2002 Audi A4 Tires & Wheels Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 AUDI A4 EQUIPPED WITH BRIDGESTONE POTENZA TIRES, SIZE: 225/45R17. WHILE PARKED, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE HAD TREAD SEPARATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TIRE WAS REPLACED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE WAS REPLACED PREVIOUSLY FOR THE SAME FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE TIRE AND VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE DOT NUMBER AND VIN WERE NOT AVAILABLE.

ON 3-25- I BOUGHT A 2002 AUDI A4 QUATTRO FROM A LOCAL USED CAR DEALER. AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WAS ON AND THE CAR COULD NOT PASS INSPECTION.THE SELLER ASSURED ME THAT THE CAR WOULD PASS INSPECTION AFTER HE CHANGED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. HE HELD ONTO THE CAR AND A WEEK LATER I GOT IT BACK AND THE INSPECTION STICKER WAS AFFIXED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER WHILE DRIVING THE CAR 20 MPH DOWN THE STREET OF DRACUT, MA THE REAR DRIVER'S-SIDE REAR WHEEL FELL OFF. THE DRACUT POLICE RESPONDED AND DOCUMENTED THE INCIDENT. THEY CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO THE SELLER. HE SUGGESTED THAT HIS MECHANIC HAD FAILED TO TIGHTEN THE LUG NUTS AFTER DOING BRAKE WORK ON THE REAR BRAKES... THE WHEEL WAS RE-ATTACHED BY THE SELLER (OR HIS MECHANIC). A FEW DAYS LATER THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME BACK ON SINCE THE AFTER-MARKET CONVERTER FAILED AND THE CAR COULD NOT PASS INSPECTION. ON ANOTHER OCCASION THE ENGINE SPLASHGUARD FELL OFF THE CAR OUTSIDE THE DOOR OF THE SELLER. I LEFT THE CAR THERE. THE SPLASHGUARD WAS RE-ATTACHED BY THE SELLER OR HIS MECHANIC (WITH PLASTIC TIES, SINCE HE CLAIMED HE DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS ... EVEN THOUGH HE HAD MY CAR FOR OVER 24 HRS!). WHAT IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING THE CAR WHEN THIS OCCURRED? IN BOTH CASES I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR INJURED, AND OTHER PEOPLE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR INJURED AS WELL. I QUESTION IF THESE ARE "ISOLATED" INCIDENTS, AND IF THIS IS AN ONGOING PATTERN OF DECEPTIVE AND UNFAIR PRACTICES WHICH ARE PLACING THE CITIZENRY HEALTH AND SAFETY AT RISK? I SUBSEQUENTLY RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE SELLER AND DEMANDED A REFUND UNDER THE MA LEMON LAW WARRANTY. I WAS REFUNDED MY PURCHASE PRICE. THE SELLER HAS REFUSED TO REIMBURSE ME MY "INCIDENTAL COSTS" AS REQUIRED BY THIS LAW. I HAVE SENT THE SELLER A DEMAND LETTER AND WILL PURSUE THE MATTER IN COURT IF HE DOES NOT REIMBURSE THE MONEY I LOST - A SUM O $1738.37. *TR

