BRIDGESTONE TIRES Complaints

THE BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/T TIRES HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO HAVE WEAR (VIBRATION) ISSUES, DUE TO THE TIRES BEING A SOFTER TIRE, ACCORDING TO MANY CHEVROLET AND GMC SERVICE MANAGERS THAT I HAVE CALLED. I RECEIVED TWO TIRES, BALANCING/ROTATION FREE, BUT I HAD TO BUY TWO AS WELL. I FEEL SINCE GM DEALERSHIPS KNOW ABOUT THIS ISSUE, THEY SHOULD SEND OUT A RECALL. I HAVE HAD MY TIRES BALANCED AND ROTATED MANY TIMES (ABOUT EVERY 3,000 MILES), BUT THE OWNERS MANUAL STATES EVERY 5000 - 8000 MILES. EVEN-THOUGH THERE IS A PROBLEM, THEY WOULDN'T PAY DUE TO MY VEHICLE HAD TOO MANY MILES (35,600) ON IT, BUT WHAT THEY WON'T ADMIT IS THAT FACT THAT I'VE HAD TO PAY EXTRA MONEY FOR ADDITIONAL BALANCE AND ROTATIONS. IF THERE IS A KNOWN ISSUE, THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL; EVEN-THOUGH THAT MAY COST THEM MONEY, BUT IT'S GM'S RESPONSIBILITY AND THAT WILL COST THEM CUSTOMERS IN THE FUTURE!! *NM

MY TOYOTA SR5 WAS BOUGHT IN FEB 06, I HAVE 7400 MILES ON IT. MY RIGHT REAR TIRE SPLIT OPEN ON TREAD AND WAS SPLITTING AROUND THE EDGE AND SIDEWALL. LAST SATURDAY ON MY WEEKLY INSPECTION OF THE TRUCK THE TIRES HAD NO DEFECT. LUCKILY IT WAS CAUGHT BEFORE AN ACCIDENT OCCURED. THE DEALER HAS ORDERED A REPLACEMENT TIRE AND STATEDE IT WS A DEFECTIVE TIRE. THE TIRE WAS MADE BY BRIDGESTONE, K0305 D840Z P265/65R17 TUBELESS STEEL BELTED RADIAL. MY CONCERN IS THAT IS MADE FROM A DEFECTIVE LOT AND THAT MY OTHER TIRES AND TIRES CURRENTLY SOLD HAVE MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEMS.

MY 2005 ACURA TL EL42 BRIDGESTONE REAR TIRES WENT COMPLETELY BALD ON A 3000 MILE TRIP(19000 MILES TOTAL) FROM DALLAS TO COLORADO AND BACK. IT APPEARS THAT THERE IS A SUSPENSION/TIRE PROBLEM WHERE THE REAR ALIGNMENT UNDER FULL LOAD OF 2 PASSANGERS AND LUGGAGE IN THE TRUNK DEGRADES AND CAUSES SEVERE TIRE WEAR. THIS CAUSES SEVERE LOSS OF CONTROL ON WET PAVEMENT WITH REAR HYDROPLANING AT EVEN <50 MPH. ACURA HAS A TSB AND REPLACE TIRES AT LOWERED COST BUT ONLY WITH THE SUSPECT EL42 TIRES. AFTER FURTHER INTERNET SEARCHES THIS SEEM NOT TO BE ISOLATED INCIDENT.

MY 2005 ACURA TL HAS 21,000 MILES AND ALREADY THE TIRES NEED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO WEAR. THE BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 TIRES ARE RATED FOR MUCH HIGHER WEAR AND I HAVE NOTICED MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET. SOME ON THIS WEBSITE BUT THE MAJORITY ON OTHER WEBSITES. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE TIRE IS DEFECTIVE. THE DEALER SAYS WE NEED TO REPLACE THEM, I REACHED OUT TO BRIDGESTONE BUT HAVE NOT RECEIVED THEIR COMMENTS YET. *NM

BLOW OUT OF RIGHT REAR TIRE (COSTCO ITEM #758707 BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE RE750 245/40R17 ULTRA HIGH PERFORMANCE) RESULTING IN $2000 WORTH OF VEHICLE DAMAGE. DEFECTIVE TIRE REMNANTS SENT TO BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE. THEIR INSPECTOR DENIES THAT THE TIRE FAILURE WAS A RESULT OF A DEFECT IN MATERIALS OR WORKMANSHIP. I DO NOT BELIEVE THEY HAVE OBJECTIVELY EVALUATED THE TIRE REMAINS AND ARE ATTEMPTING TO AVOID EXCEPTING RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE BLOWOUT WHICH WOULD AMOUNT TO COVERING MY $2000 OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES. *JB

