NHTSA Complaint #10380832 — 2002 ACURA TL

I HAD 4 BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE960AS POLE POSITION SIZE 215/50R17 TIRES INSTALLED IN MAY OF 2008 ON MY 2002 ACURA TL TYPE S VEHICLE. TWO SEPARATE DEFECTS. 1. I WAS FORCED TO REPLACE ONE TIRE IN JANUARY OF 2010. I REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE TIRE UNDER ROAD HAZARD INSURANCE DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE SIDEWALL. 2. ON FEBRUARY 3, 2011 I HAD A CATASTROPHIC TIRE FAILURE ON INTERSTATE 64 IN ST. LOUIS. THE TIRE DIDN'T JUST BLOW OUT, IT HAD FULL TREAD SEPARATION. THE HIGHWAY WAS CLEAR OF ALL SNOW AND SLUSH IN THE LOCATION WHERE THE FAILURE OCCURRED. MY ESTIMATED SPEED WAS 50 MPH AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS 9 DEGREES ABOVE ZERO. I WAS NOT IN A TURN, AND DID NOT HIT ANY ROAD HAZARDS. THE TIRES ON MY VEHICLE WERE INFLATED PROPERLY. THE SHOP REPORTED THAT THE OTHER TIRES HAD VERY EVEN TIRE WEAR, SUGGESTING THAT THE WHEELS WERE ALIGNED PROPERLY, THE SUSPENSION WAS OPERATING PROPERLY, AND THE TIRES WERE INFLATED PROPERLY. THE RESULTING DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE WAS SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE LEFT REAR ALLOY WHEEL, THE DEFECTIVE TIRE, AND THE NEED FOR A WHEEL ALIGNMENT DUE TO THE CAR RIDING ON THE ALLOY WHEEL. I CONTACTED BRIDGESTONE, AND WAS GIVEN THE RUNAROUND. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT BRIDGESTONE DID NOT WANT TO HELP ME IN ANY WAY. THE BRIDGESTONE LAWYER TOLD ME ON FEBRUARY 4, 2011, THAT THEY HAD ALREADY LOOKED AT THE TIRE. I CONTACTED THE SHOP, AND BRIDGESTONE DID NOT LOOK AT THE TIRE. I INFORMED THE LAWYER THAT THEY COULD FIND THE REST OF MY TIRE ON TOP OF A SNOW BANK ON I-64 BETWEEN KINGSHIGHWAY AND GRAND AVENUE. THE TREAD WAS INTACT, AND IN ONE PIECE. SHE DID NOT SEEM INTERESTED IN SEEING THE TREAD, SUGGESTING THAT BRIDGESTONE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE ENOUGH TO INVESTIGATE PROBLEMS ON THEIR OWN, AND NEED A GOVERNMENT WATCH DOG TO FORCE THEM TO LOOK INTO DEFECTS. THE BLOWOUT THAT I EXPERIENCED WOULD HAVE LIKELY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT IF IT HAD HAPPENED ON A FRONT WHEEL. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THESE TIRES ASAP, AS THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR