NHTSA Complaint #720328 — 2000 AUDI S4

AFTER WASHING MY CAR AND DETAILING THE TIRES (THERE WERE NO ABNORMALITIES AT THIS TIME), I MADE A TRIP ON THE HIGHWAY FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES. WHEN I REACHED MY DESTINATION, I NOTICED A GOLF BALL-SIZED BULGE IN THE SIDEWALL OF MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE. UPON INSPECTION, IT APPEARED TO BE A DEFECT OF SOME SORT SINCE THERE WERE NO MARKS ON THE TIRE AND I HAD NOT HIT ANY SIGNIFICANT POT HOLES ON MY TRIP. I REPLACED THE RIM AND TIRE WITH THE SPARE. THE NEXT DAY, I WENT TO THE AUDI DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT THEY DO NOT COVER WARRANTIES OR SERVICE ON TIRES. THEY DIRECTED ME TO THE BRIDGESTONE DEALER (KING BEAR, 3907 4TH AVENUE, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, (718)836-6501). THE TIRE DEALER SAID THAT I HAD "IMPACT DAMAGE. YOU MUST HAVE HIT SOMETHING." I INFORMED THE DEALER THAT I DID NOT HIT ANYTHING AND HE SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO BUY A NEW TIRE. I TOLD HIM THAT THIS WAS RIDICULOUS THAT A $250 TIRE ON A $42,000+ NEW CAR WOULD FAIL AT LESS THAN 2000 MILES. HE SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO. UPON FURTHER ARGUING, HE CALLED BRIDGESTONE AND THEY AGREED TO LET ME PAY HALF THE PRICE OF THE TIRE. I RELUCTANTLY AGREED TO PAY. THEY HAD TO ORDER THE TIRE AND I AM NOW WAITING FOR IT TO COME IN. I AM VERY DISTURBED THAT A BRAND NEW $250 TIRE WOULD FAIL FROM NORMAL DRIVING AT LESS THAN 2000 MILES. I AM WORRIED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THESE TIRES. DOES THIS MEAN THAT I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE TIRES ON A REGULAR BASIS? I WISH TO LET YOU AND OTHER S4 OWNERS KNOW THAT THERE MAY BE A PROBLEM WITH THESE TIRES, THOUGH THE DEALER SAID THAT THERE IS NO PROBLEM AND THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P225/45R17 )