Bubble in sidewall with less than 10000 miles on car

So i got to school this morning and i saw that theres a small bubble on my sidewall on the left rear tire. Got a 2009 impreza new in august and came with stock RE92s and they have just under 10000 miles. Will the dealer cover this?????

Wow how much does that suck!!! I would call the dealer and see what they say. A bubble sounds like a DEFECT to me. Not seeing a pic makes it somewhat hard but please don't drive on it. Put on that spare! If it is a front tire, switch it out for a rear.

 

One thing I would suggest is that the RE92 kinda suck in my opinion, and many other board members agree... But I do live in So Cal where the temps rarely dip below 45F degrees more than one week a year, so I can run summer tires year round. If you need to replace one, out of pocket, consider changing them all out:

 

I got a nail in a sidewall at about 10,000 miles and, of course, it was not covered (it was not a bubble which may be a defect that you have). I spent way too much replacing one tire just to have to replace another one six months later due to road debris.

 

Two years go by and I found a great deal at Costco+coupon for some tires that I actually was interested in. I got a set of 4 tires installed with a no-hassel costco warranty for less than the cost of 2 RE92.

 

Moral of story?

 

1. It may be worth replacing all 4 with something cheaper/better if you have to pay for 1

2. If you DO replace just one and have to pay for it, don't get it at a dealer. A Ameriica's Tire, Bridgestone, Costco or the like will sell you a warranty for ALL 4 tires, not just the one you are replacing, if you ask. This costs about $15 a tire. I turned them down to wreck another expensive tire six months later.

3. Make the dealer eat it if you can

the tires have there own warranty. check around your owners manual. their should be a bridgestone/firestone brouchure outlining the warranty and service locations

Im at class now for college

but ill take a pic during my lunch but its just a small bubble on the sidewall right now i will call the dealer on my lunch too because my arm rest extension bracket snapped off because subaru only used one tiny screw compared to the 4 holes thats there so if i can get itthere today and complain i will if not ill garage it and drive my 99 leggy sus

Unless there's evidence that the bubble is a result of damage such as striking a curb, Bridgestone should cover it a a defect.

THere isnt any damage what so ever i have nvr curbed it and havent hit a major pothole yet. Is a firestone dealer the same as a bridgestone dealer????? I called my dealer and they said i have to go to a bridgstone dealer but they said it is nvr a defect its always something the driver did to cause it and im a lil upset they are blaming me for it. Btw i kno they suck in the winter but my one of my snows picked up a piece of metal after 500 miles and its on back order through tirerack therefore i have to use my the re92s right now but i will say they Are fabulous in the summer

This is usually treated as a road hazard by tire dealers, and if so, you are SOL. I hope you're lucky. If you're not, I have 3 excellent 205/55/16 RE92s from my wife's Impreza available with about the same mileage. I bought a new one at about 3000 miles because it developed a bubble. After my son trashed another one on a curb while playing with his iPod, I decided to abandon the RE92s because of their ridiculous price and bought General UHPs. (She also has snows)

This is usually treated as a road hazard by tire dealers, and if so, you are SOL. I hope you're lucky. If you're not, I have 3 excellent 205/55/16 RE92s from my wife's Impreza available with about the same mileage. I bought a new one at about 3000 miles because it developed a bubble. After my son trashed another one on a curb while playing with his iPod, I decided to abandon the RE92s because of their ridiculous price and bought General UHPs. (She also has snows)

 

SOUNDS LIKE RS6ER HAS THE ULTIMATE DEAL FOR YOU!!! Good looking out rs6er.

i am going to a bridgestone dealer at 5 tonite. if they wont cover it, then i am not paying over 200 for a replacement. RS6ER, what would you sell one tire to me for, shipping included to PA, 15001.?????

I bought a used tire from a used tire dealer on Ebay when that first tire went. It turned out to be the wrong tire, and I had to send it back for a refund. He told me to just send it from the post office which I did (cheaper than UPS). He was somewhere in PA. I'll have to check and see how much shipping was.

ok thanks ill appreciate it. yea ill only need one. like i said im going to the dealer tonite at 5 and ill give an update as i can. and you said it has bout 10000 miles on it???? im just below that now at 95xx. my tire size is 205/55/16 just to check.

I just did a timeline. The tires have about 8500 gentle miles on them.

 

The tire cost me $25 to ship to Allentown which is a lot closer to me than Pittsburgh. How about $80 shipped.

im going to the dealer tonite at 5 and ill give an update as i can

 

How'd you make out?

well i went to the dealer, and he said it was just a small bubble and not to worry about it. we started talking about tires and ratings and i was wearing my Penn State hoodie, as where i go to a branch campus. he said he went to penn state also and he also was a subie owner. he decided to warranty anyways even though he said bridgestone wouldnt. so i got a free tire cus i had a subie and go to penn state. thanks for all offers though, i really appreciate it.

 

thanks guys

That's great! I love it when things work out with the dealer. Makes life so much easier.

Yea he also said when my snows come in he will give me a discount for mounting and balancing them also when i order tires for my prodrive rims i got which bridgestone tire for the best spring summer and fall performance will be good???

Just FYI, any sidewall bubble is not safe AFAIK. They represent a very weakened spot of the sidewall which is much more prone to a blowball if it's dealt a direct harsh impact (i.e. big pothole when that spot of the tire hits it).

 

I drove for about 500 miles on a large bubble....but man, those things are no joke. A sudden sidewall blowout is far, far more dangerous than a slow leak or gradual blow-out.

 

Joe

I do not recommend driving on a tire with a bubble in the sidewall. Never have when I worked in the tire business, and never will.

don't drive on it. Put on that spare! If it is a front tire, switch it out for a rear.

 

^

I can't remember, but our spare is safe to run on the rear correct? (With the LSD, it's the same height, right?)

The spare is just that, a spare to get you to where you can get the tire fixed/replaced. It is not intended to be used as a full time/duty wheel/tire.

That wasn't really my question. I understand the purpose of our spare. I was asking if it engaged the rear LSD?

 

On my 2006 Civic SI (Front LSD), I believe the manual specifically states that a front-tire flat should be swapped and the spare should be run on the rear. Maybe I'm mis-remembering, as I don't know how the crappy trunk jack could get the whole side up in the air high enough

 

Joe

Oh ok. I see what you are saying. The owners manual tells you where the spare can be placed. I know for certain the 2010 vehicles they have to be swapped onto the rear.

 

Edit- For the others as well(used a 2007 Legacy owners manual for this) If the front is flat, you have to swap the tire and place the spare on the rear.

I carry four donuts and change all the tires when I have one flat. I like uniformity.

I carry four donuts and change all the tires when I have one flat. I like uniformity.

or a full size spare