BRIDGESTONE TIRES Complaints

EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR ON 2006 BMW 330I. FIRESTONE SAYS THAT THE CUPPING OF THE TIRES (STARTING AT ABOUT 8K MILES) CAUSES LESS TRACTION ON THE ROAD AND WILL GET WORSE. THE TIRES STARTED TO MAKE LOAD NOISE AT ABOUT 8K MILES AND THEY NOW HAVE 13K MILES ON THEM AND THE NOISE LEVEL IS VERY BAD. I HAVE CONTACTED BMW SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY SAY THAT THEY WILL CONSIDER REPLACING THE TIRES ONLY IF I WILL AGREE TO PAY HALF OF THE COST(ABOUT $600 MY COST FOR 4 TIRES). I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE ONLY WITH THIS BRAND AND TYPE OF TIRE AND FIRESTONE NEEDS TO REPLACE THE TIRES. THE TIRES IN QUESTION ARE BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42, SIZE 205/55/R16 RUN FLATS. THIS CUPPING ON THESE TIRES CAUSES THE TIRE TO LOOSE CONTACT WITH THE ROAD AND MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT ON WET ROADS. *NM

PRIOR TO DRIVING CAR MY WIFE NOTICED TIRES APPEARED TO BE FINE BEFORE DRIVING ON FREEWAY. WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WITH CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED MY WIFE NOTICED CAR BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. GRADUALLY DROVE OFF TOWARDS SHOULDER. TIRE SEPARATED AND LANDED ABOUT 20 FEET IN BACK OF CAR ON ROAD. NO INJURIES. WE HAVE NOT SPOKEN TO DEALER YET. TIRE SIZE IS P195/70R14 (UNABLE TO SELECT THIS SIZE ON YOUR FORM). *NM

OEM TIRES ON THE 2005 SUBARU LEGACY GT ARE DANGEROUS. JUST TWO MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING OUR VEHICLE WE WERE CAUGHT IN AN ICE STORM. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO NAVIGATE A GAS STATION AT EXTREMELY LOW SPEEDS THE CAR LOST TRACTION AND RAN INTO A POLE IN FRONT OF A FUEL PUMP. WE OWN A NON-AWD VEHICLE AND IT HAS NEVER LOST TRACTION AT SUCH LOW SPEEDS ON ICE. WE ALSO NOTICED IT DID NOT HANDLE WELL IN THE RAIN, THOUGH IN SNOW IT WAS MARGINALLY BETTER BUT STILL DANGEROUSLY EASY TO LOSE TRACTION IF THE SNOW WAS PACKED ANY. DECIDED TO PURCHASE SNOW TIRES BECAUSE TRAVEL IN THE WINTER WAS DANGEROUS. NOW, WE'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE OEM TIRES BECAUSE OF PREMATURE WEAR -- THEY HAVE LESS THAN 20,000 MILES ON THEM AND THE REAR TIRES ARE NEARLY BALD. ALL PAID FOR OUT OF POCKET -- SUBARU CLAIMS NO RESPONSIBILITY OVER THE TIRES SINCE THEY DON'T MANUFACTURE THEM AND THEY AREN'T COVERED BY WARRANTY AND CONTINUES TO PUT THEM ON THEIR VEHICLES. SUBARU NEEDS TO RECALL THE TIRES AND GIVE PEOPLE TIRES THAT CAN ACTUALLY HANDLE REAL-WORLD CONDITIONS. THE DROPDOWN MENU FOR THE TIRES IS INCORRECT -- THESE ARE 17" TIRES, STANDARD FOR THE GT LTD. *NM

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRIDGESTONE TIRES ON THE 2006 TOYOTA CAMRY DID NOT PROVIDE TRACTION WHEN IT RAINED OR SNOWED. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS AT A STOP AND PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THE CAR WOULD VIBRATE AND MAKE A NOISE. THIS WAS NOT A PROBLEM IN DRY CONDITIONS. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS.*AK

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 ACURA, AND COMPLAINED ABOUT THE TIRES. THE CONTACT HAD 3 INCIDENTS WITH THE TIRES THAT WERE ON THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. DURING THE FIRST INCIDENT, THE DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE LOST AIR DUE TO A NAIL. THE TIRE WAS REPAIRED ON MAY 6, 2006. IN JULY THE CONTACT NOTICED THE SAME TIRE WAS LOSING AIR, AND WAS REPAIRED ON DECEMBER 1, 2006. ALSO, THE CONTACT HAD THE TIRES ROTATED, ALIGNED, AND THE TIRE PRESSURE CHECKED. ON DECEMBER 31, 2006, THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AND NOTICED THE VEHICLE WAS SLOWING DOWN . SHE THEN ACCELERATED, BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SLOW DOWN. SUDDENLY A CLOUD OF SMOKE APPEARED ON THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE . THE POLICE ESCORTED THE CONTACT TO A SAFE LOCATION. THE TIRE WAS BURNT, AND THE RIM WAS DAMAGED. ON JANUARY 2, 2007 ALL 4 TIRES WERE REPLACED AT THE DEALER. THE CONTACT FELT THAT ACURA SHOULD NOT USE THIS TYPE OF DEFECTIVE TIRE. *AK

