BRIDGESTONE TIRES Complaints

EXCESSIVE REAR TIRE WEAR, BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE92, 225/55/17 INSTALLED ON 2005 SUBARU OUTBACK. NORMAL TIRE WEAR THROUGH 19K MILES. REAR TIRES COMPLETLY WORN OUT AFTER 2K ROAD TRIP WITH MODERATE VEHICLE LOADING. NO SIGNS OF MIS-ALIGNMENT OR OVER/UNDER INFLATION. FRONT TIRES REMAIN SERVICEABLE. *NM

HAVE HAD FEATHERING ON FRONT TIRE EDGES ON 05' CHEVROLET Z-71. TWO ALIGNMENTS AND TWO SETS OF BRIDGESTONE DUELER A/T'S LATER TRUCK STILL HAS A VIBRATION AT 50 MPH. AM STILL WORKING ON THE PROBLEM, DEALER'S SERVICE ADVISOR HAS TOLD ME HIS TECH.'S CAN'T FEEL THE VIBRATION ALTHOUGH WHEN SAID SERVICE ADVISOR ROAD WITH ME ON A TEST DRIVE HE HAD ADMITTED TO FEELING THE VIBRATION. SO... CAN I THROW MY HANDS IN THE AIR ALSO WHILE SENDING MY MONTHLY PAYMENTS ? *NM

CATASTROPHIC TIRE FAILURE TIRE THAT FAILED WAS A BRIDGESTONE DUELLER P225/70 R16 THAT WAS AN ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT SPARE ON A 2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE SUV WAS PURCHASED NEW IN MARCH 2005, IT HAS APPROXIMATELY 25,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THE SPARE WAS PLACED ON THE CAR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR IN DEC. 2005 AND HAS APPROX. 5000 MILES ON IT. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON I-95 IN SOUTH CAROLINA. IT WAS DAYTIME AND VISIBILITY WAS EXCELLENT. NO ROAD HAZARDS WERE OBSERVED AT ANY TIME. THE CAR HAD RECENTLY BEEN SERVICED AND ALL TIRES WERE FULLY INFLATED. THE CAR SHOWED NO SIGNS OF POOR OR ERRATIC HANDLING PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THERE WAS A LOUD SOUND WITH AN IMMEDIATE COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE TIRE. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL WITH SOME DIFFICULTY. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AT A SPEED OF 70 MPH. THE TIRE WAS EXAMINED BY GARAGE PERSONNEL IN SC AND IN TALLAHASSEE, FL. IN BOTH CASES, NO SIGN OF ROAD HAZARD DAMAGE COULD BE FOUND. FURTHER, THERE WAS GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT THE TIRE HAD APPARENTLY FAILED DUE TO A SIDEWALL FLAW WHERE IT MET THE TREAD. I HAVE RETAINED THE DAMAGED TIRE FOR YOUR EXAMINATION. YOU SHOULD NOTE THAT IN 2004, BRIDGESTONE RECALLED A DIFFERENT SIZE OF THIS TIRE THAT WAS BEING USED AS A SPARE FOR A SIMILAR PROBLEM. I SUSPECT THAT THERE IS A LARGER PROBLEM THAT BRIDGESTONE IS COVERING UP DUE TO FIRESTONE'S WELL DOCUMENTED PROBLEMS. *JB

I WAS TRAVELING EAST ON INTERSTATE 80 BETWEEN THE CA/NV BORDER AND EAST RENO. IN TWO INSTANCES I ENCOUNTERED PAVEMENT THAT WAS GROOVED (IN THE DIRECTION OF THE ROAD). I WAS INITIALLY TRAVELING AT ABOUT 65 MPH. I WAS DRIVING A NEW 2006 BUICK LUCERNE V-8 VIN IG4HE5Y76U157759 WITH BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL 400 TIRES. WHEN I DROVE ON THE GROOVED PAVEMENT, I ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR BECAUSE THE FRONT WHEELS WOBBLED SO BADLY THAT IT FORCE THE CAR TO WEAVE AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO HOLD THE STEERING WHEEL STEADY. THIS HAPPENED IN THE AREA WEST OF RENO IN THE MOUNTAINS AND AGAIN IN AN AREA IN RENO WHERE THE PAVEMENT WAS ALSO GROOVED. NORMALLY, THIS CAR IS REMARKABLY STEADY, SO THIS WAS A TOTALLY UNEXPECTED AND DISCONCERTING INCIDENT. FORTUNATELY, WHEN I SLOWED TO 45 MPH I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR BETTER UNTIL I PASSED THAT SECTION OF PAVEMENT. *NM

