Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TIRES | |||||
| 131000 | 03/08/2001 | 616671 | Owner notification letters regarding audi tt and s4 low profile tires. *tt | 03/08/2001 | |
| 151100 | 11/15/2000 | 615875 | This letter addresses defect allegations made in the september 25th issue of business week with respect to the bridgestone re040 low aspect ratio, ultra high performance tires. *tt | 02/01/2001 | |
| 171100 | 11/17/2000 | 615876 | This sample letter provides information on the specially designed low aspect ratio, ultra high performance tires. *tt | 02/01/2001 | |
| AWA0011 | 11/15/2000 | 615874 | Subject regarding audi of america, inc. customer satisfaction program for certain vehicles equipped with 225 / 45r17 / 91y low aspect ratio, ultra high performance tires. *tt | 02/01/2001 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| TIRES | |||
| 11/21/2009 | 80000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2000 audi s4 with bridge stone blizzard ws- 60 tires 235/45/r17. he stated when driving over 50 mph the tires do not grip and lose traction. bridgestone was contacted and they stated that they could not help him .this issue has been occurring ever since he purchased the tires. he had replaced them 2 times. the failure mileage and current mileage was 80000. | |||
| 12/21/2009 | 1 | ||
| Bridgestone blizzak ws-60 tires are hideously dangerous on dry roads, at speeds above 55mph, when they begin to lose traction. above 65mph, they are terrifyingly unstable and unpredictable. note: the problem is not with the lm-25 tire model. these tires perform adequately. the problem is severe, and only involved the newest model, the ws-60. *tr | |||
| 07/01/2001 | 2 | 07/01/2000 | |
| This is my 2nd time replacing bubbled tires. *ak (tiresize: 225/45 17) | |||
| 01/15/2001 | 1 | 01/01/2000 | |
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak (tiresize: 225/45vr17)( dot number: tire size: 225/45vr17 ) | |||
| 06/01/2000 | 2 | 01/01/2000 | |
| Side wall bubbles on both front tires. audi disavowed any knowledge of a problem in june 2000 (tiresize: 225/45/17)( dot number: tire size: 225/45/17 ) | |||
| 11/04/2000 | 1 | 04/01/2000 | |
| Bubble in tire sidewall after hitting pothole. (tiresize: 225/45-17)( dot number: tire size: 225/45-17 ) | |||
| 09/20/2000 | 1 | 02/01/2000 | |
| Sidewall of front passenger tire has bubbled in two locations without a catalyst of any kind. *ak (tiresize: 225/45r17)( dot number: tire size: 225/45r17 ) | |||
| 05/10/2000 | 1 | 03/01/2000 | |
| The tire did not 'fail' but rather causes a pull to the right that the dealer refuses to correct. they claim bridgestone needs to do this. for a $45k car i expect tires that last a while and if not then audi should replace them. the listed cost is estimated replacement cost for decent tires.*ak (dot number: ejn8 tiresize: 225/45r17) | |||
| 09/23/2000 | 1 | 04/01/2000 | |
| While detailing my car, i noticed a small crack in the sidewall of the left rear tire. it begins where the tread meets the sidewall and extends 1.5 toward the center of the wheel. the crack is about 1/4 deep. i can supply a photo if you wish, please email me if you'd like one. this tire has been removed from the vehicle, and none of the other tires had similar cracks. the tires have not been abused in any way. thank you! *ak( dot number: ejh8cfe429 tire size: 225/45r17 ) | |||
| 04/10/2000 | 2 | 10/01/1999 | |
| 2 bubbled tires at 3000/6000 miles( dot number: ejh8cfe 24 tire size: 225/45/17 ) | |||
| 05/01/2000 | 1 | 12/01/1999 | |
| While travelling at 35-40 mph, i hit a small bump and tire blew, also these tires were sold as an all weather tire, i was assured by several audi sales people that they were and at aproximately 200 miles i had to purchase snow tires as these tires are dangerous in even a light dusting of snow. i purchased michelin alpines for snow, but, have not replaced the bridgestones for normal driving as competitive tires would be at least $800 due to the size and speed rating. *ak( dot number: ) | |||
| 07/15/2000 | 4 | 12/01/1999 | |
| Each of the tires have bubbles all occuring at different milages. 2 replaced and both bubbled again after only 3000 miles. live in the chicago area roads are not the best but other cars don't have this problem. other 2000 audi s4's and audi tt's are experiencing the same problem. www.audiworld.com is a good place to gather information on other defects.( dot number: tire size: 225/45/17 ) | |||
| 08/20/2000 | 1 | 04/01/2000 | |
| Sidewall blister, 2in.x1in., discovered while routine maintainance performed. no history of accident or impact injury to tire or wheel assembly. automobile service technician reports tire defective, confirms no impact injury to vehicle sustained.( dot number: ejh8cfe429 tire size: 225/45/r17 ) | |||
| 07/29/2000 | 1 | 03/01/2000 | |
| I discovered a sidewall buldge while washing the car. i changed the one affected tire with the spare and i am monitoring the other tires. i don't know if this is a safety concern or not. however on a high performance car i don't wish to take any risks with my tires.( dot number: tire size: 245/45/17 ) | |||
| 01/01/2000 | 1 | 11/01/1999 | |
| Tire had a big bubble. did not know it had one until i had read about it on the audi user web-site and then checked my car. probably happened on the bumpy cross bronx expressway on a cold day. i have not had another problem with the other tires.( dot number: tire size: 225/45 r17 ) | |||
