2002 Acura TL Tires & wheels Problems

I HAD 4 BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE960AS POLE POSITION SIZE 215/50R17 TIRES INSTALLED IN MAY OF 2008 ON MY 2002 ACURA TL TYPE S VEHICLE. TWO SEPARATE DEFECTS. 1. I WAS FORCED TO REPLACE ONE TIRE IN JANUARY OF 2010. I REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE TIRE UNDER ROAD HAZARD INSURANCE DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE SIDEWALL. 2. ON FEBRUARY 3, 2011 I HAD A CATASTROPHIC TIRE FAILURE ON INTERSTATE 64 IN ST. LOUIS. THE TIRE DIDN'T JUST BLOW OUT, IT HAD FULL TREAD SEPARATION. THE HIGHWAY WAS CLEAR OF ALL SNOW AND SLUSH IN THE LOCATION WHERE THE FAILURE OCCURRED. MY ESTIMATED SPEED WAS 50 MPH AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS 9 DEGREES ABOVE ZERO. I WAS NOT IN A TURN, AND DID NOT HIT ANY ROAD HAZARDS. THE TIRES ON MY VEHICLE WERE INFLATED PROPERLY. THE SHOP REPORTED THAT THE OTHER TIRES HAD VERY EVEN TIRE WEAR, SUGGESTING THAT THE WHEELS WERE ALIGNED PROPERLY, THE SUSPENSION WAS OPERATING PROPERLY, AND THE TIRES WERE INFLATED PROPERLY. THE RESULTING DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE WAS SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE LEFT REAR ALLOY WHEEL, THE DEFECTIVE TIRE, AND THE NEED FOR A WHEEL ALIGNMENT DUE TO THE CAR RIDING ON THE ALLOY WHEEL. I CONTACTED BRIDGESTONE, AND WAS GIVEN THE RUNAROUND. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT BRIDGESTONE DID NOT WANT TO HELP ME IN ANY WAY. THE BRIDGESTONE LAWYER TOLD ME ON FEBRUARY 4, 2011, THAT THEY HAD ALREADY LOOKED AT THE TIRE. I CONTACTED THE SHOP, AND BRIDGESTONE DID NOT LOOK AT THE TIRE. I INFORMED THE LAWYER THAT THEY COULD FIND THE REST OF MY TIRE ON TOP OF A SNOW BANK ON I-64 BETWEEN KINGSHIGHWAY AND GRAND AVENUE. THE TREAD WAS INTACT, AND IN ONE PIECE. SHE DID NOT SEEM INTERESTED IN SEEING THE TREAD, SUGGESTING THAT BRIDGESTONE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE ENOUGH TO INVESTIGATE PROBLEMS ON THEIR OWN, AND NEED A GOVERNMENT WATCH DOG TO FORCE THEM TO LOOK INTO DEFECTS. THE BLOWOUT THAT I EXPERIENCED WOULD HAVE LIKELY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT IF IT HAD HAPPENED ON A FRONT WHEEL. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THESE TIRES ASAP, AS THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10380832

Incident

Feb 3, 2011

Mileage

122,000 mi

ONE OF THE TIRES HAS A SIDEWALL BUBBLE. I LOOKED AROUND ON THE INTERNET AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH KUMHO TIRES. I WENT TO THE DEALER WE PURCHASED THE TIRES FROM AND THEY SAID THAT I WAS THE 4TH PERSON THERE THAT DAY WITH KUHMO TIRES THAT HAD SIDEWALL BUBBLES. ALSO, THE TIRES ARE WEARING OUT MUCH FASTER THEN THEY SHOULD BE. LUCKILY I CHECK OUR FAMILY TIRES ONCE A MONTH. IF SOMEONE DOES NOT CHECK THEM THESE SIDEWALL BUBBLES COULD LEAD TO A BLOWOUT AND SERIOUS ACCIDENTS. I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE AN INVESTIGATION AND RECALL OF THESE KUHMO ECSTA ASX TIRES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10222076

Incident

Mar 15, 2008

MY TRANS. WAS REPLACED IN 2003 BECAUSE OF A SHIFTING PROBLEM. MY CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, HOWEVER, I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. I PAID FOR THE REPAIR AND IN 2006 I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A RECALL, BUT WHEN I INFORMED MCGRATH ACURA THAT I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED, IT WAS DENIED. I ALSO COMPLAINED OF A CLICKING NOISE IN THE RADIO THAT WAS NEVER LOOKED IN TO WHEN I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR TRANS., APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON DEFECT WHERE THE PINS WITHIN THE 6CD CHANGER GO BAD, BUT I HAVE YET TO SEE A RECALL. I HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE BUBBLING MICHELINS. I HAVE HAD THREE BLOWOUTS AND HAVE FINALLY REPLACED THE TIRES WITH A DIFFERENT BRAND, WHICH I THINK IS UNFAIR. I HAVE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE ORIGINAL ROTORS FOR WARPING. MY PAINT SEEMS TO BE CHIPPING REALLY BAD AND IT HAS BEEN SINCE ORIGINAL PURCHASE. I ALSO HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE SEAT BELT NOT RETRACTING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10196417

Incident

Mar 22, 2003

MICHELIN PILOT PERFORMANCE TIRE - P215-50RIT93B - DOT B938CTTX0301. THESE TIRES HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY PERFORMING ON THE ROAD CASUSING ME TO HAVE TWO BLOWOUTS 8/03 AND 1/04 WITH REPLACEMENT OF RIM RIGHT FRONT 2X IN FRONT AND BACK RIGHT 6/04.

