BRIDGESTONE® - FIRESTONE®
80
LIMITED WARRANTY
ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT
PASSENGER AND LIGHT TRUCK TIRES
Including Tires with Run-Flat Technology
ELIGIBILITY
This Limited Warranty covers Bridgestone® and Firestone® brand
p a
ssenger and light truck tires, including RFT and temporary spare
tires, originally installed by the vehicle manufacturer on a new
vehicle. You are covered under the terms of this Limited Warranty if
the tire was produced after July 4, 2004 (DOT serial 2704 or later) and
has been used only on the vehicle on which it was originally installed
in non-commercial service.
WHAT IS WARRANTED AND FOR HOW LONG
Before wearing down to 2/32 inch (1.6 mm) remaining original tread
de
pth (i.e. worn down to the top of the built-in indicators in the tread
grooves) and within 6 years from the date of purchase (proof of purchase
date required; without proof of purchase date, then within 6 years from
the date of tire manufacture), for any reason other than those excluded in
the section entitled “What This Limited Warranty Does Not Cover,” any
eligible tire that becomes unusable for any reason within the
manufacturer’s control will be replaced with an equivalent new tire on the
basis set forth in this Limited Warranty.
WHAT THIS LIMITED WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER
This Limited Warranty does not cover the following:
1. Tire damage or irregular wear due to:
•Road hazards,
including, without limitation: Puncture, cut,
impact break, stone drill, bruise, bulge, snag, etc.
BRIDGESTONE® - FIRESTONE®
81
•Improper use or operation, including, without limitation:
Improper inflation pressure, overloading, tire/wheel spinning,
use of an improper wheel, tire chain damage, misuse, misappli -
cation, negligence, tire alteration, or for racing or competition
pu
rposes.
• Insufficient or improper maintenance,
including, without
limitation: Failure to rotate tires as recommended in this manual,
wheel misalignment, worn suspension components, improper
tire mounting or demounting, tire/wheel assembly imbalance,
or other vehicle conditions, defects, or characteristics.
• Contamination or degradation
by petroleum products or other
chemicals, fire or other externally generated heat, or water or
other material trapped inside the tire during mounting or infla -
tion.
• Improper repair.
Improper repair voids this Limited Warranty
• For RFT tires only, improper run-flat or low tire pressure oper -
a
tion, including, without limitation: Exceeding speed, distance,
o
r other run-flat/lowpressure operation limitations.
2. Rapid tread wear or wear-out. Original equipment tires have no
m
ileage warranty.
3. Weather/ozone cracking after 4 years from date of tire manufac -
t
ure.
4. Ride disturbance or vibration after 1/32 inch (0.8mm) of tread
we
ar use.
5. Tires with sealant, balance, or other filler material that was not
o
riginally applied or inserted by the tire manufacturer.
6. Tires used in commercial service.
7
. Tires purchased and normally used outside the United States and
C
anada.
8. The cost of applicable federal, state, and local taxes.
9
. Failure to follow any of the safety and maintenance recommenda -
t
ions or warnings contained in this manual.
This Limited Warranty is in addition to and/or may be limited by any
ot
her applicable written warranty you may have received concerning
special tires or situations.
BRIDGESTONE® - FIRESTONE®
83
This Limited Warranty applies only to consumers actually using the
tire in the United States and Canada. For warranty conditions outside
the United States and Canada, see your local Bridgestone® Firestone®
distributor.
Obligations under this policy may not be enlarged or altered by anyone.
In accordance with Federal Law, this Limited Warranty has been
de
signated as a "Limited Warranty.” Nothing in this Limited
Warranty is intended to be a representation that tire failures cannot
occur. This Limited Warranty is given in the United States by
Bridgestone® Firestone® North American Tire, LLC, 535 Marriott Dr.,
Nashville, TN 37214 and in Canada by Bridgestone® Firestone®
Canada Inc., 5770 Hurontario St., Suite 400, Mississauga, Ontario,
Canada L5R 3G5.
OWNER’S OBLIGATIONS
In order to keep this Limited Warranty valid, we require you to have
y o
ur tires regularly inspected and rotated per the recommendations
outlined in the sections of this manual entitled "Tire Damage,
Inspection and Service Life” and “Radial Tire Rotation” and to furnish
proof of same in order to receive an adjustment. Such proof should
show the date, mileage, and servicing location. A sales receipt
containing this information will suffice. In addition, a “Maintenance
Record” is included on the back cover of this manual. It is your
obligation to maintain proper tire inflation pressures as specified by
the vehicle manufacturer and to operate the vehicle within tire/
vehicle load capacity and speed limitations. It is also your obligation
to maintain proper wheel alignment and tire/wheel assembly
balance. To request an adjustment, you must present the tire to an
authorized Bridgestone® Firestone® retailer. Complete and sign the
customer section of the Bridgestone® Firestone® North American
Tire, LLC Limited Warranty adjustment form and pay appropriate
replacement price, taxes, disposal fee, and service charges, if any.