I HAVE HAD TWO OF MY TIRES COME OFF MY CAR WHILE DRIVING NOT JUST THE TIRE BUT THE WHOLE RIM AND EVERYTHING CAME OFF. THE STUDS BROKE OFF THE DISK. BOTH TIMES I GOT THEM FIXED THE PEOPLE TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE FAULTY STUDS THAT THEY WEREN'T STRONG ENOUGH TO HOLD MY TIRE ON. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 60 MPH ON A DRY AND FLAT INTERSTATE, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SWERVE TO THE LEFT AND ALMOST COLLIDED WITH A MEDIAN. UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE WHOLE SIDEWALL HAD SEPARATED FROM THE TREAD, AND THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE HAD SMALL SPOTS WHERE THE TREAD JOINED THE SIDEWALL. A DONUT TIRE REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE TIRE. ON 09/18/06, THE TIRE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AND SUGGESTED THAT THE VEHICLE BE TAKEN TO A TIRE DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO AGREED THAT THE TIRE WAS DEFECTIVE BUT OFFERED NO RESOLUTION. THE MANUFACTURER SUGGESTED THAT THE DEFECTIVE TIRES BE SENT IN FOR INSPECTION AND THAT 4 NEW TIRES SHOULD BE PURCHASED. THE TIRES WERE REGULARLY CHECKED FOR CORRECT PRESSURE, AND ROTATED ON TIME. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTICE ANY VIBRATIONS WHILE DRIVING. THERE WAS NO ABNORMAL BULGING IN THE TIRES. PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE SIDEWALLS ON THE FRONT DRIVER AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRES WERE CRACKED.

3 OF 4 BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE-950 TIRES, SIZE 235/45/R17 93H TIRES HAVE EXPERIENCED DELAMINATION OF THE TREAD ON THE INSIDE WEAR EDGE; ALIGNMENT ON MY AUDI A4 HAS BEEN VERIFIED TO MEET MANUFACTURER SPEC, YET THE INSIDE EDGES OF THE TIRES HAVE BROKEN OPEN TO EXPOSE LAYERS OF TIRE AND THE INTEGRITY OF THE TIRE HAS BEEN BREACHED. IN ONE CASE, A 8 INCH BY 1/2 INCH BY 1/2 INCH SECTION COMPLETELY GAVE WAY AND FLEW OFF THE TIRE. THESE TIRES WERE DISCONTINUED BY BRIDGESTONE AND I NOW KNOW WHY. I REPLACED ALL 4 TIRES WITH BRIDGESTONE G09'S AND I HAVE NOT HAD THIS PROBLEM REOCCUR. NOTE, SYSTEM WILL NOT ACCEPT AUDI A4 AS VEHICLE TYPE, SO I USED TOYOTA; I DO HAVE A 3.0L A4 QUATTRO. *JB

DT: THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE HAD TWO TIRE FAILURES WITHIN THE LAST ELEVEN MONTHS FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW WHY HE WAS HAVING TIRE FAILURE. MICHELIN, PRIMACY, SIZE IS 235/4517. ON JUNE 24,2004, THE CONSUMER NOTICED A LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE WHICH WAS ABOUT 1LB OR 2 EVERY MONTH. THE PROBLEM WAS UNABLE TO BE FIGURED OUT. WHILE REPLACING THE VALVE STEM, ALONG WITH PLACING THE TIRE BACK ON THE RIM WHILE TRYING TO RE-INFLATE THE TIRE, THE INSIDE WALL OF THE TIRE BLISTERED. THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE TIRE WAS SENT TO MICHELIN FOR EVALUATION. THERE WAS A TINY LEAK IN THE TIRE, BUT THAT WASN'T ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE BLISTER, REEVALUATION COULD NOT DETERMINE WHY THE TIRE BLISTERED. THE REPLACEMENT TIRE FAILED ON 5-25-2005 WHILE IN A PARKING LOT AND THE TIRE WALL BEGAN TO SEPARATE FROM THE TIRE. AMERICA TIRE COMPANY ANALYZED THE TIRE, AND NO CAUSE FOR THE TIRE FAILURE WAS DETERMINED. ALSO, THIS TIRE WAS SENT FOR EVALUATION AND THE CONSUMER HAS NOT HEARD ANYTHING YET. HE TRIED TO FIND OUT FROM TIRE MANUFACTURER AND AUDI ABOUT THE RECALLS, AND THEY WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION. *AK *SC *JB

