DUNLOP TIRES Complaints

I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE ARIZONA ATTORNEY GENERAL ON MAY 17, 2010. I PURCHASED A 2010 HONDA CIVIC IN CHANDLER ON NOVEMBER 7, 2009. MY CAR WAS DAMAGED. I BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW. AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CHOSE TO CATEGORIZE MY CAR PROBLEMS AS 'NORMAL'. THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE PERFORMED WORK WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE WHICH CAUSED A NEW PROBLEM TO ARISE. CAR PULLS TO THE RIGHT, STEERING WHEEL SHIFTS TO THE RIGHT WHILE BRAKING AND MORE. I WAS INVOLVED IN TWO SEPARATE TRAFFIC INCIDENTS THAT COULD HAVE EASILY RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. THERE IS MUCH, MUCH MORE; THIS IS NOT AN EVERYDAY, AVERAGE TYPE OF COMPLAINT. PLEASE ALLOW ME TO EXPLAIN IN DETAIL, PREFERABLY OVER THE PHONE OR IN PERSON. MY PRIMARY OBJECTIVE IS THAT NO OTHER PERSON BUY THIS CAR AT RETAIL - IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. I SURRENDERED IT ON MAY 7, 2010. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE, FLHTCUSE4 EQUIPPED, WITH DUNLOP D407 P180/65/16 TIRES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAD EXPERIENCED A RECURRING FAILURE INVOLVING AN ABNORMAL AND EXCESSIVE VIBRATION WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE. THE FRONT TIRE WAS REPLACED AND THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE CONTACT EVENTUALLY REPLACED BOTH TIRES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,200 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 8,769.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIRES WORE OUT AFTER 16,000 MILES. THE REPLACEMENT TIRES, DUELER HT 235/65/R16 (NA) DOT NUMBER D684, FAILED AFTER 22,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE TIRE CENTER WHERE THE TIRES WERE PURCHASED AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIRE WEAR WAS CAUSED BY THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED AT THE DEALERSHIP AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 38,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MAZDA3. THE VEHICLE HAS FOUR GOODYEAR DUNLAP SP SPORT SIGNATURE TIRES, SIZE 205/50R/17 93V, DOT MK7PRNHR. THE CONTACT NOTICED A CRACK IN THE SIDEWALL OF THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE. THE TIRE WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT AND THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE SIDEWALL WAS ALSO CRACKED. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION ALL OF THE REMAINING TIRES ON THE VEHICLE WERE ALSO EXHIBITING UNUSUAL CRACKS IN THE SIDEWALL. THE DEALER AGREED TO PRORATE THE COST OF THE TIRES AT THE CONTACTS EXPENSE. THE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAD FOUR DIFFERENT BRANDS OF TIRES ON IT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 6,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FXSTSSE3 HD OEM DUNLOP D407 TIRES SHOWING WEAR AT 5,000 MILES, LOCAL DEALER & EMAIL TO DUNLOP WOULD NOT COVER THEM. LATER, PROVIDED LOCAL DEALER SERVICE MANAGER PRINTED COPIES OF HD BULLETINS & INTERNET COMMENTS FROM HD FORUMS ON PROBLEM AND HE GOT APPROVAL TO REPLACE FRONT TIRE WITH D408 AT NO CHARGE BECAUSE IT HAD SIGNS OF CUPPING. WOULD NOT COVER REAR D407 240/40R18 TIRE EVEN THOUGH AT 6,000 MILES SHOWING EARLY WEAR. DUNLOP WEB SITE ADVERTISES THE D407 & D408 TIRES HAVE MT FOR LONGER LIFE, YET MANY 2008 - 2009 HD OWNERS WIT THIS BRAND TIRE ARE HAVING PROBLEMS. ON THEIR WEBSITE HTTP://WWW.DUNLOPMOTORCYCLE.COM/TIRECATALOG_TIRE.ASP?ID=107 : "THE NEW D407 TIRE IS MADE FOR 2009 FL TOURING MODELS, AND THEREAR TIRES FEATURE DUNLOP'S ADVANCED MT MULTI-TREAD TECHNOLOGY. MT MULTI-TREAD REAR TIRE INCORPORATES A TOUGH TREAD COMPOUND IN THE CENTER THAT RUNS COOLER TO PROVIDE STABILITY, EXCELLENT TRACTION UNDER BRAKING AND LONG LIFE, AND TO EACH SIDE IS A SECTION OF LATERAL-GRIP COMPOUND THAT ENHANCES TRACTION AT HIGHER LEAN ANGLES FOR GREAT GRIP WHILE CORNERING.". HD & DUNLOP WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE REAR D407'S. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HONDA ST1300 EQUIPPED WITH DUNLOP ROADSMART TIRES, SIZE P125/70/R18, DOT#DKCJ011M0808. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT BLISTERS AND TREAD SEPARATION ON THE TIRES MADE IT DIFFICULT TO DRIVE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE TIRE MANUFACTURER WHO REFERRED HIM TO THE AN AUTHORIZED VEHICLE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE TIRE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT MAKE A DECISION ON HOW TO HANDLE THE TIRE FAILURE UNTIL THEY WERE INSPECTED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000 AND THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 3,500.

