BRIDGESTONE TIRES Complaints

I HAVE A 2003 TOYOTA PRIUS. I HAD MY FIRST FLAT TIRE AT APPROXIMATELY 18,000 MILES. SECOND FLAT TIRE CAME 20,000 MILES. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO THE TIRE STORE I WAS TOLD THAT PRIUS HAVE MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH TIRES. THEY INDICATED THAT BOTH BACK TIRES WERE COMPLETELY WORN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I SPOKE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER FOR TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND SHE ADMITTED THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE BUT THAT IT HAD BEEN RECTIFIED. SHE REPLACED MY LAST EXISTING TIRE AT APPROXIMATELY 25,000 MILES. AT 45,000 SERVICE I WAS AGAIN TOLD THAT BOTH OF MY BACK TIRES WERE COMPLETELY WORN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY. TOYOTA INDICATED THIS WAS MY FAULT FOR NOT PROPERLY SERVICING THE CAR. I HAVE HAD ALL RECOMMENDED SERVICE UP TO THAT POINT. I CONTACTED THE MANAGER OF THE DEALERSHIP. HE ADVISES ME NOW THAT THE TIRES WILL ALWAYS ONLY LAST APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 25 K MILES. HE SUGGESTED THAT I CHECK MY TIRE PRESSURE AT LEAST EVERY TWO WEEKS AND HAVE TIRES ROTATED EVERY 5,000 MILES BUT ADMITTED THAT THIS WILL PROBABLY NOT HELP BECAUSE OF THE DESIGN OF THE CAR.*JB

TIRE HAD SLOW LEAK. FOUND BUBBLE ON SIDEWALL. TIRE SHOP SAID TIRE HAD LONG BENT NAIL IN TREAD. NAIL RUBBED ON SIDEWALL CAUSING BUBBLE. NAIL WAS VERY LOOSE. ODD THAT ID DID NOT LEAK FASTER. TIRE DID NOT HAVE SHREDDED RUBBER FROM NAIL RUBBING. FIRESTONE TIRE & SERVICE CENTER, 24196 LAGUNA HILLS MALL, CA., 92653 STORE #650145 (949)581-4700. CAR IS 2005 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID, TIRE WAS NEW WITH CAR. TIRE HA 3,763 MILES. *NM

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEPT COMING ON THEN GOING OFF. TOOK TO DEALER BUT THEY COULDN'T GET IT TO DUPLICATE PROBLEM. WHILE THERE THEY NOTICED TIRES WERE SEVERELY WORN. TOLD ME I NEEDED 4 NEW TIRES AND A 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT AT 27,008 MILES. PURCHASED 4 175/65R14 RE 92 EXTRA LOAD TIRES. LEFT AFTER PAYING FOR REPAIRS INCLUDING AN OIL CHANGE OF $557.61 N AUGUST 3, 2004. OCTOBER 8, 2005 HAD TWO NEARLY FLAT FRONT TIRES. HAVE HAD TO PUT AIR INTO TIRES SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE PAST 4 MONTHS - EVEN TOOK CAR TO AUTO GARAGE THAT CHANGED TIRES FROM WINTER TO SUMMER THINKING THEY PUT THEM ON WRONG. OCT. 12, 2005 STARTED HEARING A HUMMING NOISE IN FRONT LEFT TIRE. TOOK TO AUTO GARAGE ON OCT 15, 2005 TO BE TOLD THAT ONCE AGAIN TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN BECAUSE THEY WERE WORN DUE TO NEEDING A FRONT END ALIGNMENT AND FRONT LEFT TIRE NEEDED A BALL BEARING. INSIDE WALL OF TIRES IS WORN OFF AND DANGER OF TIRE BLOW-OUT. REAR TIRES ALSO SHOW SIGNS OF PREMATURE WEAR ON INSIDE WALL AND SHOULD BE REPLACED SOON. CURRENT MILEAGE IS 44,804. I ALSO PUT ON WINTER TIRES EVERY AUTUMN ONTO THE FRONT. GARAGE TECHNICIAN SAID THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH BURNING THROUGH 2 SETS OF 4 TIRES WITHIN 45,000 MILES AND I SHOULD CONTACT DEALER. *JB

MY 2004 ACURA 3.2 TL USES BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 TIRES (235/45R17), W SPEED-RATED. THE EL 42 TIRES HAD A SO CALLED "FLAT SPOT" PROBLEM AND THEY WERE WORN OUT ONLY AT 15,500 MILE. THERE HAS BEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS TYPE OF TIRES ON THE INTERNET. MANY OF THEM MENTIONED THAT "FLAT SPOT" PROBLEM COULD BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE.

I PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED A COMPLAINT (NVS-216 MEC; REF. NO. 10130172) CONCERNING THE FAILURE OF 3 RIMS/WHEELS AND TWO TIRES ON MY 2006 MERCEDES CLS55. SINCE THAT TIME WITH LESS THAN 11,000 MILES ON THE CAR THERE HAS BEEN AN ADDITIONAL FAILURE OF FOUR MORE RIMS AND FOUR MORE TIRES. THIS IS A TOTAL OF 7 RIMS AND TIRES IN LESS THAN 7 MONTHS.*JB

I OWN A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA X-RUNNER, THE FACTORY BRIDGESTONE TIRES ARE GETTING BIG CRACKS ACROSS THEM. AFTER SOME RESEARCH IT APPEARS THIS IS AN ON GOING ISSUE WITH THIS TIRE ON THIS TRUCK LINK: HTTP://WWW.CUSTOMTACOS.COM/UBBTHREADS/SHOWFLAT.PHP?CAT=&NUMBER=559915&PAGE=1&VIEW=COLLAPSED&SB=5&O=186&FPART=38&VC=1. *NM

2005 TOYOTA TACOMA X-RUNNER PURCHASED THE TRUCK IN AUGUST OF 2005 WITH 2K MILES ON IT AND NOTICED THERE IS A LARGE CRACK ACROSS THE REAR RIGHT TIRE. I WOULD LIKE TO INFORM YOU THAT OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME TRUCK ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE YET. FOR MORE INFORMATION, THE FORUM IS AT WWW.CUSTOMTACOS.COM UNDER X-RUNNER TALK / TIRE PROBLEMS. *NM

I OWN A NEW ACURA TL WHICH HAS BRIDGSTONE TURANZA EL 42 235/45-17 TIRES AS OEM. FROM THE BEGINNING IT BECAME CLEAR THE TIRES ARE DANGEROUS. THEY HYDROPLANE ON WET SURFACES, SKID EASILY ON RESIDUAL ROAD SAND. THE RIGHT FRONT AND REAR SIDEWALLS FAILED--ONE WITH AN EGG SHAPED BUBBLE AND THE OTHER WITH A DEEP CUT--DESPITE NO EVIDENCE THAT I STRUCK A CURB OR POTHOLE ETC. BOTH TIRES WERE LIKELY TO BLOW OUT WITH CONTINUED DRIVING. SURVEYS BY TIRE RACK INDICATE THESE TIRES ARE ALSO VERY DANGEROUS IN THE WINTER, WHICH IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN HERE IN THE NORTHEAST WHERE I LIVE. THESE TIRES ALSO "COLDSPOT" AFTER BEING PARKED FOR A WHILE, SOMETIME CAUSING THE CAR TO STEER POORLY. THE DEALER COULD ONLY REPLACE THE BAD TIRES ON A "ROAD HAZARD" WARRANTY, DESPITE MY MANY COMPLAINTS TO BOTH ACURA AND THE PARENT COMPANY HONDA USA. *NM

BRIDGESTONE RE050A TIRES CRACKING ACROSS THE TREAD. THESE TIRES COME STOCK FROM TOYOTA ON THE 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA X-RUNNER. *NM

OWNER OF A 2004 ECLIPSE. FIRST PROBLEM WAS END OF JUNE 2005 BUBBLE ON FRONT RIGHT TIRE, WHEN TAKEN TO GET REPLACED FOUND OUT THAT RIM WAS CRACKED ON THE INSIDE. BOUGHT NEW TIRE AND RIM AND HAD REPLACED! SECOND TIME END OF SEPTEMBER 2005, TOOK CAR INTO GET OIL CHANGED TOLD THEM ABOUT SHAKING OF THE CAR. FOUND OUT THAT BACK RIGHT RIM WAS CRACKED AND MISSING A CHUNK OF THE RIM. NEW RIM WAS PURCHASED AND PUT ON. OCTOBER 1, 2005 DRIVING HOME, CAR WAS PULLED TO THE RIGHT AND MY CAR WAS FLIPPED ON TO ITS HOOD. MOST LIKELY CAR IS TOTALED, STILL WAITING ON ADJUSTER. REPORT STILL BEING PROCESSED WITH MITSUBISHI!!! *NM