2015 Audi A3 Tires & Wheels Problems

The contact owns a 2015 Audi A3 equipped with General Tires, Tire Line: G-Max AS-05, Tire Size: 225/40/R18, DOT Number: (Not Available). The contact stated that while his daughter was driving 70 MPH, the front driver’s side tire experienced a blowout. The contact's daughter informed him that she could see the tire tread blowing off the vehicle as she pulled to the side of the road. A state patrol officer was able to assist his daughter in changing the tire. Upon inspection of the tire, the contact stated that the tread had ripped off from the sidewall causing the failure. The tire manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The tire failure mileage was 15,000. The vehicle failure mileage was 39,000.

CONTINENTAL TIRES THAT CAME INSTALLED ON MY 2015 AUDI A3 AND APPEAR TO EITHER HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE OR POORLY INSTALLED. I STARTED EXPERIENCING LEAKS IN THE REAR RIGHT TIRE OF THE CAR, AND TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC'S REPORT (ATTACHED, ALONG WITH PICTURES OF THE TIRE) STATES: "DAMAGE TO BEAD OF TIRE WHERE IT SEATS (SIC) ... THESE CONDITIONS ARE CAUSED BY IMPROPER USE OF TOOLS, INCORRECT TECHNIQUES USED WHEN MOUNTING/DEMOUNTING TIRES AND/OR LACK OF BEAD LUBRICATION". I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MY TWO YOUNG CHILDREN IN THIS CAR WITH THIS DEFECTIVE TIRE FOR ABOUT 16,000 MILES AND 3 YEARS, AND DON'T EVEN WANT TO THINK ABOUT WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED HAD THE TIRE HAD FAILED AT 65MPH. PLEASE NOTE THAT YOUR WEBSITE FAILS WHEN TRYING TO UPLOAD PICS. HAPPY TO DO SO AT A LATER DATE.

1 CRACKED RIM AND 1 BENT RIM. THE CRACKED RIM CAUSED AIR TO LEAK FROM THE TIRE, SO I GOT I BECAME AWARE OF IT AFTER TAKING IT INTO A TIRE SHOP TO INVESTIGATE THE ISSUE. 8 MONTHS LATER I TAKE THE CAR BACK IN DUE TO A VIBRATION BETWEEN 35-40MPH AND I WAS SHOWN THAT THE RIM WAS BENT. I DON'T REMEMBER EVER HITTING ANYTHING HARD ENOUGH TO THINK THAT I COULD HAVE CRACKED OR BENT A RIM. I QUESTION THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THEIR 19" RIMS.

SINCE PURCHASING MY AUDI A3 ON 2/8/2015 I HAVE HAD FOUR FLAT TIRES. DATES OF TIRE FAILURE: 2/16/15, 2/18/15, 3/5/15 AND 4/3. MY TIRES ARE OEM AND ARE CONTIPROCONTACT 225/40 18 92H. ALL FOUR TIRE FAILURES HAVE HAPPENED AT LOW SPEED (5-20 MPH) GOING OVER POTHOLES. HOWEVER, I HAVE DRIVEN ON THESE SAME BOSTON ROADS FOR 12 YEARS AND NEVER HAD TIRE DAMAGE FROM A POTHOLE BEFORE. CURRENTLY MY TOTAL MILEAGE IS JUST UNDER 1200. AS I PURCHASED A TIRE WARRANTY, THE WARRANTY COMPANY HAS REPLACED THE TIRES WITH NEW TIRES. THEY CLAIM IT IS JUST BAD ROADS. (SAID ANOTHER CUSTOMER HAD 7 FLATS IN A FEW WEEKS) HOWEVER, ONLINE IT SEEMS THAT THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS FOR CONTINENTAL TIRES HAVING SIDEWALL ISSUES (BUBBLING) WITH NO OR MINIMAL ROAD HAZARD AND AT LOW SPEEDS. A DEALERSHIP SERVICE EMPLOYEE SAID THEY HAVE BEEN OVERWHELMED WITH TIRE ISSUES, MOSTLY IN NEWLY SOLD AUDIS. THE DEALERSHIP IS NOT TRACKING ANY DATA ON WHICH TIRES ARE HAVING ISSUES. THEY ARE NOT OFFERING ANY SOLUTIONS. AUDI NATIONAL DID NOTHING. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE MY CAR. AM A SINGLE WOMAN WHO HAS TO TRAVEL AT ALL HOURS OF THE DAY/NIGHT AND GO ALL OVER THE STATE, INCLUDING THROUGH SOME ROUGH CITY NEIGHBORHOODS OR SECLUDED AREAS. IT HAS BECOME A PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY TO BE SO UNRELIABLE AS I SPEND ALL MY TIME WAITING FOR ROAD SERVICE, TAKING MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, ETC. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 AUDI A3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TPMS WARNING LAMP INDICATOR FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WHEN THE TIRES WERE LOW. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE STRUCK A POTHOLE IN THE ROAD. THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE DEFLATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED MONTHS LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO REPLACED THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 450.