NHTSA ID

10088248

Incident

Jun 10, 2004

Mileage

17,434 mi

WHILE DRIVING UNDER ICY ROAD CONDITIONS THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE BLEW OUT. THE CONSUMER REPLACED THE TIRE AND 5 MONTHS LATER THE REPLACEMENT TIRE BLEWOUT. *MR ON THE FIRST INCIDENT, CONSUMER NOTICED A BUBBLE ON THE RIGHT REAR TIRE SIDEWALL. ON THE SECOND INCIDENT, A BUBBLE WAS ALSO SEEN BUT THIS TIME IT WAS LOCATED ON THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE SIDEWALL. ON BOTH INCIDENTS, BOTH TIRES WERE REPLACED. *LA

NHTSA ID

10066673

Incident

Aug 1, 2003

Mileage

16,700 mi

MICHELIN TIRE ON ACURA TL TYPE S DEVELOPED A BUBBLE AFTER ABOUT 10,000 MILES. ORIGINALLY ACCEPTED DEALER'S EXPLANATION THAT IT CAME FROM HITTING A POTHOLE, BUT ON LINE I DISCOVERED THAT MANY PEOPLE HAD DEVELOPED BUBBLES. I'VE ATTACHED A FEW COMMENTS FROM TIRERACK.COM. ARE THESE TIRES SAFE? MICHELIN PILOT HX MXM4 - 2002 ACURA 3.2TL-S - VACAVILLE, CA DRIVING STYLE: EASY GOING - DRIVING CONDITION ALL HIGHWAY - 2003-08-01 YESTERDAY I WAS READING SOME POSTS ONLINE (ACURA-TL.COM) ABOUT THE ACURA TL TYPE S AND EVERYONE WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT BUBBLES AND SIDEWALL BLOWOUTS IN THEIR OEM TIRES. SO I WENT AND CHECKED MINE SURE ENOUGH I HAVE TWO TIRES WITH BUBBLES. I CALLED TWO OF MY FRIENDS THAT HAVE THE SAME CAR BOTH ALSO HAVE BUBBLES. WENT TO THE ACURA DEALER TO COMPLAIN AND SAW TWO MORE CUSTOMERS CARS WITH BUBBLES. CALLED MICHELIN THEY GAVE ME THE POTHOLE EXCUSE SORRY MICHELIN DIDNT HIT ANY POTHOLES YOUR PRODUCT JUST SUCKS. MICHELIN PILOT HX MXM4 - 2002 ACURA 3.2TL-S - WAYNE, NJ DRIVING STYLE: AVERAGE - DRIVING CONDITION MOSTLY HIGHWAY - 2003-07-21 THESE ARE THE STOCK TIRES THAT CAME WITH MY ACURA. THEY SUCK! EVERYONE I KNOW WITH THESE TIRES HAVE A "BUBBLE" PROBLEM WITH THEM. MICHELIN PILOT HX MXM4 - 2002 ACURA 3.2TL-S - TULLAHOMA, TN DRIVING STYLE: AVERAGE - DRIVING CONDITION COMBINED HIGHWAY/CITY - 2003-05-19 22000 MILES AND PAMPERED YET A SIDEWALL BUBBLE GRAPEFRUIT SIZED NEEDLESS TO SAY IT IS MY FAULT AND NO ADJUSTMENT. MICHELIN PILOT XGT H4 - 2001 ACURA 3.2TL - SAN JUAN, PR DRIVING STYLE: AVERAGE - DRIVING CONDITION COMBINED HIGHWAY/CITY - 2003-04-17 ONLY TWO YEAR WITH CAR AND ALREADY REPLACE THREE TIRES DUE TO "BUBBLES". I VERIFY AIR PRESURRE WEEKLY AND ROTATE EVERY 10,000 MILES AND STILL HAVE BUBBLES.... MICHELIN PILOT HX MXM4 - 2003 ACURA 3.2TL-S - EAST CHICAGO, IN DRIVING STYLE: AVERAGE - DRIVING CONDITION: COMBINED HIGHWAY/CITY - 2003-05-07 I HAVE 3 SIDEWALL BUBBLES ON TIRE WITH 1000 NILES. GIVE ME A BREAK...WE NEED A RECALL.*AK

NHTSA ID

10036903

Incident

Aug 27, 2003

TIRES- MICHELIN PILOT HX MXM4 215/50 17. HAD 2 TIRES THAT HAD TO BE REPLACED IN THE LAST 1000 MILES BECAUSE OF SIDEWALL BUBBLES. TOLD THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY POTHOLES AND WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANITY. I DO NOT FEEL THAT I RAN OVER ANY MAJOR POTHOLES, AND I FEEL SMALL ROAD CRACKS ETC SHOULD NOT CAUSE THIS. *AK

NHTSA ID

10033249

Incident

Aug 10, 2003

MICHELIN TIRE FAILED AT LOW MILEAGE. CONSUMER FOUND FRONT LEFT TIRE WAS LOW ON AIR. TIRE MERCHANT NOT WILLING TO DO ANTYING. *TT *NLM

NHTSA ID

10001896

Incident

Nov 24, 2002

Mileage

9,223 mi