2005 Toyota Highlander Tires Problems

MY TOYO TIRES HAVE FAILED AFTER ONLY 18,000 MILES OF USE ON MY TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. *TR

ON NOVEMBER 26TH 2008 WHILE TRAVELING EAST ON INTERSTATE 70 FROM DENVER, 75 MILE AN HOUR, AND APROX TWENTY MILES EAST OF BENNET COLORADO, WE EXPERIENCED BOTH FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER TIRE BLOWOUTS AT THE SAME TIME. THE BACK PASSENGERS TIRE WAS DESTROYED. WE WERE ABLE TO CHANGE IT OUT WITH OUR SPARE. THE FRONT PASSENGERS TIRE WAS EXTREMELY LOW (1" OFF PAVEMENT) AND HAD A BUBBLE ON THE SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE. IT HAD NOT BROKEN THE AIR SEAL AROUND THE RIM, AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO RETURN VERY SLOW BACK APROX .25 MILES TO AN EXIT AND RETRIEVE AIR FOR THAT TIRE. AS THE SIDE WALL BUBBLE GREW IN SIZE WE STOPPED THE AIR AT ABOUT TWENTY POUNDS. WE THEN RETURNED APROX TWENTY MILE BACK TO DENVER, TO A DISCOUNT TIRE STORE. WE THEN REPLACED ALL OF THE TIRES ON OUR 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. PRIOR TO DEPARTING ON THIS TRIP WE HAD ROTATED THE ORIGINAL TIRES AS WELL AS CHECKED AND CONFIRMED ALL AIR PRESSURES, (THE PRESSURE WAS CHECKED THIRTY MINUTES BEFORE LEAVING TOWN) WHEN CHECKING THE TIRES WE HAD HEARD A HISSING SOUND AT THE VALVE STEMS ON BOTH OF THE PASSENGER TIRES. THOUGHT THIS WAS JUST THE AIR HOSE, BUT NOW BELIEVE THAT THE VALVE STEMS WERE CRACKED AND LEAKING AIR. I HAVE DOCUMENTED THE TIRE CONDITION AND HAVE THE ORIGINAL VALVE STEMS FROM THE TIRE STORE. THESE TIRES WERE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MICHELIN TIRES WITH 28644 MILE ON THEM. WE BELIEVE THAT THIS CONDITION WAS A RESULT OF FAULTY VALVE STEMS, AND MAY BE A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN FOR OTHERS. MY TOYOTA DEALER SERVICE CENTER REFERS ME TO MICHELIN TIRE COMPANY, AND MICHELIN REFERS ME BACK TO THEM. TOYOTA MOTOR COMPANY HAS DOCUMENTED A REPORT, BUT WILL NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE AS A CONCERN. WE HAD THREE ADULTS - (500 POUNDS) AND THREE SUIT CASES - (150 POUNDS) AND THEREFORE DON'T BELIEVE THAT AT 750 - 800 POUND THAT WE WERE OVERLOADED. *TR

SECOND TIRE TO HAVE A BUBBLE SHOW UP ON THE WHITE WALL SIDE. 2 OTHER TIRES HAD SEPARATION STARTED AND WAS A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE BUBBLES WOULD SHOW UP. *TR

I OWN A TOYOTA 4-RUNNER (2005, 53635 MILES) WHICH IS A COMPANY CAR. ON 8/27/07, I ATTEMPTED TO ADD AIR TO ALL 4 TIRES. THE METAL VALVE CAPS THAT WERE SUPPLIED ON THESE TIRES FROM TOYOTA SEIZED TO THE ALUMINUM VALVE STEMS AND COULD NOT BE REMOVED FROM THE VALVE STEM. THE RIMS ARE ALSO ALUMINUM. ON ONE TIRE, I ATTEMPTED FORCE THE REMOVAL OF THE METAL VALVE CAP WITH A PAIR OF PLIERS WHICH RESULTED IN THE TOP OF THE VALVE STEM BREAKING OFF WHICH RESULTED IN AN IMMEDIATE FLAT. I CONTACTED AAA TO CHANGE THE TIRE. I THEN BROUGHT THE CAR TO IRA TOYOTA IN MANCHESTER, NH TO REPAIR THE TIRE. I WAS CHARGED $119.75 TO REPLACE THE VALVE STEM AND SENSOR. THEY DID NOT CHARGE LABOR FOR THIS SERVICE. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT REMOVE THE TOYOTA SUPPLIED METAL VALVE CAPS FROM THE 3 REMAINING TIRES ON MY VEHICLE. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE SAID THAT THEY WERE AWARE THAT SOME VEHICLE HAD THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP PLANNED ON OBTAINING 3 MORE STEM/SENSOR UNITS BECAUSE THEY BELIEVED THAT THEY COULD NOT REMOVE THE VALVE CAPS WITHOUT DAMAGING THE REMAINING VALVE STEMS AND SENSORS. THIS WOULD HAVE COST ME AN ADDITIONAL $360 TO HAVE THE DEALERSHIP REPLACE THE UNITS. NOT GOOD TOYOTA WORKMANSHIP IN MY OPINION. I WAS FORCED TO LEAVE THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE 3 REMAINING TIRES ON THE VEHICLE WITHOUT A WAY TO PUT ADDITIONAL AIR INTO THE TIRES. I WAS LEFT TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE MYSELF. I HAD TO MANUALLY GRIND THE CAPS OFF WITH THE AID OF A DREMMEL GRINDING TOOL WHICH TOOK ME 2 HOURS TO DO MYSELF. I REPLACED THE METAL CAPS WITH BLACK PLASTIC CAPS. I BELIEVE THAT ALL TOYOTA CUSTOMERS SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF THIS SERIOUS ISSUE IMMEDIATELY. I BELIEVE THAT A FULL RECALL SHOULD BE MADE ON TOYOTA VEHICLES WITH METAL CAPS ON THE ALUMINUM RIM TIRES. PLEASE NOTE THAT I LISTED THE VEHICLE AS A "HIGHLANDER" BECAUSE IT WAS THE CLOSEST TO THE "4-RUNNER" WHICH I OWN BUT WAS NOT LISTED IN THE AVAILABLE SELECTION. *JB

TRANPATH TOYO TIRES ON 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER THE TIRE CAME ON THE HIGHLANDER. THE TIRE SEEMED TO FUNCATION WELL UNTIL ABOUT 15,000 MILES. THE ROAD NOISE IS GETTING TO BE UNBEARABLE AND THE TRACTION IS POOR AND HAZARDED ON WET ROAD. THAT COULD CAUSE A BAD ACCIDENT. COMPLAINTED TO THE CAR SERVICE DEPARTMENT THEY OFFERED TO SALE US NEW TIRES WITH NO DISCOUNT. VERY DISAPPOINTED TO THE TIRE. *NM

CONSUMER TIRE PRESSURE WAS 38 PSI AND WAS TOLD BY DEALER AND GOODYEAR THAT IT WAS HIGH AND SHOULD BE AT 30 PSI. *JB