BRIDGESTONE TIRES Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH ON DRY ASPHALT ROADS, A VIBRATION WAS HEARD IN THE VEHICLE. THE TIRE SENSOR LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME. UPON INSPECTION OF THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE, THE CONTACT DETERMINED THAT THE SIDE OF THE TIRE CLOSEST TO THE VEHICLE APPEARED TO HAVE RUBBED AGAINST THE SHOCK ABSORBER, AND THE CORDS WERE VISIBLE WHERE THE TREAD MET THE SIDEWALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE.

DURING REGULAR MAINTENANCE IN MY TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 4X4 2004 WITH A 20000 MILES, THE DEALERSHIP INFORM ME THAT THE TIRES NEED TO BE REPLACE AND TOLD ME THAT WARRANTY DOES NOT INCLUDE TIRES. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT TIRES SHOULD HOLD MORE THEN 15000 MILES. THE TIRES ARE BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/T 687. *NM

I HAVE 4 BRIDGESTONE TIRES, DUELER AT 693, LT 285/75/16, ON MY VEHICLE. LAST WEEK ONE OF THEM BECAME SEVERELY DEFECTIVE AND HAD SOME SORT OF SEPARATION INSIDE IT. I SEE THAT THESE TIRES WERE SUBJECT TO A VOLUNTARY SAFETY CAMPAIGN, # 04T018000 THAT HAS APPARENTLY EXPIRED. I WAS CERTAINLY NEVER AWARE OF THIS CAMPAIGN OR I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN RISKING MY FAMILIES SAFETY WITH THESE TIRES WITHOUT HAVING THEM CHECKED. I HAVE HAD THE TIRES APPROXIMATELY 2 1/2 YEARS AND APPARENTLY PURCHASED THEM NEAR OR AROUND THE CAMPAIGN DATES. MY QUESTION IS, DO I HAVE ANY RECOURSE IN THIS MATTER. I NOW HAVE ONE VERY DEFECTIVE TIRE, AND THREE MORE WITH AMPLE TREAD BUT ARE NOT APPARENTLY SAFE TO DRIVE MY FAMILY AROUND ON. I DON'T BELIEVE BRIDGESTONE DID A VERY GOOD JOB NOTIFYING THE CONSUMERS OF THIS CAMPAIGN. *JB

I HAVE HAD TWO INSTANCES WHERE THERE WAS TREAD SEPARATION ON BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/T 684 205 70R 15 95S. THE FIRST INSTANCE 2 YEARS AGO WAS CATASTROPHIC AND CAUSED $2300 IN DAMAGE TO THE LEFT REAR OF THE CAR. LAST WEEK THE CAR SUDDENLY STARTED VIBRATING. INSPECTION OF THE TIRES SHOWED A LARGE BUBBLE UNDER THE TREAD OF THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE. ONE OF THE DEFECTIVE TIRES WAS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT AND THE OTHER TIRE WAS PURCHASED AS ONE OF 4 REPLACEMENT TIRES. THE TIRES HAD 40-50,000 MILES ON THEM BUT STILL HAD PLENTY OF TREAD REMAINING. THERE WAS NO UNEVEN WEAR ON THE TREAD. ACCORDING TO THE INFORMATION MOLDED ONTO THE TIRES, THE TIRES WERE MADE A COUPLE OF YEARS APART. THIS WOULD LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THAT EITHER THEIR IS A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE TIRE OR THERE IS A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR OVER 45 YEARS AND THIS IS THE ONLY TIRE I HAVE EVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH. IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, A BRIDGESTONE TIRE DEALER TOLD ME I HAD TO REPORT IT TO THE MANUFACTURER AND PROVIDED A PHONE NUMBER. AFTER TWO WEEKS OF CALLING THE GIVEN PHONE NUMBER THAT WAS NEVER ANSWERED, I GAVE UP. THUS, I AM NOTIFYING YOU. *NM

REPORT OF BRIDGESTONE TIRE FAILURE (TREAD SEPARATION) ON 1999 HONDA CRV. WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY NOTICED VEHICLE VIBRATION, AND UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF CAUSED BY ROAD SURFACE OR VEHICLE. AFTER ABOUT 200 MILES VIBRATION BECAME BAD ENOUGH TO DETERMINE VEHICLE WAS AT FAULT. DRIVER CONDUCTED VISUAL (ON VEHICLE) INSPECTION OF TIRES WITH NO DEFECT NOTED. AFTER ANOTHER 50 MILES, VIBRATION WORSENED TO THE POINT THAT IT WAS EVIDENT BELOW 50 MPH. REMOVED RIGHT REAR TIRE AND DISCOVERED NEAR FAILURE TREAD SEPARATION. TIRE IS SEVERAL YEARS OLD AND MAY HAVE 40,000 MILES WEAR. THIS IS THE SECOND FAILURE OF THIS TYPE TIRE ON THIS VEHICLE IN THE PAST FEW YEARS. FIRST FAILURE RESULTED IN VERY LOW SPEED BLOW-OUT. LATEST TIRE IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. *JB

