARP225/55R17210KG/30LBS SPARET155/7017420KG60LBS THE FOLLOWING WAS THE LOAD OF THE VEHICLE DURING THE TRIP TO NEW YORK: 2ADULTSAPPROXIMATE WEIGHT:210LBS EACH420LBS 110-YEAR-OLD CHILDAPPROXIMATE WEIGHT:100LBS100LBS 1EACH BAG PER ADULTAPPROXIMATE WEIGHT:40LBS EACH80LBS 1EACH BAG PER CHILDAPPROXIMATE WEIGHT:30LBS EACH30LBS 120 QT COOLERAPPROXIMATE WEIGHT:10LBS10LBS 1PLASTIC CONTAINERAPPROXIMATE WEIGHT:15LBS15LBS MISC TOOLS, TOYS, ETCAPPROXIMATE WEIGHT:50LBS50LBS APPROXIMATE TOTAL WEIGHT:705LBS NEVER RECEIVED A COPY OF THE SERVICE REPORT. NO REPORT THREE DAYS CALLED DEALERSHIP TOLD THAT THE REPORT HAD BEEN MAILED BUT THYE WOULD CHECK AND SEND A COPY. JULY 14, 2007:- STILL NO COPY OF SERVICE REPORT BY MAIL. 7/16/2007 11:05 AM?BURNSVILLE SUBARU, STILL HAD NOT RECEIVED SERVICE REPORT. TO DATE WE STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED A COPY OF THAT SERVICE REPORT. WE ARE COPYING THIS LETTER TO SUBARU AMERICA AND NHTSA FOR THEIR COMMENTS.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HONDA PILOT. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALER FOR REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO TREAD WEAR. THE TIRES ARE BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/T 684 II. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 22,281. UPDATED 08/07/07. *JB

I HAVE TWO SUBARUS WITH BRIDGESTONE POTENZA TIRES ON THEM. ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, I EXPERIENCED FLAT TIRES WITH THEM. ON BOTH OCCASIONS, THEY WENT FLAT SO FAST, I COULDN'T EVEN GET TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD BEFORE I WAS RIDING ON THE RIM. I HAVE NEVER HAD TIRES GO FLAT SO FAST. IN BOTH CASES THE CAUSE WAS A SCREW IN THE TREAD. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBARU IMPREZA. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. WHEN SHE ARRIVED, THE MECHANIC INFORMED HER THAT A BUBBLE WAS PRESENT ON ONE OF THE BRIDGESTONE POTENZA TIRES. THE CONTACT TOOK THE TIRE TO THE BRIDGESTONE DEALER TO HAVE IT REPLACED, BUT THEY STATED THAT THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE. THE DOT NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 10,384. UPDATED 08/14/07. *JB

ON JULY 2, 2007 THE 1999 ISUZU TROOPER ROLLED OVER DUE TO A TIRE BLOW OUT. SUSTAINED SEVERE HEAD AND TRAUMA INJURIES REQUIRING HOSPITALIZATION AT USC COUNTY HOSPITAL. THE TROOPER WAS TOTALED. THE TIRES WERE BRIDGSTONE DUELER A/T D693 P245/70R16. *AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD RANGER. THE VEHICLE HAS BRIDGESTONE DUELER APT III P225/70R14 DOT# Y7FCPT40207. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE LANES, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. THE CONTACT TEMPORARILY LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS ABLE TO DECELERATE AND PULL OFF THE ROAD. HE REPLACED THE TIRE AND FOUND THAT THE TREAD HAD SEPARATED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 109,170 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 109,130. THE CONSUMER STATED A BRAND NEW TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE ON THE FREEWAY REPLACED ALL 4 TIRES. UPDATED 08/24/07 *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DODGE MAGNUM. THE VEHICLE HAS BRIDGESTONE TURANZA TIRES, SIZE 215/65R17. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT AND THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A STATE TROOPER WITNESSED THE ENTIRE ACCIDENT AND FILED A REPORT. HE STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE RIM STRUCK THE CEMENT. THE CRASH DAMAGED THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR, FENDER, AND BUMPER. THE "A" FRAME (AXLE, SUBFRAME, STRUTS) OF THE VEHICLE WERE REPLACED FOR $4,500. THE CONTACT INJURED HIS BACK AND IS STILL SEEING A DOCTOR. THE TIRES ARE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT. THE DOT NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 56,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,950.

