NHTSA Complaint #10086825 — 2002 AUDI A6

2002 AUDI A6 WAS TAKEN TO SUNSET AUDI IN PORTLAND OR IN DEC.2003 BECAUSE APPEARED TIRES WERE WEARING-SHAVING ON EDGES AND MIDDLE,THEY ALIGNED THE CAR. ON AUGUST 11TH ONE OF THE TIRES WENT FLAT. ON THE NEXT FRIDAY THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO LES SCHWAB WHICH IS THE WARRANTY AGENT FOR PIRELLI.LES SCHWAB TIRE STORE SAID THAT THEY JUST HAD ANOTHER AUDI IN THE SAME THING ON THE EXACT SAME TYPE OF CAR AND THEY HAD SEE MANY OTHERS THAT HAD BEEN COMING IN FORTHE SAME PROBLEM. PIRELLI HAS THEM SEND BACK THE TIRES AND WOULD DETERMINE IF ANY MONEYWOULD BE RETURNED. BESIDES THE FLAT TIRE ALL THE TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED.LES SCHWAB SAID THAT IT DID NOT IN ANY WAY LOOK LIKE ALIGNMENT PROBLEM THAT INSTEAD THEY THOUGHT THAT THE RUBBER COMPOUND WAS NOT ADEQUATE. MY CAR IS 2 YEARS OLD WITH ONLY 10,000 MI AUDI SAYS THEY HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE TIRES AS THAT IS A WARRANTY WITH PIRELLI HOWEVER SINCE IT MAY BE THAT EITHER AUDI DID NOT SPECIFY THE RIGHT TIRE OR PIRELLI GAVE TIRES IN ADEQUATE IN THE THICKNESS OF THE RUBBER. THE BOTTOM LINE WAS THAT I A 77 YEAR OLD FEEL THAT I HAVE BEEN TAKEN,I HAD TO PAYOUT A LITTLE OVER $400 FOR FOUR NEW TIRES ON MY LOW MILEAGE CAR. IN ADDITION I ONLY DRIVE ON WELL PAVED ROADS AND NO FREEWAYS. I FEE THAT SOMEONE IS NOT BEING ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE SAFEY OF MYSELF AND OTHERS. SINCE AUDI SENDS ALL THE TIRE PROBLEMS TO PERRILE THEY NEVER HEAR BACK IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS. MY CONCERN IS THAT NOT ONLY ONE TIRE BLEW OUT BUT ALL F OUR COULD HAVE GONE OUT AT ONCE--HOW MANY OTHER AUDI OWNERS ARE OUT THERE WITH TIRES SHREDDING. I HAVE ASKED AUDI TO FIND OUT IF THE TIRE COMPANY WILL BE GIVING ME MY MONEYBACK--THEY TOLDME AT THE DEALER THAT THE ONLY MONEY THE TIRE COMPANY GIVES BACK IS IF THERE IS A DEFECT AND THEY HAVE NEVER KNOW THIS TIRE COMPANY TO FIND DEFECTS--THUS AUDI DOES NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR TIRES AND NEITHER WILL THE TIRE CO. *AK