2000 AUDI S4 Tiressidewall Problems

I OWN A 2000 AUDI S4 WITH ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES: PIRELLI P6000, SIZE 225/45-17. AT 3,000 MILES, THE FIRST TWO TIRES DEVELOPED SEVERE BUBBLING IN THE SIDEWALLS AND BOTH TIRES WERE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE BY THE AUDI DEALER BECAUSE THEY SAID THEY WERE AWARE THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THESE TIRES. BY 15,000 MILES 2 MORE TIRES HAD SEVERE BUBBLING IN THE SIDEWALLS AND I HAD A FLAT TIRE WHEN THE TIRE PULLED AWAY FROM THE RIMS. THERE IS SOMETHING TERRIBLY WRONG WITH THIS BRAND OF TIRE. I HAVE NOW REPLACED ALL 4 TIRES IN UNDER 15,000 MILES. ONE OF THE TIRES THAT WAS REPLACED AT THE 3,000 MARK WAS THE SAME TIRE THAT HAD THE FLAT IN IT AT 15,000 MILES. IF THE AUDI DEALER IN LATHAM, NEW YORK KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE SIDEWALLS ON THESE TIRES AND REPLACED THEM WITHOUT A FIGHT, THEN YOU KNOW...

THIS IS THE THIRD TIRE I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE SINCE GETTING THE CAR, ONE HAD A BUBBLE AND THE OTHER TWO HAD A SIDEWALL BLOWOUT WILL DRIVING THE CAR. AUDI HAS SENT THEIR CUSTOMERS A LETTER STATING THAT IF CERTAIN CONDITION ARE MET THEY WILL PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT. *AK (TIRESIZE: 225/45YR17)

BUBBLE IN OUTER SIDEWALL, ABOUT THE SIZE OF A NICKEL (DOT NUMBER: EJH8 TIRESIZE: 225/45R17)

LARGE BUBBLE APPEARED ON SIDEWALL OF TIRE. NO POTHOLES OR CURBS ETC.. WERE HIT. IT APPEARED THROUGH COURSE OF NORMAL DRIVING. I HAVE DIFGITAL PICTURES AND THE TIRE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE EITHER.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 225/45YR17 )

THE TIRE BUBBLED UP ON THE SIDEWALL. A VERY HAZARDOUS CONDITION AT ANY SPEED ESPECIALLY AT 55+MPH. COULD HAVE CAUSED A HIGH SPEED BLOWOUT.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 225 45 17 )

BUBBLE IN OUTER SIDEWALL, ABOUT THE SIZE OF A NICKEL( DOT NUMBER: EJH8 TIRE SIZE: 225/45R17 )

LARGE BUBBLE APPEARED ON SIDEWALL OF TIRE. NO POTHOLES OR CURBS ETC.. WERE HIT. IT APPEARED THROUGH COURSE OF NORMAL DRIVING. I HAVE DIFGITAL PICTURES AND THE TIRE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE EITHER. (TIRESIZE: 225/45YR17)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 225/45YR17 )

THE TIRE BUBBLED UP ON THE SIDEWALL. A VERY HAZARDOUS CONDITION AT ANY SPEED ESPECIALLY AT 55+MPH. COULD HAVE CAUSED A HIGH SPEED BLOWOUT. (TIRESIZE: 225 45 17)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 225 45 17 )

CAR WAS DELIVERED ON JUNE 4TH 2000. FROM THE TIME I DROVE OFF THE LOT THE VEHICLE SLIGHTLY STEERED TOWARDS THE RIGHT. I WAS TOLD BY DIFFERENT DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENTS IT WAS EITHER THE TIRE PRESSURE OR THE CROWNING IN THE ROADS. I ASKED OGNER MOTORS IN WOODLAND HILLS TO ROTATE THE TIRES AND PERFORM FURTHER EVALUATION. THEY FOUND ONE OF MY TIRES TO BE DEFECTIVE. APPARENTLY THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE IN QUESTION FAILED. THEY ARE AWAITING A REPLACEMENT TIRE FORM THE MANUFACTURER...I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE OTHER THREE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE CONSIDERING I HAVE HEARD NUMEROUS REPORT VIA AUDIWORLD.COM THAT THESE TIRES ARE EXTREMELY SUCSEPTIBLE TO SIDEWALL (BUBBLES) FAILURE.*AK (TIRESIZE: 225/45/17)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 225/45/17 )

SIDEWALL IS BUBBLED, DEALER WOULD NOT REPLACE TIRE. NO DAMAGE OR UNUSUAL WEAR ON TIRE.*AK( DOT NUMBER: )