PURCHASED NEW 330I FROM DEALER IN 9-05. ON 4-06 AT 12,500 MILES CALLED DEALER TO REQUEST SERVICE SINCE VEHICLE HAD BEEN MAKING A "ROARING & WA-WA" SOUND WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. THIS HAD BEEN GOING ON FOR SOME TIME & SINCE DRIVER WAS WAITING FOR COMPUTER TO INDICATE SERVICE NEEDED KEPT ON DRIVING. DEALER AGREED TO SEE CAR AND UPON INSPECTION CALLED DRIVER & INFORMED THAT TIRES WERE WORN ERRATICALLY & NEEDED TO BE REPLACED (EST AT $1500). SINCE DRIVER QUESTIONED NEED FOR NEW TIRES AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE, DEALER FINALLY SUGGESTED TO CALL CORPORATE BMW. CORPORATE BMW STATED THERE WAS A PROCESS DRIVER WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH IN ORDER TO CONFIRM TIRE DEFECT SINCE TIRES WERE NOT PART OF WARRANTY DRIVER WOULD HAVE TO PROCESS CLAIM THROUGH TIRE MANUFACTURER WITH ASSISTANCE FROM CORPORATE BMW. DRIVER HAD TO THEN GO TO TIRE MANUFACTURER TO HAVE THE TIRES INSPECTED & REQUEST A REPORT BE GENERATED FROM INSPECTION. TIRE MANUFACTURER STATED TIRE WEAR WAS DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE (SINCE TIRES WERE NEVER ROTATED) & NOT TIRE DEFECTS. DEALER STATED TIRES DO NOT HAVE TO BE ROTATED BUT TIRE MANUFACTURER STATED THEY SHOULD. DEALER FINALLY AGREED TO REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES FOR FREE. DURING CALL WITH DEALER TO SCHEDULE TIRE REPLACEMENT, DEALER INFORMED DRIVER THAT BMW WOULD REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES DUE TO BMW'S ASSUMPTION OF A BAD BATCH OF TIRES BUT THAT NEW TIRES WOULD HAVE TO BE RUN FLATS. ALL TIRES WERE REPLACED 4-24-06. DEALER STATED THAT ALTHOUGH BMW DOES NOT RECOMMEND TIRE ROTATION THAT DRIVER NEEDED TO DO SO TO EXTEND LIFE OF NEW TIRES. AT 3,500 MILES DRIVER HAD TIRES ROTATED & WAS INFORMED THAT TIRES WERE ALREADY "CUPPING". CALLED DEALER & INFORMED OF CUPPING TIRES & REQUESTED SERVICE. DRIVER SEEMS TO BELIEVE ISSUE IS EITHER WITH RUN FLAT TIRES OR WITH VEHICLE SUSPENSION. WILL SEE WHAT DEALER SAYS. FOR ANYONE WITH THIS PROBLEM PLEASE FILE A COMPLAINT SO CORPORATE BMW WILL HAVE TO CORRECT. *JB

FROM JAN 2005 TO 6/28/06 I HAVE HAD FOUR SEPARATE INCIDENTS WITH 2004 POTENZA G009 225/45R17 TIRES THAT HAD TREAD SEPARATION FROM SIDEWALL. TIRES INSTALLED ON A 2002 JAGUAR X-TYPE (AWD). ALL TIRES WERE CONSTANTLY MAINTAINED, ROTATED AND BALANCED PER JAGUAR SPECS. DOT EMH8LHC1805. ALL TIRES HAD BETWEEN 5/32 AND 6/32 OF TREAD LEFT AND MORE THAN 25,000 MILES BEFORE OCCURRENCE. REPLACED ONE OUT OF POCKET AND OTHER THREE WERE REPLACED AT MINOR CHARGE BY BRIDGESTONE DEALER (TIRE FREE (WARRANTY) / CHARGED FOR$ 45 FOR INSTALLATION & BALANCING & ROAD HAZARD PROTECTION). INCIDENTS LEAD TO EXTREME VIBRATION AND VEHICLE INSTABILITY AND WOULD HAVE LEAD TO BLOW OUT IF I HAD NOT RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS THE TIRE WALL BECAME TOTALLY DETROYED PRESENTING SLASHES THREE INCHES LONG IN THE SIDE WALLS. THE TIRE WAS BEYOND REPAIR. THE SAME INCIDENT OCCURRED ONE YEAR PRIOR.

BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE92, 22560R16. RIGHT FRONT TIRE TREAD CAME COMPLETELY OFF THE WHEEL. ABLE TO MOVE TO THE RIGHT SAFELY. ODOMETER READING 48K FOR THIS TIRE AND AIR PRESSURE RECENTLY CHECKED. NO IMPACT WITH ANYTHING IN THE ROADWAY, SMOOTH ROADWAY. *JB

AT APPROXIMATELY 12:00 AM 6/23/06, I WAS DRIVING FROM ALBANY, TX TO DALLAS, TX ON HIGHWAY 180... AND THE TREAD ON MY RIGHT REAR TIRE SEPARATED FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE. THE TIRE IS A BRIDGESTONE TURANZA. I WAS DOING BETWEEN 70 AND 75 AT THE TIME AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO REDUCE SPEED TO ABOUT 25. INTERESTINGLY, THE REMAINING TIRE DID NOT GO FLAT. IT WAS STILL INFLATED WHEN I CAME TO A HALT. THE TREAD TORE OFF PART OF MY REAR BUMPER AND MARKED UP THE REAR SIDE PANEL OF MY VEHICLE. I HAVE TAKEN MANY PICTURES OF THE TIRE AND OF THE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE. THIS IS THE THIRD TIRE OF A 4 TIRE SET THAT HAS GIVEN ME PROBLEMS. THE FIRST TWO DEVELOPED RIDGES IN THE TREAD. I REPLACED THEM LAST AUGUST. THE REAR TIRES AT THE TIME SEEMED FINE. NOW, TEN MONTHS LATER... HERE I AM ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE TREAD SEPARATES. I COULD HAVE EASILY DIED OR BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. IF THERE HAD BEEN TRAFFIC AT THE TIME... THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT AS MY VEHICLE WAS ALL OVER THE HIGHWAY UNTIL THE SPEED WAS REDUCED AND CONTROL COULD BE REGAINED. *JB