Problems with 2002 Toyota 4Runner TIRES

Re: goodyear dunlop grand trek tg35 p265/70r16 tire. on august 19, 2011, i was driving on i-10 in fl at approximately 65 miles per hour. the car suddenly got very bumpy and in a matter of seconds, the rear right tire exploded on my toyota 4runner. i lost control of the vehicle but managed to finally pull off to the side of the interstate. after examining the damages to my vehicle, i noticed that the tread on the right rear tire completely separated all the way around the tire. luckily, the car did not flip or collide with another vehicle. i sustained psychological and emotional injuries and over $2000 worth of damages to my car as a result of the blowout. my car only has 36k miles on it and is always kept in the garage. the tread on all 4 tires is practically brand new as it is driven seldomly, with regular tire rotation/balance/maintenance. there should not be any reason for a tire with this little wear and tear to explode the way it did. i have done a lot of research and realize that this could have had a far worse outcome, and that the tires are indeed defective. in addition, my insurance company will not cover the expenses of the tires. now i am forced to replace all 4 tires out of pocket for fear of the same scenario and not as lucky of an outcome if this happens again. in my research, i also saw that nhtsa has opened an investigation into possible tread separation problems involving dunlop tires sold as standard equipment on 1995-1999 nissan pathfinder suvs. nhtsa says it has received six reports of injuries in two rollover crashes that were blamed on tread separations on the grandtrek tg35 tire. i feel that unless i sustained life-long injuries, paralysis, or death would the tire manufacturer come forward with any goodwill or compensation. *tr

6/9/08 after leaving the car parked at a store for 20 minutes, the front right tire was totally flat. had car towed to north shore firestone and tires inc ..they said the valve failed. on the tire...i had the shop replace the valve and rebalance the tire.........7/16/2008 i was about to go to work and found the front left tire. missing half of the air...i took out my cordless air pump ,,attached it to the valve and felt air coming out of the valve, at the stem...had it towed to my mechanic ,huntington diagnostic in huntington and had the front and back 2 valves replaced ..i also had the service station keep the 3 valves for me to pick up when the work was completed.........the tires were originally replaced along with the 4 valves august /2006 the car had 55k from nys discount tire 1765 ny ave huntington station ny 11746 631-423-8473 ronnie/owner at the time of the 2 flats i had 75k and 77k on the car.....ningbo yinzhou haixin tire valve co ltd----makes the valves. *tr

Brent brown toyota in oreum utah performed a 60,000 mile check up on our 2002 4-runner, the staff were great and the work accomplished correctly. after driving home over five hours from the dealership to our home, i thought that the 4-runner seemed to be riding rough. upon checking the tire pressure, i found each tire to be over inflated at 70 pounds per tire. i had a local tire shop, "canyon lands tire" confirm the over inflated tires at more than 70 pounds in each tire. canyon lands tire did verify that indeed the tire pressure was at 70 pounds and more. this oversight endangered my wife and i. the tires could have run off the rims resulting in injury or loss of life. i have contacted the toyota dealership who said they will be calling back. *tr

The side of a dunlop at20 tire blew out. almost half of the side wall came away from the tread. replaced the tire. luckly i was pulling up to a light shortly after exiting the interstate.

in october '02 i was involved in a frontal collision with another vehicle that was turning from south to west as i was travelling north. my vehicle ended up colliding with the other vehicle at its passenger front axle and my driver side front end. as contact occurred, i had my wheels turned hard to the right thusly causing my vehicle to gradually whip the back end around causing a side impact as well. the other vehicle was pushed northward approx. 15-25 feet before the collision came to an end. both vehicles were disabled in this occurrence with damage to the passenger side and front engine compartment of the opposing vehicle. and, damage to the front end, both sides, left rear wheel, and front engine compartment of my vehicle. the opposing vehicle was totalled out and my vehicle has initial estimates in the $16,000-$17,000 price range. to my complaint, three things happened that brought me great concern. first, as i was trying to avoid the collision with the other vehicle by applying my brakes and turning my wheels, the left rear tire slipped off of the frame of the wheel instantly deflating leaving me with only one good tire to brake on. second, upon contact with the other vehicle, my seatbelt did not lock out causing me to be jettisoned up out of my seat and forward into the framework where the roof, front windshield, and driver's side window come together. head, neck, and high spinal injuries occurred. thirdly, the air bags at no time deployed. speed estimates upon impact were approx. 30mph. upon doing research, i have come to find that most air bags are set to deploy in accidents where more than 50% of the front end has damage and the speed of the vehicle is somewhere between 12-18mph. i thought going into the purchase of this vehicle i was making a wise decision both in terms of value and safety performance. i thought wrong!

Shortly after purchasing my 4 runner, i noticed a distinct shaking and shuddering of the frnt end and especially in the steering wheel. it really became impossible t take he vehicle over 65 mph. i have taken the car in for service and was always told the same thing. there is no problem . i have had new tires put on the car, new brakes and yet the car continues to vibrate to the point that i am now afraid to drive the vehicle. the stering is absolutely maddening and i fear a fatal crash. toyota folsom lake refuses to admit there is a problem and will do nothing. the 2002 toyota wa recalled for the seals failing on the windows. i took it in and they supposedly fixed the seals. they now hang down for all the world to see. great impression for toyota manufacturing company.when you apply the brakes the whole car goes into spasms like it is going to fall apart. the toyota 4 runner is a piece of trash and definitely a lemon from day one. i for one, will never purchase another japanese made car because they do not stand behind their warranties. i have heard every excuse made to man, and in this case, woman. what they fail to realize is word of mouth is the best form of advertizing and sales in the world. would you buy another toyota? not on your life, because i am afraid it is going to cose me and my children great bodily harm. this car needs to be taken off the highways of the usa. fortunately we survived a tire blowout and put all new tires on the car.

The consumer noticed from the when they first purchased the vehicle that it vibrates (at highway speeds) and pulled to the left. they contacted the dealer and they performed a 4 wheel alignment and balanced the four tires and that didn't help. (the steering wheel(s) were not straight and pulling from side to side) the consumer had been back to the dealer several times, and on one occasion was told that nothing was wrong, and on the second the rep noticed that the steering wheel was off centered. the consumer had taken the vehicle in for a last time (after having legal assistance) and was told that a steering concern exists, and performed an alignment and after several days the problem reoccured-which was the last straw. at this pooint the consumer is seeking a new vehicle or their money back. *scc *ts