2000 Audi S4

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 )

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 )

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 )

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

EXPERIENCED A GRINDING NOISE AND VIBRATION IN THE TRANSMISSION WHILE ACCELERATING ONTO HIGHWAY FROM A STOP, SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR AT APPROX. 4500 RPM. AFTER THIS INCIDENT, THE TRANSMISISON GRINDED WHEN SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR ALL THE TIME ABOVE 3500 RPM. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND HAD TO WAIT A WEEK FOR THEM TO SEE MY CAR. THEY KEPT THE CAR FOR A DAY TO "DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM." THEY TOLD ME THAT 2ND GEAR WAS "SHOT" DUE TO "SHIFTING AT HIGH RPMS" OR FROM "HARD SHIFTING" AND THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REBUILT. I SAID THAT THIS WAS RIDICULOUS AND THAT I WANTED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THEY SAID THAT AUDI WOULD ONLY AUTHORIZE THEM TO REBUILD MY UNIT. THEY ALSO INFORMED ME THAT IF THIS HAPPENED AGAIN, I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS MYSELF AND THAT I WOULD NO LONGER BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. IT DISTURBS ME HOW A CAR MANUFACTURER'S TRANSMISSION COULD NOT HOLD UP TO THE POWER OUTPUT OF THE ENGINE AND THAT THE CAR SHOULD NOT BE SHIFTED "HIGH" OR "HARD". WHEN THE REPAIRS ARE COMPLETED, MUST I THEN BABY THIS PERFORMANCE AUTOMOBILE AND FEAR SHIFTING ABOVE 3500 RPM (HALF OF THE ENGINE'S REDLINE RPM)? ALSO, I CANNOT UNDERSTAND HOW MY WARRANTY WILL NOT COVER A COMPONENT IF IT BREAKS TWICE. TO ME, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A DEFECT. I AM NOW WAITING FOR THE DEALER TO CONTACT ME WHEN THE NECESSARY PARTS ARRIVE. *AK