Boba Fett

I'm in need of some new tires and was about to order some Bridgestone Potenza RE730s but have reconsidered in light of the Firestone fiasco. Anyone else thinking twice about Bridgestone?

CC Rider

<p><b>Drew S.</b> <a href="http://members.aol.com/drewinva/audi/" target="drewinva"><img src="http://members.aol.com/drewinva/images/98.5.jpg" border="0" align=center></a> <b>98.5 A4 2.8 qm</b>

leslie

<p><a href="http://registry.audiworld.com/audi/registry/details.asp?car=3977"> <img SRC="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/leslie-signature-3.jpg" BORDER=0></a>

audipredator

I would not buy Bridgestone tires for a million dollars. See article below:
A New Blowup over Bridgestones

Ask Anthony Lanzillotti about Bridgestone tires, and he'll get angry--and he doesn't even own a Ford Explorer. When the Brooklyn engineer bought his 2000 Audi S4 last January, the sports sedan came equipped with Bridgestone Potenza RE040 radials. But less than three months later, three of his tires had developed mysterious bubbles in their sidewalls, which could potentially lead to a blowout. Lanzillotti insists Bridgestone is at fault. ``It was a brand-new car, and these tires cost $250 apiece,'' he says. ``The first time I guessed I just hit something, but not after the second and third time.''
For almost a year, a growing number of the 6,000 S4 owners in the U.S. have found similar sidewall bubbles. They're bringing their gripes to Bridgestone, Audi, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It's yet another potential public-relations headache that neither company needs. Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. is in the midst of a massive recall of millions of tires on Explorers. Audi is still coping with the lingering effects of a devastating 1985 probe of charges that some cars were prone to sudden acceleration. The claims were not proven, but Audi's brand was mud in the U.S. for years.
SWAPPING TALES. In the current dustup, it's unclear who is at fault. Some Audi owners insist Bridgestone is selling a defective tire; others say Audi erred by putting a too-flimsy radial on the 3,700-pound S4--an issue similar to the Explorer controversy. The companies counter that drivers are damaging the tires, and some independent experts agree. Bridgestone/Firestone spokeswoman Anne Conrad acknowledged that there had been complaints but it hasn't been enough of a concern to warrant a recall.
One thing is clear: The Audi brouhaha isn't simply hysterical spillover from the Explorer scandal. Some Audi buffs have been complaining since at least November, long before the Explorer's woes made the nightly news. S4 owners have flocked to Internet sites such as AudiWorld.com to swap tales of bubbled tires. Drew Ries of Houston had his first tire distort after less than 2,000 miles. A second met the same fate 1,000 miles later, he says. He replaced the radials with a similar low-profile performance tire, Pirelli's P6000, and has driven more than 4,000 miles with no problems. ``I drive the exact same roads,'' he says.
Others blame a mismatch between the RE040 and the twin-turbocharged 250-hp S4. ``They put cheesy tires on a really good car. That's basically it,'' says Philip Yiu of Closter, N.J. Yiu says he had three Bridgestones bubble after less than 5,000 miles.
Like Ford Motor Co., Audi denies using the wrong tire. It asserts that drivers demand low-profile, high-speed-rated tires such as Potenzas, but overlook the fact that tires with narrow sidewalls offer reduced protection from road hazards. Independent tire experts agree. ``We've seen this happen to all brands,'' says John Rastetter, director of tire information for retail chain The Tire Rack. ``The lower the sidewall, the more risk that you may damage the tire.''
Audi is referring all complaints to Bridgestone, which has reimbursed some of the most persistent owners. But most have had to shell out up to $1,000 to buy replacement rubber. Bridgestone argues that because road hazards or driver error cause the bubbling, replacements aren't covered under most warranties.
Audi is shifting gears a bit for the 2001 model year. The company is now mounting Pirellis and Michelins on many '01 S4s, although Bridgestone points out that it will still supply Audi with some tires for the S4. That, of course, only fuels owner suspicions about shoddy Bridgestones. NHTSA, which has received a dozen complaints but no reports of injuries, may look into the issue. In the end, it may prove to be a case of a bubble that bursts, period. Still, more questions about poor tire quality are the last thing that a beleaguered Bridgestone needs right now.

By Nicole St. Pierre in Washington

s4wood

I have had both on my S4<p><img src="http://www.seansa4page.com/images/miscpics/steveshsig1.gif" border="0">

johnsa4

problem is mainly tire pressure realted.

Boober

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Dan F.

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Dan F.

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Boober

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