4.9
definitely annoying- Crashes / Fires:
- 0 / 0
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 0 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 20,775 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
The dunlop sport sp 01 A/S 18" tires that come as standard on certain trim levels of the VW gli / gti are defective imo. I am now going to replace the 4th tire in 29,000 miles of driving the vehicle since new from the same / similar issue; bubbles and sidewall defects, and most recently as of today a blowout in the left lane of a 4 lane highway at 65 mph after a minor road impact (did not jar cabin or wasn't particularly severe) 200 miles always from home. Go online to places like tirerack.com and search the web, there are many complaints of the same thing with this tire and in the approximately 30,000-40,000 miles a year of driving I put on two vehicles combined (in which I average a new car purchase every year and half), only these tires have ever been an issue and VW equips these on both the gli and gti with the same said complaints, while other brands of tires in the same size do not have the complaints like these. I do realize they are lower profile and could be prone to more sidewall damage, but in all honesty they are just not built to practical highway strength standards as I again drive other vehicles in the same condition with no ill tire affects. After today's highway blowout I realize this is a safety issue more than just a nuisance as a less experienced driver may have had an accident. VW of America could most likely eliminate this by fitting their vehicles with other brands.
- Mount Sinai, NY, USA
The dunlop sport sp 01 A/S 18" tires that come as standard on certain trim levels of the VW Jetta gli / gti are defective imo. I am now going to replace the 4th tire in 29,000 miles of driving the vehicle since new from the same / similar issue; bubbles and sidewall defects, and most recently as of today a blowout in the left lane of a 4 lane highway at 65 mph after a minor road impact (did not jar cabin or wasn't particularly severe) 200 miles always from home. Go online to places like tirerack.com and search the web, there are many complaints of the same thing with this tire and in the approximately 30,000-40,000 miles a year of driving I put on two vehicles combined (in which I average a new car purchase every year and half), only these tires have ever been an issue and VW equips these on both the gli and gti with the same said complaints, while other brands of tires in the same size do not have the complaints like these. I do realize they are lower profile and could be prone to more sidewall damage, but in all honesty they are just not built to practical highway strength standards as I again drive other vehicles in the same condition with no ill tire affects. After today's highway blowout I realize this is a safety issue more than just a nuisance as a less experienced driver may have had an accident. VW of America could most likely eliminate this by fitting their vehicles with other brands.
- Mount Sinai, NY, USA
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta equipped with Continental, tire line: Conti pro contact, and tire size: 225/45/R17 tires dot number: P5py3xh6. The contact stated that three out of four tires exhibited cracks on the side walls. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was confirmed that the tires needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The tires had been replaced. The failure mileage of the tire and vehicle was 40,000.
- Columbia, SC, USA
Vehicle has Firestone 205/55R16 tires with 33,865 miles. The rear passenger side tire sidewall split while driving in a residential area at a low speed causing a flat tire. All driving has been routine. There is no legitimate reason for a sidewall to split after only 33,865 miles on it unless it is defective. Currently, the tire cannot be changed by the owner because the manufacturer has installed locking lug nuts and will not provide the special key to remove the wheel. The glove box has a spot for the special key, so the intent is clear that the owner should have a key, but a key will not be given unless additional money is paid to purchase the key. This is a safety issue. If a flat tire occurs, the owner cannot change the tire and therefore, will be left in an unsafe situation.
- Gulfport, FL, USA
We had a tire failure in the sidewall on a properly cared for and non-abused tire. We now have two additional tires failing on our vehicle (total 3/4) with the same defect and we have not driven over any potholes or other road defects that would be responsible for causing this failure. The auto manufacturer and tire manufacturer disclaim all responsibility on tires that are 14 months old and have under 16,000 miles on them. The first failure was deemed unsafe to drive and we were finally given a loaner after being told to drive on it for a week. Just over a month after its replacement we now have two additional tires exhibiting the same sidewall defect. Online accounts and reviews will show that a great number of consumers have had this exact same complaint.
- West Bend, WI, USA
Brand new vehicle with less than 10,000 miles with sidewall bubbles in two different tires.. this complaint is for the 2nd tire to hadn't this on the same vehicle within 2 months and 5,000 miles of each instance.
- Foster City, CA, USA
Exact model of tire is not found in the drop down menu. Dunlop sp sport 01 A/S. size 225/40R18 92H. A bubble in the sidewall developed after 9,000 miles with no accident. This weakness in the tire can very easily lead to blowouts. If the bubble occur on the inside of the tire, it can go unnoticed. This is a common problem with this specific tire and many vehicles use this tire as the original equipment.
- Bloomington, IN, USA
- Montague, CA, USA