VIBRATION WHILE DRIVING DUE TO SOFT SIDEWALL AFTER JUST LESS THAN 800 MILES. REPLACED ALL TIRES AT THAT TIME, MARCH 24, 2000, KEPT THE 3 REMAING TIRES, SCRAPED THE DEFECTIVE TIRE. I STILL HAVE THE THREE TIRES WITH THE 800 MILES ON THEM IN STORAGE. YOU CAN HAVE THEM FOR YOUR INVESTAGATION. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 225/45ZR17 )

SIDEWALL BELT FAILURE @ 200 MILES. SECOND OEM TIRE FAILURE (SAME, SIDEWALL) @ 5000 MILES. TIRES REPLACED WITH 5 (4 CORNERS + SPARE) YOKOHAMAS @ 6000 MLES( DOT NUMBER: N/A TIRE SIZE: 225/45R-17 )

SIDEWALL BUBBLE WITH NO CORRELATING IMPACT THAT WOULD CAUSE SUCH A BUBBLE( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 225/45-17 )

LARGE BUBBLES ON SIDEWALL OF L FRONT TIRE (2 BUBBLES, ONE LARGER THAN 5 INCHES IN DIAMETER) AND L REAR TIRE (1 BUBBLE); NO OBVIOUS INJURY TO OUTSIDE OF TIRE (EG NAIL OR CUT); NO KNOWN TRAUMA TO TIRE (EG HITTING CURB); I TOOK PICTURE WITH DIGITAL CAMERA AND CAN EMAIL THEM TO YOU!!!( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 225/45R17 )

2 INCH BUBBLE IN EXTERIOR SIDEWALL OF FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE NOTICED WHILE CLEANING WHEELS. BRIDGESTONE DEALER SAID BUBBLE WAS DUE TO "ROAD HAZZARD DAMAGE" BUT NONE HAD OCCURRED. RESEARCHED PROBLEM ON "AUDI WORLD" WEBSITE AND FOUND NUMEROUS SIMILAR LOW*AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 225/45R17 )

I HAVE HAD TWO TIRE BLOWOUTS, AND NOW HAVE A BUBBLE ON THE SIDEWALL OF ANOTHER. THIS IS BRAND NEW ORGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 2000 VEHICLE. MANY OTHER S4 AUDI OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THE SAME PROBLEMS.*AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 225/45 R17 )

THIS IS THE THIRD TIRE FAILURE SINCE I RECEIVED MY S4. A FELLOW MOTORIST NOTICED A LARGE BUBBLE IN THE SIDEWALL OF THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE. THIS TIRE IS A REPLACEMENT TIRE THAT WAS INSTALLED AFTER THE ORIGINAL FAILED. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY SOME PROBLEM OR DEFECT WITH THESE TIRES. I HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH OTHER S4 OWNERS AND MANY OF THEM COMPLAIN ABOUT THESE SIDEWALL BULGES. THE FACT THAT BRIDGESTONE DENIES ANY PROBLEM AND WILL NOT REPLACE THE TIRES FREE OF CHARGE IS RIDICULOUS. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR WITH THESE TIRES. PRESSURE NEEDS TO BE PUT ON AUDI AND BRIDGESTONE TO EITHER REIMBURSE US FOR THE TIRES AND REPLACE THEM FREE OF CHARGE, OR TO SUPPLY US WITH A NEW IMPROVED OR DIFFERENT TIRE. THESE TIRES SHOULD BE RECALLED IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE THEY ARE UNRELIABLE AND UNSAFE. A BLOWOUT IN THE SIDEWALL OF A TIRE AT...

THIS IS THE SECOND TIRE FAILURE IN LESS THAN 4000 MILES. ONCE AGAIN WHILE WASHING MY CAR, I DISCOVERED A BULGE IN THE SIDEWALL. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO OCCUR APPROXIMATELY EVERY 1900 MILES. I CONTACTED BRIDGESTONE AND THE REPRESENTATIVE SAID THAT SINCE THESE TIRES HAVE A LOW PROFILE SIDEWALL, THEY ARE PRONE TO DAMAGE FROM DRIVING ON "ROUGH" ROADS. I TOLD HIM THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT I LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY WHERE THE ROADS MAY BE "ROUGH" BUT THAT LOW PROFILE TIRES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ENGINEERED WITH A STRONGER SIDEWALL TO ABSORB ANY "ROUGHNESS" IN THE ROAD. THIS IS WHY THEY COST SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN TIRES WITH A LARGER SIDEWALL. AS AN ENGINEER, I KNOW THAT THE SIDEWALL SHOULD BE STRENGTHENED ON A LOW PROFILE TIRE TO PREVENT DAMAGE AND REDUCE THE RISK OF A FAILURE OR AN ACCIDENT. I BELIEVE THAT THESE TIRES ARE UNSAFE UNLESS THEY...

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...