THE INCIDENT HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM SCHOOL AT AROUND 4:30 PM. JUST LIKE ALWAYS AROUND AT CERTAIN PART OF THE FREEWAY THE TRAFFIC BEGAN AND EVERYONE WAS SLOWING DOWN. I BEGAN TO PRESS ON MY BREAKS. THIS IS WERE THINGS ALL WENT TO FAST AND ARE KIND OF WEIRD. GOING ABOUT 60 MPH, MY SUV WAS NOT SLOWING DOWN AND IT JERKED TO THE LEFT. THERE WERE A LOT OF BAD, SCARY NOISES, ONES THAT AUTOMOBILES SHOULDN'T MAKE. LUCKILY, I DIDN'T HIT ANYONE ELSE. MY THOUGHT BEFORE I GOT OUT OF THE CAR WAS THAT I TOTALLY SLAMMED INTO THE CENTER MEDIAN. HOWEVER, UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE I SAW THAT COSMETICALLY THE CAR WAS PRETTY MUCH FINE. ALL THE COMMOTION THAT I HEARD AND FELT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE AT FIRST BUT THEN IT ALL CAME TO FRUITION. IT SEEMS THAT GOING 60 MPH WITH 10-15 FEET MY CAR CAME TO A DEAD STOP, RESTING ON TWO RIGHT SIDE TIRES AND TO LEFT SIDE WHEELS. THE FREEWAY PATROLMAN WENT UP AND DOWN THE FREEWAY TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T HIT ANYTHING (BECAUSE I DIDN'T!), AND ALL HE FOUND WERE PIECES OF MY CAR AND NOTHING ELSE. AGAIN WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, BUT THERE IS A LONG LIST OF MECHANICAL, BODY AND REFINISH WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND REPLACED. SO FAR AROUND 7,000+ IN DAMAGES. NOT TO MENTION THEY ARE NOT SURE IF THE TRANSMISSION AND THE FRAME ARE MESSED UP. THE REAR SUB FRAME, THE PIECE THAT HOLDS THE SUSPENSION TOGETHER, BROKE CLEAN IN HALF. WE DON'T KNOW IF THE FRONT FAILED AND CAUSED THE BACK TO FALL APART, OR IF THE BACK FAILED AND CAUSED THE FRONT TO FALL APART. TO CORRECT IT THEY ARE JUST GOING TO REPAIR EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED, MOST WHICH ARE BEING REPLACED WITH USED PARTS. THE ONLY PHYSICAL INJURY THAT OCCURRED WAS A BIG BURN/CUT I GOT FROM THE SIDE AIR BAG GOING OFF. PLUS, BY REPLACING THE PIECES WITH USED PARTS, HOW DO THEY KNOW IT WON'T FAIL AGAIN? ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN THE FIRST PLACE! THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. *NM

I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2006 BMW 330I WITH OEM BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE050A RUNFLAT TIRES. THE TIRES BUCKLED ON THE SIDE WALL AFTER LESS THAN 8000K MILES. OUT OF CURIOSITY I CHECKED THE BIMMERFEST -HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=146728 FORUM AND DISCOVERED THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AMONG BMW OWNERS. *NM

I DROVE A 2005 HONDA ACCORD. AFTER TWO DAYS OF PURCHASED WHICH WAS IN APRIL , 2005 I PULLED OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE MY LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS POPPED. I HAD IT REPLACED AND CALLED THE DEALERSHIP. THEY SENT ME TO ONE OF THEIR TIRE AFFILIATE DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS NOT MANUFACTURER FAULTS. FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS AFTER, I HEARD MY BRAKES MAKING THIS SCREECH LOUD NOISE SO I BROUGHT IN FOR THE DEALER TO TAKE A LOOK AT AND THEY HAD IT RE-DO ON THE BRAKE. LAST WEEK, BEGINNING OF MAY 2006. THE CAR BRING IN MY ATTENTION ON THE FREEWAY. WHEN I DRIVE AT 65 MILES, THE CAR WAS SHAKING, IT MOVES SIDE TO SIDE AND I DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH CONTROL WITH THE WHEELS. I BROUGHT IT IN AND THE DEALER HAD MY WHEELS ROTATE FOR ME. AND TODAY, THIS MORNING I DROPPED MY DAUGHTER TO HER BABY SITTER HOUSE AT 9:30 A.M. IT IS A BUSY RESIDENTIAL AREA SO I WAS DRIVING AROUND 15-20 MILES PER HOUR. I HEARD A VERY LOUD NOISE FROM MY CAR AND THE CAR WAS DRAGGING SOMETHING IN THE FRONT, RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE FOR FEW SECONDS AND THE CAR WAS DEAD STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. I COULD NOT START THE ENGINE AT ALL. SO I WENT OUT AND LOOKED. I SAW MY FRONT RIGHT SIDE CAR DROPPED ON IT'S OWN WHEEL WITH BLACK PIECES, BOLT, AND SILVER RING PIECE SCATTERED ON THE STREET. I LOOKED DOWN AND SAW MY FRONT RIGHT AXLE WAS BROKEN AND FELT DOWN ON THE STREET. THERE ARE NEIGHBORS WALKED BY AND SAW WHAT HAPPENED. I CALLED A TOWED TRUCK AND THEY CAME BY TO TOWED MY CAR TO THE NEARBY HONDA DEALER. WITH THE CONDITION THE CAR WAS IN. THE TOW TRUCK MAN TOLD ME THAT HE MIGHT HAD SCRAPED MY FRONT BUMPER BECAUSE MY CAR HAD VERY SMALL SPACE FOR THE LIFT OF HIS TRUCK TO GO UNDER AND LIFT UP THE CAR. WE MANAGED TO SECURED THE CAR AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WILL TAKE A LOOK AT IT. *NM

THE VEHICLE CERTIFICATION LABEL ON THE INSIDE DOOR PANEL SHOWS THE GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT INFORMATION AND THE VIN NUMBER, BUT THE TIRE PRESSURE AND WHEEL SIZE INFORMATION IS LEFT BLANK. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40MPH THROUGH A RESIDENTIAL AREA, THE VEHICLE OPERATED AT A REDUCED SPEED AND SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED AND WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. ADDITIONALLY, WHILE DRIVING 75MPH THE FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT WITHOUT WARNING. UPON INITIAL INSPECTION, THERE WAS COMPLETE TREAD SEPARATION. THE TIRE WAS A BRIDGESTONE, TIRE LINE SIZE OF P215/55/R17.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND TURNING SHARPLY LEFT OR RIGHT THE FRONT TIRES RUBBED THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SHUTTER, THIS HAPPENED EITHER IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. UPON INSPECTION THE FRONT TIRE ROD ENDS WERE REPLACED. THE DEALER STATED THE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE WERE THE CORRECT SIZE. HOWEVER , REPLACING THE TIRE ROD ENDS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 06/05/2006. *AK *TS