| 01/20/2000 | 1 | 11/01/1999 | |
| Developed tire bubble spontaneously without hitting anything such as curb or pothole( dot number: tire size: 225 45r17 ) | |||
| 02/13/2000 | 1 | 10/01/1999 | |
| Tires were oem fitment. after the 2nd failure i replaced the tires with a different brand. *ak( dot number: tire size: 225/45-17 ) | |||
| 06/15/2000 | 1 | 04/01/2000 | |
| Ran over a relatively minor bump in the road at an acceptable speed and the tire was damaged beyond repair.( dot number: tire size: 225/45yr17 ) | |||
| All weather tires that came with the vehicle is not driveable in the snow, vehicle will stop when applying brakes at 50-60 yards before a stop, and at low speeds. *ak | |||
| TIRES - SIDEWALL | |||
| 03/09/2003 | 2 | 04/01/2000 | |
| 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 there is a valid complaint here. please, if you have not already, look into these tires as i believe they have serious defects. i have the paperwork on the above replacements should you need verification.*jb | |||
| 08/03/2001 | 3 | 07/01/2000 | |
| 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) | |||
| 10/10/2000 | 1 | 09/01/1999 | |
| 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 ) | |||
| 10/15/2000 | 1 | 12/01/1999 | |
| 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 ) | |||
| 10/14/2000 | 1 | 12/01/1999 | |
| Bubble in outer sidewall, about the size of a nickel( dot number: ejh8 tire size: 225/45r17 ) | |||
| 10/14/2000 | 1 | 12/01/1999 | |
| Bubble in outer sidewall, about the size of a nickel (dot number: ejh8 tiresize: 225/45r17) | |||
| 10/15/2000 | 1 | 12/01/1999 | |
| 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 ) | |||
| 10/10/2000 | 1 | 09/01/1999 | |
| 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 ) | |||
| 06/03/2000 | 1 | 06/01/2000 | |
| 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 ) | |||
| 02/01/2000 | 1 | 11/01/1999 | |
| Sidewall is bubbled, dealer would not replace tire. no damage or unusual wear on tire.*ak( dot number: ) | |||
| 03/24/2000 | 1 | 03/01/2000 | |
| 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 ) | |||
| 05/15/2000 | 2 | 05/01/2000 | |
| 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 ) | |||
| 08/06/2000 | 2 | 12/01/1999 | |
| 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 ) | |||
| 02/01/2000 | 1 | 09/01/1999 | |
| Sidewall bubble with no correlating impact that would cause such a bubble( dot number: tire size: 225/45-17 ) | |||
| 06/20/2000 | 1 | 04/01/2000 | |
| 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 ) | |||
| 11/01/1999 | 3 | 09/01/1999 | |
| 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 ) | |||
| 05/16/2000 | 3 | 01/01/2000 | |
| 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 highway speed can cause a serious accident after which a serious lawsuit would follow. *ak( dot number: ejh8cfe279 tire size: p225/45r17 ) | |||
| 04/24/2000 | 2 | 01/01/2000 | |
| 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 are used only on perfectly smooth roads. i still had to pay $125, half price for a new tire, and i am not satisfied with the answers i received at all. i am very disappointed in the quality of these tires as well as concerened for my safety while driving with these tires. it is ridiculous that normal everyday driving would cause two identical tire failures in less than 4000 miles on a brand new car. the manufacturer insists that there is no defect and that there is no problem with the tires. how can this be? my family and i have been driving on the same roads for years with various different cars equipped with various types of tires and have never encountered tire problems before. one more point of interest is that on the bridgestone website, the potenza re-040 tires are not even listed in the catalog. this seems strange to me. perhaps there is a problem or a recall and the manufacturer just does not want to stay. i will be keeping my fingers crossed and will regularly check the condition of these tires, though it may be in my best interest to change all the tires to another brand altogether. *ak | |||
| 03/15/2000 | 1 | 02/01/2000 | |
| 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 ) | |||
| TIRES - TREAD/BELT | |||
| 09/01/2001 | 0 | ||
| Pe00 020; consumer was traveling about 55mph on highway and noticed a tremble of vibration. he was able to pull over. noticed that rear passenger tire tread separated from rim. firestone, bridgestone re040, potenca, p225 r15/ dealership was aware of the problem.*ak | |||
| 04/15/2000 | 1 | 02/01/2000 | |
| I don't know the dot #'s on the tires. first tire i paid for myself. due to many complaints on audiworld.com forums, i purchased road hazard warranty for all tires. second tire would have been covered under road hazard warranty, but there was a national shartage of re040's at this time. i then obtained a used replacement from another s4 owner that already switched to another tire. i'm moving soon, so phone# and address will change. the phone# and address are my parents. my parents should give you my new phone# if needed. mail sent to my parents should also get to me without problem. *ak( dot number: tire size: 245/45 r17 ) | |||