I AM ADDING TO A PREVIOUS COMPLAINT [ODI 768857 - REF 704187] REPORTING 2 GOODYEAR SIDE WALL TIRE FAILURES. I HAVE NOW EXPERIENCED A 3RD SIDE WALL BUBBLE AND FAILURE. AGAIN THERE IS NO RIM DAMAGE AND PROPER TIRE PRESSURES HAVE BEEN MAINTAINED. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN OPERATED OFF ROAD. I'M CAUGHT BETWEEN AUDI WHICH TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE TIRES ON THEIR CARS AND GOODYEAR. I HAVE NEVER HAD TIRE FAILURES ON ANY OF THE OTHER 5 CARS WE OWN AND CONTINUE TO BE SURE THAT THIS MUST BE A COMMON PROBLEM CAUSED BY WEAK SIDE WALLS.

WE HAVE HAD 2 SEPARATE SIDE WALL FAILURES ON THE FRONT TIRES. THE FIRST WAS IN LESS THAN 10,000 MILES AND THE SECOND WAS ON A NEW TIRE IN LESS THAN 5,000 MILES ON A NEW REPLACEMENT. NEITHER FAILURE SHOWED ANY EVIDENCE OF RIM DAMAGE OR OTHER EXTERNAL EVENT. WE ARE CAUGHT BETWEEN AUDI AND GOODYEAR EACH OF WHICH WANT US TO CALL THE OTHER PARTY. THIS APPEARS TO BE A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM RELATED TO THE AUDI TT TIRE RECALL. DT

TIRE AND CAR HAVE BEEN MAINTAINED TO MANUFACTURER SPECS, TIRES HAVE AUTOMATIC TIRE PRESSURE MONITORS. AT ABOUT 11000 MI I NOTICED SOME FEATHERING OF ALL 4 TIRES. I TOOK IT IN AT ABOUT 11700 AND DEALER AGREED ALL 4 TIRES WERE WEARING ABNORMALLY. THEIR FACTORY REP BLAMES GOODYEAR, DELAER STATED 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT WAS OFF. THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING TO DATE ABOUT THE TIRES PREMATURELY WEARING. AT ABOUT 12600 MI THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR INDICATED A SUDDEN DECREASE IN PRESSURE FOR THE RR TIRE. I WAS GOING ABOUT 15 MPH AND WAS NEAR A TIRE SHOP. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE SHOP, THE TIRE WAS NEARLY FLAT. THEY REPAIRED THE TIRE, BUT INFORMED ME THAT THREE OF THE FOUR TIRES WOULD NOT PASS SAFETY INSPECTION. THE RIGHT FRONT AND RIGHT REAR HAVE NOT TREAD LEFT AND THE THE LR IS NEARLY GONE. THE LF WOULD PASS BUT IS BADLY FEATHERED FOR ONLY 12600 MILES. THE CAUSE OF THE FLAT TIRE WAS A NAIL I HAD PICKED UP IN THE NEARLY BALD RR TIRE. THE SHOP SAID IF IT HAD HAPPENED AT FREEWAY SPEEDS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS. THEY STATED A NORMALLY TREADED TIRE WOULD NOT HAVE PICKED UP THE NAIL, BUT BECAUSE OF EXCESSIVE WEAR, THE NAIL IMMEDIATLELY PUNCTURED THE TIRE. THE FACTORY REP TOLD ME THAT AUDI HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE GOODYEAR TIRE DESIGNED ESPECIALLY FOR THE ALLROAD MODEL AND THEY HAD NOT SEE MUCH PROBLEM WITH THE PIRELLI TIRES FOR THE SAME MODEL. I THINK SOMEONE NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THE MANUFACTURE AND SAFETY LEVEL OF THE GOODYEAR WRANGLER MADE ESPECIALLY FOR THE AUDI ALLROAD. PEOPLE WHO BUY THESE CARS COUNT ON THEM BEING SAFE AND ABLE TO PERFORM. TIRES SHOULD CERTAINLY LAST MORE THAN 10000 MILES AND ALL FOUR SHOULD WEAR EVENLY.*AK