ARBITRATION
You and Bridgestone® Firestone® North American Tire, LLC agree
t h
at all claims, disputes, and controversies between you and it,
including any of its agents, employees, successors, or assigns, arising
out of or in connection with this Limited Warranty, or any other
warranties, expressed or implied, including a failure of warranty and
the validity of this arbitration clause, but excluding claims for
personal injury or property damage, shall be resolved by binding
BRIDGESTONE® - FIRESTONE®
84
arbitration between you and it, according to the formal dispute
resolution procedures of the National Arbitration Forum, under the
Code of Procedure then in effect. This arbitration will be conducted as
a document hearing. If you request any procedures beyond a
document hearing, you will be responsible for all fees, including filing
and administrative fees, above and beyond the fees required for
document hearings.
The arbitration between you and Bridgestone® Firestone® North
Am
erican Tire, LLC shall not include any other customers, be
combined or consolidated in any fashion with arbitrations involving
other customers, or proceed in any form of class action in which the
claims of numerous customers are considered together. Any award of
the arbitrator(s) may be entered as a judgment in any court of
competent jurisdiction. The arbitrators will have no authority to
award punitive or other damages not measured by the prevailing
party’s actual damages, except as may be required by statute.
Information may be obtained and claims may be filed at any office of
the National Arbitration Forum or at P.O. Box 50191, Minneapolis,
MN 55405.
VEHICLE MANUFACTURER’S RECOMMENDED INFLATION
P R
ESSURE
CONTINENTAL TIRE
88
•Improper operation or maintenance: This includes, but is not
limited to, effects caused by:
1. Improper tire inflation and/or improper load/speed prac -
t
ices: These practices can cause excessive operational
t
emperatures and stresses that exceed the tire’s capabilities.
2. Improper or insufficient tire rotation
3
. Improper vehicle alignment
4
. D amage due to:
–
Rim irregularities or rim damage
–
Snow chains
–
Vehicle mechanical problems, including brake problems,
a
nd vehicle wheel alignment
– Extreme temperature exposure
–
Negligent and abusive driving such as tire spinning, or
r
acing
– Improper tire storage
–
Automotive accident
–
Chemical corrosion or fire
–
Use contrary to the vehicle manufacturer’s tire recommen -
d
ations
– Misuse or misapplication
•
Improper Mounting or Demounting
•Alteration: such as, but not limited to, adding a white inlay on
black wall, tread regrooving, tire truing or siping, or adding
sealant materials to the tire.
•
Weather checking/cracking: Not covered after 48 months from
th
e date of purchase.
• Failure to observe safety and maintenance precautions set forth
i
n the Safety Warning Section.
ATTENTION AUTHORIZED DEALERS: CONTINENTAL TIRE
TH
E AMERICAS, LLC (CTA) RESERVES THE RIGHT TO THE
FINAL INSPECTION DECISION FOR ALL RETURNED TIRES
ON CONDITIONS UNDER SECTION 3.
THIS WARRANTY IS MADE IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER
WA
RRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND CTA EXPRESSLY
DISCLAIMS ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT
CONTINENTAL TIRE
90
Owner must present new vehicle registration form or new vehicle
sales invoice indicating the date of purchase. Owner will be re -
quired to sign the CTA Limited Warranty Claim Form or dealer re -
placement sales receipt.
Owner is responsible for paying all applicable taxes charged by the
se
rvicing dealer and is also responsible for paying shipping, local
tire-disposal fees and parts or service regardless of mileage or
months of service. This includes payment for tire rotation, align -
ment, towing, road service, valve stems and tire repairs.
Owner is responsible for maintaining proper tire air pressure and
fo
r proper maintenance of the tire.
6. SAFETY WARNING:
I
gnoring any of the safety and information contained in this war -
ranty may result in tire failure, causing serious injury or death.
• Tire failure due to under inflation/overloading. Follow vehicle
o
wner’s manual or tire placard in vehicle for proper inflation and
loading.
• Explosion of tire/rim assembly due to improper tire mounting.
T
ire mounting / demounting can be dangerous. It should be
performed only by a trained tire specialist using proper tools and
procedures. Prior to tire mounting/demounting, the Rubber
Manufacturers Association (RMA) wall charts and manuals
should be read to obtain the proper procedures. The failure to
follow these procedures may result in faulty positioning of the
tire and/or rim, which may cause the assembly to burst with
force sufficient to cause injury or death.