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE 2004 ACURA TL, WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP ON 01/18/07 FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE SHE WAS INFORMED BY THE SERVICE MECHANIC THAT THE 2 REAR TIRESPREMATURELY WEAR WORE OUT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NHTSA HAS A SERVICE BULLETIN #05076. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MECHANIC INFORMED HER THAT IT WAS BEST TO PURCHASE 4 NEW TIRES INSTEAD OF REPLACING THE 2 BACK TIRES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THESE TIRES CAME WITH THE VEHICLE WITH DOT# 0B6NTU22404 AND SIZE P235/45R17 RADIAL. THE CONTACT FELT THAT THIS WAS MANUFACTURING ISSUE AND THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD RECALL THESE TIRES. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED HER THAT SHE HAS TO PAY 75% OF TIRE REPLACEMENT AS PER THE DEALERSHIP TIRE CHART, HONDA WILL PAY REMAINING 25%. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS IS A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE AND THE TIRES COULD EXPLODE ANYTIME AND IT IS NOT THE FAULT OF THE OWNER. *AK UPDATED 03/30/07. *JB

THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT IS NOT BEING REPORTED TO OWNERS OF THE MERCEDES BENZ ML350 WITH APPEARANCE PACKAGES. THIS IS A 4 WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE THAT IS BEING ADVERTISED AS A SNOW CAPABLE VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE WITH THE APPEARANCE PACKAGE FROM MERCEDES IS A SERIOUS RISK TO ANY BUYER WHO ATTEMPTS TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE IN THE SNOW. THE FACT THAT IS NOT BEING BROUGHT TO BUYERS ATTENTION IS THAT IT COMES WITH PERFORMANCE TIRES, NOT ALL SEASON/SNOW TIRES THAT ARE TYPICAL IN EVERY OTHER 4 WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE. MERCEDES BENZ AND THEIR DEALERS ARE NOT AWARING CONSUMERS OF THIS UPON PURCHASE, WHICH IS A SERIOUS FRAUD WHEN THEY ARE ADVERTISING IT AS BEING A SNOW CAPABLE VEHICLE. THIS FACT WILL LEAD TO NUMEROUS CRASHES BECAUSE OWNERS/DRIVERS ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS VEHICLES LIMITATIONS AND ASSUME IT WILL HANDLE LIKE A STANDARD 4 WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE. NHTSA NEEDS TO BRING THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE MANUFACTURER AND ALL REGISTERED OWNERS OF THE VEHICLE IN ORDER TO PREVENT FURTHER CRASHES. *NM

SIDE WALL FAILURE (BULGE) EVIDENCED ON BRIDGESTONE INSIGNIA TIRE, P19565R15. ORIGINAL TIRES ON NEW VEHICLE. SECOND INCIDENT FIRST, WAS AT ONLY 12,000 MILES. THIS IS DANGEROUS CONDITION. TWO FAILURES REQUIRE SOME AWARENESS BY MANUFACTURER. TIRE REPLACED PRIOR TO COMPLETE FAILURE.*JB

OUR 2006 HONDA PILOT (13,535 MILES) HAD A BLOWOUT OF THE PASSENGER REAR TINE ON JANUARY 10,2007. THIS OCCURRED ON INTERSTATE ROUTE 84 IN DANBURY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE INSIDE SIDEWALL WAS OPENED NOT THE TIRE TREAD. THE AAA DRIVER TOLD MY WIFE IT WAS A BLOWOUT NOT CAUSED BY RUNNING OVER SOMETHING IN THE ROAD. MY WIFE ALSO STATED THAT SHE DID NOT RUN OVER ANYTHING. ARE THERE ANY ISSES WITH THE REMAINING TIRES? BRIDGESTONE 235/70R16 B/STONE DUELLER. *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT HAS A 2006 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500 HD PICKUP WITH AN ODOMETER READING OF 11500 MILES. WHILE DRIVING KAT 30 MPH AND FASTER IF THE VEHICLE CAME IN CONTACT WITH A ROUGH OR UNEVEN PATCH OF ROAD THE FRONT END STARTED TO BOUNCE UP AND DOWN, AND BECAME HARD TO CONTROL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MAYHEW CHEVROLET, AND THEY FOUND THAT THE TRUCK HAD A TIRE TREAD DEVIATION WHICH WAS A POSSIBLE REASON FOR THE FAILURE.*AK THE CONSUMER STATED THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE LOOSES CONTACT WITH THE ROAD. UPDATED 01/29/07.*JB