Tire Sidewall problems of the 2000 Audi A6

All four of my continental 205/55-16 touring contacts tires have large similar bulges in the sidewall tires are obviously flawed and need replacement I want continental to know this a serious and recurring problem that other people have made complaints about.

Tire failure; pirelli p6000 tires 255/40/17/zr; four failures in 3 years; the inside wall splits causing a flat; in the latest, the inside wall is so severely cracked, that the rubber is pulling away from the tire; tires are 10 months old, less than 15,000 miles; manufacturer refuses to acknowledge problem.

Two separate tire failures from same brand/type of original equipment tires, first: January 22, 2003, second: April 28, 2003 both were sidewall blowouts. The first, on the right front wheel in January 2001, did not pose a safety hazard as it occurred while the car was parked in a garage. However, the 2nd, only three months after the first, occurred on a different wheel (right rear) at 60 mph in the middle lane of a congested portion of I-95 near milford, CT. The latter clearly posed a very serious safety hazard to us, and to all other vehicles on this heavily-trafficked interstate. I did not report the first blowout, believing that perhaps I had hit something on the road. But the second blowout of same brand/vintage tire, this time on rear right side, indicates a likely safety defect in this expensive michelin tire.

Tire disintegrated. Tread separated completely from sidewalls, leaving only a small portion of sidewall on rim.

I have had this car for only slightly more than 6 months, and have had no collisions or other unusual impacts to tires. After only 800 miles of service, my right front tire developed a bulging knot in the sidewall. Dealer inspected the tire and could find no indication of "impact" injury so tire was replaced under warranty, as vehicle was only 2 weeks old. Now I have discovered 3 more of the tires (lf, rf & rr) have developed similar bulging knots in the sidewall, one of which is the tire that was replaced by the dealer at 800 miles. I drive only on paved city streets, and have never experienced tire failures of this type on any other vehicle that I have owned, so I do not believe that this condition is due to driving conditions. ( dot number: dmce22d tire size: 255/40zr17 ).