Important Information: Purchase of Tyres from Reputable Outlets

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Bridgestone Australia would like to alert our customers to the importance of purchasing Bridgestone-branded tyres from authorised and reputable retail outlets.


Bridgestone Australia is the only entity authorised by Bridgestone Corporation of Japan to import Bridgestone-branded tyres into Australia. This means tyres imported by Bridgestone Australia come with several guarantees regarding their quality and performance. It also means our customers are covered by a manufacturer's warranty for extra peace of mind.


The purchase of Bridgestone-branded tyres from unauthorised importers means you will not have these assurances. If you are looking to purchase new Bridgestone-branded tyres, we would strongly recommend you consider the following information carefully.


Quality and performance


There are a number of risks associated with the purchase of tyres form unauthorised importers:

• Unlike Bridgestone Australia, unauthorised importers may not import tyres that are specifically designed for Australian conditions.This means they may meet an alternative specification which is less suitable for Australian driving conditions.
• Unauthorised importers may provide tyres that are a few years old by the time they arrive in Australia and they may have been stored in unfavourable conditions.
• The mixing of tyres not imported by Bridgestone Australia with tyres imported by Bridgestone Australia on the same vehicle could create uneven wear, with some tyres wearing out faster than others. This could affect the handling of a vehicle.

Warranty


Bridgestone Australia is able to guarantee the tyres it imports will have particular qualities. The Company cannot provide this assurance for tyres not imported by Bridgestone Australia.


This is important because:

• Bridgestone Australia provides a manufacturer's warranty of 5 years from the date of manufacture for manufacturing or material defects associated with the tyre.
• If a tyre not imported by Bridgestone Australia is defective or fails, any claims relating to that tyre are the responsibility of the importer - not Bridgestone Australia.
• Bridgestone Australia does not provide a manufacturer's warranty on any Bridgestone tyre not imported by Bridgestone Australia (with the exception of tyres fitted to new vehicles as original equipment tyres).

In short, the safest option is to ensure any Bridgestone-branded tyres are purchased from an outlet supplied by Bridgestone Australia.
If you are concerned about whether certain Bridgestone-branded products have been imported by Bridgestone Australia or by an unauthorised importer, please contact your supplier or Bridgestone Australia.


LINKS:


Bridgestone Australia - https://www.bridgestonetyres.com.au/
Bridgestone Australia Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/BridgestoneAU

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• Unlike Bridgestone Australia, unauthorised importers may not import tyres that are specifically designed for Australian conditions.This means they may meet an alternative specification which is less suitable for Australian driving conditions.

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Can you give us an actual example of a Bridgestone tyre that is branded the same way in 2 different markets but is actually physically different in construction? Importing a tyre that is not available locally is one thing, but importing the same tyre that can be bought here, that is manufactured in the same facility and is otherwise indistinguishable from the local equivalent is for all intents and purposes the same tyre. I am interested to see an example of where this claim is actually true and not just the Australian arm trying to keep itself relevant. I have done exactly this with other brands that have made exactly the same claim and the tyres are exactly the same, down to the sidewall stamps and everything.

I guess this is a no @Bridgestone?

Eagerly awaiting your reply @Bridgestone

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Originally Posted by Reedy

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Can you give us an actual example of a Bridgestone tyre that is branded the same way in 2 different markets but is actually physically different in construction? Importing a tyre that is not available locally is one thing, but importing the same tyre that can be bought here, that is manufactured in the same facility and is otherwise indistinguishable from the local equivalent is for all intents and purposes the same tyre. I am interested to see an example of where this claim is actually true and not just the Australian arm trying to keep itself relevant. I have done exactly this with other brands that have made exactly the same claim and the tyres are exactly the same, down to the sidewall stamps and everything.

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Thanks for the question. One example is the 195R14 613 van tyre, one spec is suited to Australia road conditions, specifically in terms of puncture resistance, where another spec isn’t. The information shared here is more intended to inform our customers about the potential risks of purchasing tyres from non-authorised dealers.