• Tire failure due to damage.
Inspect your tires frequently for
scrapes, bulges, separations, cuts, snags and other damage from
road hazards. Damage from impact can occur to the inner
portions of your tire without being visible to the outside. If you
suspect a tire has been damaged from striking anything unusual
in the road, you must have the tire removed from the rim and
inspected both inside and out by a trained tire specialist. Air loss
or unusual tire wear can also be warning signs that a tire may
have internal damage. If you notice these conditions, have your
tire inspected by a trained individual.
• Tire failure due to excessive tire spinning.
Avoid tire spinning.
The centrifugal force generated by a free-spinning tire/rim
assembly may cause a sudden tire explosion resulting in vehicle
CONTINENTAL TIRE
91
damage and/or serious injury or death. Never exceed 35 mph
(5
5km/h) as indicated on your speedometer when your vehicle
is stuck in snow, mud, or sand and your tire(s) is/are spinning.
Use a gentle backward and forward rocking motion to free your
vehicle for continued driving. Never stand or permit anyone else
to stand near or behind a tire spinning while attempting to push
a vehicle that is stuck.
SELF SUPPORTING RUNFLAT (SSR) TIRE OWNERS
Continental Tire the Americas, LLC (CTA) does not recommend any
re
pair to or reuse of punctured Continental SSR tires.
Even a trained tire specialist may be unable to recognize internal
st
ructural damage to a Self Supporting Run-flat (SSR) tire resulting
from having been driven in an under inflated or zero inflation
pressure condition. Such damage may not be visible on the surface of
the inner liner or sidewall making it impossible to determine the tire
suitability for repair or reuse. CTA does not recommend any repair to
or reuse of Continental SSR tires. You may visit
www.continentaltire.com
or
www.continentaltire.ca
and select
Customer Care FAQs to obtain additional SSR information.
TEMPORARY SPARE TIRE OWNERS
CTA does not recommend any repair to or reuse of punctured
T e
mporary Spare Tires.
CONTISEAL™ TIRE OWNERS A ContiSeal™ tire differs from a
non-ContiSeal™ tire in that it has
a
sticky, viscous layer from
shoulder to shoulder along the
inner liner. This layer is an integral part of the ContiSeal™ tires. It is
not designed or intended to act as a permanent puncture repair (See
information below). If an object up to 3/16ths (5 mm) diameter
pe
netrates the tread of the ContiSeal™ tire, this sticky, viscous layer is
designed to surround and adhere to the puncturing object and prevent
air loss from the tire by providing a near instantaneous seal. If the
puncturing object becomes dislodged from the tire, the material is
designed to seal most holes made by objects up to 3/16” (5 mm)
di
ameter. While ContiSeal™ tires significanty reduce the incidence of
flats they are not designed to be driven under inflated or in a flat
condition. In all other aspects, ContiSeal™ tires perform exactly like
CONTINENTAL TIRE
92
non-ContiSeal™ tires. As with any tire, regularly inspect ContiSeal™
tires for evidence of cuts, punctures, and loss of inflation pressure. At
a minimum, ContiSeal™ tires should be inspected once or twice a
month and always before a long trip. Punctures or damage not
attended to promptly can result in loss of inflation pressure and/or
damage to the tire. ContiSeal™ tires with cuts and punctures must be
inspected by a trained tire specialist as soon as possible. The trained
specialist, must inspect the tire carefully and, according to industry
standards, to determine whether a permanent repair can be made or
whether the tire must be removed from service and scrapped. A
permanent repair will require removal of the tire from the rim and
application of a repair method specifically approved for the
ContiSeal™ tires.
ContiSeal™ tires are identified by a symbol on the tire sidewall.
CONTISILENT™ TIRE OWNERS
ContiSilent™ tires are designed to
reduce noise generated while
d r
iving. A ContiSilent™ tire is
lined with a noise reducing foam
insert. It is not designed or intended to act as a puncture repair.
USING ContiSilent™ Tires
In aspects such as mounting, demounting, inflating and balancing,
Co
ntiSilent™ tires do not differ from non-ContiSilent™ tires. As with
any tire, regularly inspect ContiSilent™ tires for evidence of cuts,
punctures, and loss of inflation pressure. At a minimum,
ContiSilent™ tires should be inspected once or twice a month and
always before a long trip. Punctures or damage not attended to
promptly can result in loss of inflation pressure and/or damage to the
tire. ContiSilent™ tires with cuts and punctures must be inspected by
a trained tire specialist as soon as possible. The trained tire specialist
must inspect the tire carefully and, according to industry standards,
determine whether a permanent repair can be made or whether the
tire must be removed from service and scrapped.