2015 Toyota Camry Hybrid

WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS I HEARD A "THUNKING" NOISE COMING FROM THE BACK TIRES. WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND DID A VISUAL INSPECTION ALL TIRES APPEARED TO BE PROPERLY INFLATED. I THEN GOT ON THE FREEWAY AND AFTER DRIVING ABOUT A MILE IN THE SLOW LANE AT 65MPH. I SUDDENLY HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSIVE SOUND COMING FROM THE RIGHT REAR TIRE AND SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE SMOKE COMING FROM THE BACK. I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL ONTO THE SHOULDER AND CALL EMERGENCY ROAD ASSISTANCE. THE TIRE HAD LITERALLY COME COMPLETELY APART FROM THE WHEEL AND PARTS WERE SHREDDED INTO STRIPS. HAD I BEEN IN ANY LANE OTHER THAN THE RIGHT-HAND LANE I COULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. MY VEHICLE IS A 2015 CAMRY HYBRID WITH ONLY 16000 MILES. THIS IS THE SECOND TIRE INCIDENT I'VE HAD WITH THE BRIDGESTONE FIRESTONE TIRES THAT CAME WITH THE CAR, WHICH I PURCHASED NEW. THE FIRST INSTANCE WAS A FLAT TIRE THAT OCCURRED WHEN THE CAR ONLY HAD 5,000 MILES. I HAVE NOW REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES WITH MICHELINS.

WINDSHIELD CONTAINS A DEFECT FROM THE FACTORY IN THE LAMINATE IN THE DIRECT DRIVER LINE OF SIGHT WITH THE ROAD. IT APPEARS AS A DARK GRAY MARK ABOUT 2 INCHES LONG BY 1/4 INCH WIDE. ISSUE WAS REPORT TO TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER AT FIRST MAINTENANCE INTERVAL (5,000 MILES). IT CAUSES A REFLECTION AT NIGHT FROM LIGHTS (ON COMING CARS, STREET LIGHTS, ETC). THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE GIVEN THE LOCATION AND DISTRACTION IT CAUSES.

MY PANORAMIC SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED ON MY 2015 CAMRY HYBRID. I WAS ENTERING THE 101 FREEWAY IN PASO ROBLES, CA, TRAVELING SOUTH INTO VERY LIGHT TRAFFIC (1:30 P.M.). APPROX. 3/4 OF A MILE LATER INTO MY FREEWAY TRANSITION THERE WAS A EXPLOSION-LIKE SOUND. MY INITIAL RESPONSE WAS TO LOOK OUT MY BACK WINDOW, WHERE I NOTICED DARK-COLORED GLASS WAS FLYING AWAY FROM THE CAR. A FREEWAY OVERPASS WAS NOT IN PLAY, I WAS TRAVELING A FULL LANE AWAY FROM THE NORTH BOUND CENTER DIVIDER, AND THE AREA TO THE IMMEDIATE RIGHT OF MY CAR WAS A GRASSY AREA. MY CAR WAS NOT HIT BY A FOREIGN OBJECT; STONE, BOLT, ETC., AS THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. UPON TAKING MY CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, I WAS INFORMED THAT IT COULD HAVE ONLY BEEN CAUSED BY AN FLYING OBJECT LIKE A STONE. HOWEVER, AS I SEARCHED THE INTERNET, I BECAME AWARE THATEXPLODING /SHATTERING SUNROOFS HAS NOT BEEN A OCCASIONAL HAPPENING, AS HUNDREDS OF TESTIMONIES ON THE INTERNET INDICATE OTHERWISE.MOST ALL AUTO MANUFACTURERS ARE INVOLVED. NBC-TV NEW YORK, ON FEBRUARY 24, 2015 DID A NEWS PIECE ON THIS VERY SUBJECT. I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THE NHTSA TO THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATE THIS IMPORTANT MATTER.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V144000 (STEERING); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.