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

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