I PURCHASED MY CHEVROLET EXTENDED CAB SILVERADO TRUCK APPROXIMATELY 7 MONTHS AGO. TODAY MY BRIDGESTONE V-STEEL RLB265 RADIAL LT245/75R16 LOAD RANGE E MTS 120/116S TIRE BLEW OUT. THE BLOW OUT OCCURRED ON THE SIDE OF THE TIRE (ABOUT THE 'E' IN THE WORD BRIDGESTONE. THERE WAS NO FOREIGN OBJECT - IT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A WEAKNESS IN THE TIRE WALL. I ALMOST CAREENED INTO ANOTHER CAR - SINCE I WAS JUST BEGINNING TO MERGE ON FROM ONE EXPRESS WAY TO THE OTHER. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS & NEEDS TO BE RECTIFIED BEFORE SOMEONE IS EITHER INJURED OR KILLED. IS THIS GOING TO KEEP OCCURRING WITH THESE TIRES? IF SO, I WANT ALL 4 REPLACED WITH SOMETHING DIFFERENT. *JB

I PURCHASE A 2006 HONDA CIVIC FOR MY WIFE IN OCT. 2005 AND FROM THE BEGINNING SHE HAS COMPLAINED OF A ROAD NOISE WHILE DRIVING. THE NOISE STARTED OUT BARELY AUDIBLE AND HAS PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE WITH MORE MILES. WE BROUGHT THE CAR TO TWO HONDA DEALERSHIPS BEFORE IT HAD 6000 MILES ON IT AND THEY TOLD US THAT IT WAS JUST NORMAL TIRE NOISE. AFTER MORE COMPLAINING THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS OUR FAULT, BECAUSE WE DID NOT ROTATE THE TIRES FREQUENTLY ENOUGH. WHEN I POINTED OUT TO THEM THAT THEY BALANCED AND ROTATED THE TIRES PRIOR TO THE REQUIRED PERIOD OUTLINED IN THE VEHICLE MAINTENANCE RECORDS THE STORY CHANGED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE NOW HAS 19000 MILES ON IT AND THE NOISE IS HORRIBLE AND THE LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP NOW SAYS THE REAR TWO TIRES HAVE SEPARATED BELTS DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE MUST HAVE HIT A POTHOLE OR ROAD DEBRIS. I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW I COULD HAVE HIT A POTHOLE OR ROAD DEBRIS WITH JUST TWO TIRES, BECAUSE LAST TIME I CHECKED THE FRONT TIRES WERE FOLLOWED BY THE REAR TIRES. I HAVE ALSO BROUGHT THIS CAR TO A BRIDGESTONE DEALER, WHICH IS THE MAKE OF THE TIRES, AND HE SAID THE TIRES WERE CUPPED DUE TO THE CAR BEING OUT OF ALIGNMENT. I THEN CALLED THE CUSTOMER SUPPORT LINE ON THE TIRE WARRANTY PAMPHLET FOR BRIDGESTONE AND WAS INFORMED THAT THIS WAS A VEHICLE ISSUE. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS IS BECOMING A SAFETY ISSUE EVEN THOUGH I HAVE BEEN ASSURED THAT THIS WILL NOT CREATE A PROBLEM OTHER THAN BEING NOISY. I HAVE RECEIVED NO HELP FROM HONDA OR BRIDGESTONE IN THIS MATTER OTHER THAN A BUNCH OF FINGERPRINTING AND THE OFFER TO SELL ME NEW SET OF TIRES AT A COST OF OVER $600. EVERYONE AGREES THAT THE TIRES HAVE A PROBLEM AND ARE THE CAUSE OF THE NOISE, BUT NOBODY WANTS TO ADMIT RESPONSIBILITY FOR A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. *NM

MY 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HAS ONLY 20600 MILES ON IT. I HAVE NOTICED THAT ALL 4 BRIDGESTONE DUELLER H/ T P225 70R 16 TIRES ARE SO WORN OUT THAT I AM HAVING TROUBLE STOPPING IN THE RAIN. I AM GOING TO REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES BUT I BELIEVE THAT THIS OF CONCERN SINCE I DO MAINTAIN THE TIRES AT PROPER INFLATION AND THEY HAVE BEEN ROTATED AT LEAST TWICE. THE WEAR IS EQUAL ON ALL 4 TIRES. THIS TIRES WHERE RATED FOR AT LEAST 60,000 MILES AND TO ONLY GET A THIRD OF THAT AND THE EXPENSE IS TERRIBLE. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THIS ON OTHER HIGHLANDERS AND EVEN RAV4S. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE EXPLODED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN INFORMED. THE TIRES WERE MAINTAINED CORRECTLY. THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THERE WERE NO NOISES HEARD PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THERE WERE NO LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH TO INDICATE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE TIRE.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TREAD ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE SEPARATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, CAUSING SLIGHT LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP,WHERE THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE SEPARATION.