Tire Bubble problems of the 2004 Audi A4

I own a 2004 Audi A4 3. 0 quattro with pirelli p6 4seasons p235/34r17 tires. I took the car to the firestone tire store to get the tires balanced because they were vibrating. The firestone store employee showed me the tires later on because he believed these were unsafe to drive. A total of three of the tires showed some type of defect: one of the tires (front left) has a big bubble in the center of the tire, the other two tires (both are rear) are coming apart in the inside wall (I can provide a pictures of the tires--the defected tire with the bubble can not be noticed unless the tire is placed on the balanced machine). Both rear tires are actually coming apart in the same pattern. I started researching on the NHTSA website and it appears that these tires were collected among other eleven tires (twelve total models) a collection site in phoenix, arizona on or about 2004 to conduct a study. . Read more...

After 4,500 miles, the front tire developed a bubble on the passenger side. The tire was then replaced with an identical one. After 1500k miles, that tire developed the same bubble.

As an owner of a 2004 Audi A4 w/ pirelli p6 four season 17" tires have been very disappointed not with the performance of the vehicle but the tires. All of the failures have been under normal driving conditions and the vehicle has only 18,300 miles on 3/16/06. The tires in all failures have developed bubbles on the side walls and/or have blown out while driving. Luckily no injuries to anybody has occurred during each incident and the tires each time had to be replaced at $145. 00 a tire. I filed a complaint w/ better business bureau (bbb) to receive some type of compensation and pirelli did indeed mail a check for a disclosed amount. I wish more complaints to the bbb would be filed also to document this on going problem with pirelli tire and this actual tire.