2003 AUDI A4 Tires Problems

ON AUGUST 30, 2011 EXPERIENCED HAD A RIGHT PASSENGER TREAD SEPARATION OF BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE960AS. I WAS DRIVING AN AUDI A4 AT 65 MPH ON I24 EAST NEAR MANCHESTER TENNESSEE. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THE TIRES HAD 19,000 MILES OF WEAR. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY AUDI A-4 ON THE FREEWAY AT SPEEDS OF APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WHEN THERE WAS A LOUD THUMPING ON THE LEFT FRONT OF MY VEHICLE. MOMENTS LATER, IT STOPPED BUT I NOTICED THERE WERE VIBRATIONS AND SHIMMIES ON MY STEERING WHEEL. I SLOWED DOWN AND PULLED TO SIDE OF FWY TO INSPECT THE TIRE. IT APPEARED FINE, HOWEVER, VIBRATION WAS STILL THERE. I PULLED ONTO SURFACE STREETS AT LOWER SPEEDS AND IT STOPPED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I PULLED INTO A GAS STATION TO TAKE THE TIRE OFF TO REPLACE WITH SPARE AND NOTICED SEPARATION OF THE TREAD, MEASURING APPROXIMATELY 31 INCHES LONG AND 1.5 INCHES IN WIDTH. I WAS SHOCKED THAT I DIDN'T LOSE CONTROL OR HAVE A BLOWOUT FROM THIS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. *TR

MY COMPLAINT IS AGAINST FALKEN TIRE AND DISCOUNT TIRE DIRECT REGARDING A TIRE SOLD AS THE FALKEN ZIEX ZE-912. THIS TIRE IS BEING SOLD AS AN ALL-SEASON TIRE. IT IS IN FACT A SUMMER TIRE. THE TIRE HAS ABSOLUTELY NO TRACTION IN THE SNOW AND SINCE I PURCHASED THE TIRES I HAVE BEEN IN AT LEAST THREE CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE I COULD NOT SAFELY STOP MY VEHICLE. I UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ALL-SEASON AND WINTER TIRES, BUT I HAVE PURCHASED ALL-SEASON TIRES BEFORE THAT OFFER SAFE BRAKING PERFORMANCE IN SNOW AND SLUSH CONDITIONS. I AM COMPLAINING AGAINST DTD AS A MAJOR RESELLER OF TIRE PRODUCTS BECAUSE THEY MARKET THIS TIRE AS AN ALL SEASON PRODUCT NEGLECTING THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE BUYING PUBLIC OF OFFERING SAFE PRODUCTS. *TR

DT: 2003 AUDI A4. HAD A FLAT TIRE AND I CALLED INSURANCE COMPANY. THEY SENT A TECHNICIAN TO CHANGE TIRE AND TIRE WOULD NOT COME OFF THE WHEEL. HAD TO GET UNDER VEHICLE AND KICK THE TIRE TO GET IT TO COME OFF. THEN I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET THE TIRES TAKEN OFF, GET SURFACES CLEANED, AND TIRES ROTATED. THE TIRES ARE PIRELLI , P235/45 R17, AND WERE ON VEHICLE WHEN PURCHASED. THE TIRE PRESSURE THAT MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDED WAS 32. THE PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE WAS WHEN THE LUG NUTS WERE REMOVED THE WHEEL WOULD NOT COME OFF. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME HAD TO CHANGE TIRES SINCE OWNING THE VEHICLE.*AK UPDATED 12/12/2007 *BF

THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT FRONT TIRE ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE HAD A BUBBLE. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED, THEY INDICATED THAT THIS TIRE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. *AK (PIRELLI P6 FOUR SEASON TIRES) *SC *JB