2003 Audi A4

I WAS DRIVING MY AUDI A-4 ON THE FREEWAY AT SPEEDS OF APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WHEN THERE WAS A LOUD THUMPING ON THE LEFT FRONT OF MY VEHICLE. MOMENTS LATER, IT STOPPED BUT I NOTICED THERE WERE VIBRATIONS AND SHIMMIES ON MY STEERING WHEEL. I SLOWED DOWN AND PULLED TO SIDE OF FWY TO INSPECT THE TIRE. IT APPEARED FINE, HOWEVER, VIBRATION WAS STILL THERE. I PULLED ONTO SURFACE STREETS AT LOWER SPEEDS AND IT STOPPED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I PULLED INTO A GAS STATION TO TAKE THE TIRE OFF TO REPLACE WITH SPARE AND NOTICED SEPARATION OF THE TREAD, MEASURING APPROXIMATELY 31 INCHES LONG AND 1.5 INCHES IN WIDTH. I WAS SHOCKED THAT I DIDN'T LOSE CONTROL OR HAVE A BLOWOUT FROM THIS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. *TR

MY COMPLAINT IS AGAINST FALKEN TIRE AND DISCOUNT TIRE DIRECT REGARDING A TIRE SOLD AS THE FALKEN ZIEX ZE-912. THIS TIRE IS BEING SOLD AS AN ALL-SEASON TIRE. IT IS IN FACT A SUMMER TIRE. THE TIRE HAS ABSOLUTELY NO TRACTION IN THE SNOW AND SINCE I PURCHASED THE TIRES I HAVE BEEN IN AT LEAST THREE CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE I COULD NOT SAFELY STOP MY VEHICLE. I UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ALL-SEASON AND WINTER TIRES, BUT I HAVE PURCHASED ALL-SEASON TIRES BEFORE THAT OFFER SAFE BRAKING PERFORMANCE IN SNOW AND SLUSH CONDITIONS. I AM COMPLAINING AGAINST DTD AS A MAJOR RESELLER OF TIRE PRODUCTS BECAUSE THEY MARKET THIS TIRE AS AN ALL SEASON PRODUCT NEGLECTING THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE BUYING PUBLIC OF OFFERING SAFE PRODUCTS. *TR

DT: 2003 AUDI A4. HAD A FLAT TIRE AND I CALLED INSURANCE COMPANY. THEY SENT A TECHNICIAN TO CHANGE TIRE AND TIRE WOULD NOT COME OFF THE WHEEL. HAD TO GET UNDER VEHICLE AND KICK THE TIRE TO GET IT TO COME OFF. THEN I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET THE TIRES TAKEN OFF, GET SURFACES CLEANED, AND TIRES ROTATED. THE TIRES ARE PIRELLI , P235/45 R17, AND WERE ON VEHICLE WHEN PURCHASED. THE TIRE PRESSURE THAT MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDED WAS 32. THE PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE WAS WHEN THE LUG NUTS WERE REMOVED THE WHEEL WOULD NOT COME OFF. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME HAD TO CHANGE TIRES SINCE OWNING THE VEHICLE.*AK UPDATED 12/12/2007 *BF

CONCERN WITH PIRELLI TIRE MODEL P235/45R17-PIRELLI P6.- I HAVE A TOTAL OF 28,000 MILES ON AN AUDI A4. I HAVE HAD TWO BLOWOUTS AND THREE TIRES THAT HAVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SPECIFICALLY, THE SIDEWALLS OF THE TIRES BUBBLE OUT IN WEAK SPOTS. LAST WEEK MY WIFE WAS DRIVING MY CAR AND GOT A FLAT ON THE SIDEWALL, AND I NOTICED WHEN FIXING HER TIRE THAT NOW ANOTHER ONE OF THE TIRES HAS A BUBBLE. I WILL ONCE AGAIN HAVE TO REPLACE TWO TIRES. I BELIEVE THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM THAT COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF A VEHICLE.*AK I AM NOT A HIGH PERFORMANCE DRIVER. I DRIVE FOR WORK AND FAMILY RELATED MATTERS ONLY SO THIS PROBLEM IS NOT RELATED TO EXCESSIVE DRIVING SPEEDS OR HARSH HANDLING. I AM FOLLOWING THIS COMPLAINT WITH A COMPLAINT DIRECTLY TO PIRELLI AND TO AUDI OF AMERICA. IF DESIRED I CAN FORWARD A DIGITAL PHOTO OF THE TYPICAL BUBBLE. BRUCE HENDEE