Frequently Asked Questions

Bridgestone is New Zealand’s most trusted tyre brand. We invest $800 million in research and development annually and test 10,000 tyres each day at one of our 10 proving grounds around the globe. It’s this commitment to quality and safety that sits at the heart of everything we do. When you buy Bridgestone tyres, you buy peace of mind. With Bridgestone, you’re in safe hands. Find out more about Bridgestone tyres.

At Bridgestone we offer our customers peace of mind through various warranty solutions. In the event of damage, all Bridgestone tyres purchased in New Zealand from an authorised Bridgestone store can be assessed under our manufacturer warranty. Assessments are completed by a trained professional from our technical team.

 

Where we are unable to have a technician assess a customer’s tyres in store, a customer’s tyres will need to be surrendered if they wish to proceed with the claim. Find your nearest Bridgestone store to find out more.

Customers who purchase tyres from a Bridgestone Select or a Bridgestone Tyre Centre can purchase Bridgestone Road Hazard Warranty for an additional 10% of RRP per tyre.

 

This warranty guarantees that a tyre with an irreparable puncture caused by gutter damage, potholes or damaged roads, breaks or cuts from foreign objects on the road will be replaced free of charge if worn less than 12,000 km or 12 months, whichever comes first.

 

Where a tyre is worn over this, Bridgestone will replace it at a pro-rata cost replacement. Find out more about Road Hazard Warranty.

The Bridgestone Wear Life Guarantee is available to customers who purchase four or more Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus tyres and have a wheel alignment in the same transaction.

 

This warranty provides assurance for customers up to 50,000 km. Where a claim is being made with tyres under 50,000 km, a pro-rata credit will be applied. Customers wanting to make a Bridgestone Wear Life Guarantee claim are required to contact their nearest store directly. Find your nearest Bridgestone store.

 

It’s important to remember that good general vehicle and tyre maintenance will be taken into consideration when Bridgestone assess a warranty claim. Ensuring your tyres are inflated correctly and well aligned will help you get the most out of them. The minimum tyre tread depth in New Zealand is 1.5mm, warranty claims on tyres with less than 1.5mm will not be successful.

The quickest way to find a local store is to use the nearest store finder.

While we may not provide every size variation, we do ensure that demand is met with our range constantly being updated. We may stock a tyre that isn’t displayed on our website and we recommend making an enquiry with your local store if you can’t find what you’re looking for. Use the store finder to find your nearest Bridgestone store.

The tyres on your car are best replaced with the size nominated on the vehicle tyre placard. Changing the tyre size away from the vehicle manufacturer’s standard size could make that vehicle un-roadworthy, which in turn could render it ‘un-insured’. Read our tyre size guide to find the right tyre size for your vehicle.

The UTQG is a global standard that helps customers compare tyre performance in terms of tread, traction and temperature. Every tyre manufacturer is required to independently test and brand these ratings on tyres released to the market. While the standards are a good indicator, it is important to keep in mind that tyre performance will vary depending on road conditions and use.

Tread, traction and temperature ratings are known as the Universal Tire Quality Grading (UTQG) standard. Every tyre manufacturer is required to independently test and brand these ratings on tyres released to the market.

 

It is important to keep in mind that the ratings are determined by each manufacturer and while they are a great tool for comparing similar tyres from the same manufacturer, results when comparing tyres from different manufacturers may be inconsistent.

 

Real life tyre performance is also dependent on road conditions, the type of vehicles and how your vehicle is driven. These variables may not be accounted for in a controlled testing environment.

 

Let’s take a closer look at the ratings: Treadwear is the wear rate of a tyre. The higher the number, the better the treadwear. For example, the wear rate of the Bridgestone Potenza RE003 is 220.

 

The traction rating represents a tyre's ability to stop on wet pavement. This rating carries a code of, "A," "B," or "C", with "A" signifying the highest traction efficient.

 

The temperature rating indicates a tyre’s resistance to heat generation. A tyre’s heat resistance is determined by its ability to dissipate heat. This rating carries a code of "A," "B," or "C," with "A" signifying the highest level of heat dissipation.

If we cease sale on a particular tyre, we recommend you make an enquiry with your local store. One of our team in store will be able to provide a suitable alternative or place an order on your behalf if required. Use the store finder to find your nearest Bridgestone store.

There are three primary factors that impact on tyre life, type of tyre, driving conditions, driving style and level of tyre maintenance. We recommend a good level of tyre maintenance on all tyres to include tyre pressure checks, regular tyre rotations and vehicle wheel-alignments. Correct maintenance will always allow your tyres to last as long as possible. Find out more about tyre care and maintenance.

Tyres must be replaced when the tyre tread wears level with the Tread-wear Indicators (TWI’s) which are positioned in the main tyre tread grooves of all road-going tyres.

 

The tread-wear indicator is designed to appear when 1.5mm of tread is remaining in the groove containing the TWI. If a tyre is known to be older than 6 years (from date of manufacture) it should be checked by a tyre professional for signs of age degradation. Find out how to check your tyre tread depth.

 

Your tyre dealer will be able to tell the age of a tyre from the serial number on the sidewall. Find out more on tyre age.

Tyre life can be maximised by correct and regular tyre and vehicle maintenance (correct tyre pressure, regular tyre rotation and regular wheel alignment). Find out more information from about caring for your tyres.

It is recommended that tyres be inflated to the pressure shown on the Vehicle Tyre Placard located in your car. The tyre placard will show the minimum inflation pressure recommended for city and/or highway (or heavily loaded) use. Find out about tyre inflation pressure.

Nitrogen inflation is not restricted to specific tyres and can be used on any air filled tyre.

 

The use of nitrogen inflation has the potential to provide better tyre performance (reduced pressure loss and extended tyre-life). The suitability of nitrogen inflation is best discussed with your Bridgestone technician and judged on a case-by-case basis.

The rolling resistance of a tyre is the power needed to roll that tyre along the road.

 

A ‘low rolling resistance’ tyre will require less power to roll along the road, so has the potential to provide better fuel-economy for your car.

Run-flat tyres are designed to be capable of operating at lower speed and for a limited distance without air, in the case of a puncture. If a puncture occurs, run flat tyres allow you to keep driving for a limited amount of time. In normal operation RFT tyres still require inflation to the pressure shown on the vehicle tyre placard.

 

Not all vehicles can be fitted with Run Flat Tyres. You can find out more about Bridgestone Run-Flat technology here.