DUNLOP ROADSMART FRONT MOTORCYCLE TIRE, SIZE 120/70 X 18 HAS SUFFERED A TREAD SEPARATING AND PUNCTURE CAUSED BY THE INTERNAL STEEL BELT PIERCING THE INNER LINER. THIS TIRE WAS USED FOR APPROXIMATELY 6000 MILES ON A 2005 HONDA ST1300. THIS SAME FAILURE MODE HAS OCCURRED TO MANY OF MY FRIENDS AT THE WWW.ST-OWNERS.COM FORUM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 LEXUS GS350 EQUIPPED WITH DUNLOP SPORT P225/50/R17 TIRES. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER AND REAR DRIVERS SIDE TIRES DISPLAYED BLISTERS ON THE SIDEWALLS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE CONTACTS EXPENSE. THE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 6,224. THE VIN AND DOT NUMBERS WERE UNAVAILABLE WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED.

MY MOTORCYCLE'S FRONT TIRE DEVELOPED A VERY LARGE BLISTER APPROXIMATELY 2" WIDE BY 7-8" LONG BY 2" HIGH THIS TYPE OF FAILURE OF THE TREAD COULD EASILY BE DISASTROUS ON A MOTORCYCLE. I'VE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE CONTACT WITH SOMEONE FROM DUNLOP ABOUT THIS DEFECT WITH NO RESPONSE. *TR

REGARDING 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA INVESTIGATION PE06010 TIRES: PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS WHICH IS "CLOSED", I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS TWICE. TWO FLAT TIRES, WITH DUNLAP RUN FLATS, BOTH TIRES SEVERELY DAMAGED BY RUNNING WITHOUT ENOUGH PRESSURE, NO WARNING LITE CAME ON. SCARY TO THINK YOU CAN DRIVE AT FREEWAY SPEEDS AND NOT KNOW YOU HAVE A FLAT, BUT WHEN YOU EXIT THE CAR AND HAPPEN TO NOTICE THE FLAT YOU FEEL LUCKY NOT TO HAVE CRASHED. TOYOTA DEALER SAYS THIS IS JUST THE RUN FLATS DOING THEIR JOB. I HAD TWO SETS OF THESE RUN FLATS AND HAVE SWITCHED TO STANDARD RADIALS AND FEEL SAFER, AT LEAST I WILL KNOW WHEN I HAVE A FLAT TIRE WHILE DRIVING! SORRY I DON'T HAVE THE TIRE/MODEL SIZE INFO IN FRONT OF ME NOW BUT I CAN LOOK AT RECEIPTS FOR FURTHER DETAILS. I KNOW IT WAS SPORT SOMETHING, AND 17". THE DUNLAPS WENT TO RECYCLING SO I DON'T HAVE THEIR SERIAL NUMBERS. *TR