THESE TIRES (BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 ? 215/65R16) WERE OEM ON MY 2007 DODGE CARAVAN WITH A FIRESTONE/BRIDGESTONE WARRANTY. AT 10,000 MILES I NOTICED A PULL TO THE RIGHT. I PURCHASED A LIFETIME ALIGNMENT AND ROTATED THE TIRES AT B/F. AFTER ANOTHER 1300 MILES, THE PULL WAS A HARDER RIGHT. F/B CHECKED THE ALIGNMENT, STATING IT WAS GOOD AND TOLD ME THIS WAS A "BELT" ISSUE....PUT THE "BAD" TIRES TO THE REAR AND ORDERED TWO OEM TIRES. I AM AWAITING 2 NEW TIRES OF THE SAME OEM (ONE TO BE WARRANTED THE OTHER SELF PAY). THE F/B STORE, WHERE I PURCHASED THE LIFETIME ALIGNMENT, TELLS ME YOU CAN CHECK A BELT PROBLEM BY CROSS ROTATING THE TIRES. UNTIL THAT TEST IS COMPLETED, THEY CANNOT CONSIDER REPLACING A DAMAGED TIRE UNDER THE WARRANTY. BOTH TIRES ARE UNDER THE 12 MONTH-2/32 DEPTH WARRANTY PROVIDED WITH MY NEW CAR. I THINK F/B SHOULD COVER THE WARRANTY ON BOTH DAMAGED TIRES WITHOUT ANY NEED TO TEST FOR A BELT ISSUE. EITHER THE ?BAD? BELT DAMAGED 2 TIRES OR AN IMPROPER ALIGNMENT DAMAGED 2 TIRES. AFTER READING NUMEROUS REVIEWS ABT THIS PARTICULAR TIRE ON WWW.NHTSA AND WWW.TIRERACK.COM, I DO NOT WANT TO PAY A DIME FOR A TURANZA EL42 REPLACEMENT TIRE. REVIEWS OF THESE TIRES ON BMW'S, ACURA'S, AND DODGE/CHRYSLER PRODUCTS SHOW NUMEROUS PROBLEMS FROM BLOW-OUTS, POOR TREAD WEAR, FLAT SPOTS, CUPPING, AND BELT ISSUES. ADDENDUM: WHILE THE ORIGINAL F/B STORE (WHO INITIALLY ALIGNED AND ROTATED MY TIRES) WILL NOT CONSIDER HONORING THE TIRE WARRANTY, I DID FIND ANOTHER F/B STORE IN MY AREA (20 MILES AWAY INSTEAD OF JUST 4 MILES AWAY) WHO WILL REPLACE THE 2 WORN TIRES WITHOUT QUESTION AND UNDER THE WARRANTY. I WILL SPEAK WITH THE DISTRICT MANAGER OF F/B ABOUT BOTH LOCAL STORES AND THE GOOD AND BAD BEHAVIORS OF EACH STORE MANAGER. *TR

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A DEALER-CERTIFIED USED 2005 ACURA TL WITH NEW, DEALER-INSTALLED BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 TIRES. IN MY FIRST EXPERIENCE DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN RAIN, I NEARLY LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AT 60 MPH WHEN I HIT A SHALLOW STANDING WATER (~1" DEEP) IN THE ROADWAY. BEING A FRONT-DRIVE VEHICLE, I WAS VERY SURPRISED TO FEEL THE FRONT TIRES DISTINCTLY HYDROPLANE AND CAUSE ME TO ALMOST LOSE CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE. THESE TIRES ONLY HAVE 2,000 MILES ON THEM AND I FIND THEIR LACK OF HYDROPLANING RESISTANCE TO BE WELL BELOW NORMAL EXPECTATIONS AND THEREFORE DISTINCTLY DANGEROUS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD F350. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE. THE CONTACT NOTICED AN AIR BUBBLE ON THE DRIVER SIDE TIRE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE TIRE PLUS STORE WHERE IT WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THE FAILURE RECURRED, HOWEVER, THERE WERE FOUR AIR BUBBLES IN THE TIRE AND THE TREAD HAD SEPARATED FROM THE RIM. THE TIRE STORE STATED THAT THEY WILL NOT REPAIR IT UNDER WARRANTY AND THAT SHE WOULD HAVE TO PURCHASE NEW TIRES. THEY ALSO SUGGESTED THAT SHE WAS STRIKING THE CURB WHEN PARKING AND DRIVING, WHICH WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE TIRES HERSELF. THE TIRES WERE BRIDGESTONE DUELER A/T 693, SIZE LT265/75R16. THE DOT NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 100,000.