2001 Toyota Prius

THERE IS A TIRE SEPARATION PROBLEM WITH THE LATEST SET OF BRIDGESTONE TIRES THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE TOYOTA DEALER FOR OUR PRIUS. THE ORIGINAL TIRES WERE RECALLED DUE TO PREMATURE WEAR. THE REAR LEFT TIRE SEPARATED AND MY DAUGHTER LUCKILY WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE ON THE FREEWAY AT UNDER 55 MPH. SHE NOTICED THE PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY WHEN SHE GOT ON THE FREEWAY OR SHE MIGHT HAVE LOST CONTROL. FOR AN EXAMPLE OF THE SEPARATION, SEE: HTTP://WWW.FIRESTONE-TIRE-RECALL.COM/PAGES/ADVOCATE/11-13.HTML WE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE LEFT REAR AND SAME NEW CONDITION AS LINK ABOVE.*AK

THE TIRES ON OUR 2001 PRIUS CONTINUALLY FAIL AFTER ABOUT 15,000 MILES. WE HAVE HAD STATE INSPECTIONS FAIL BECAUSE OF TREAD WEAR, REFUSED SERVICE AT BRIDGESTONE DEALERS BECAUSE OF TREAD WEAR. WITH LESS THAN 50K MILES WE ARE WORKING ON THE THIRD SET OF TIRES. WE CHECK PRESSURE AND ROTATE OUR TIRES REGULARLY. SINCE TOYOTA CLAIMS THERE ARE NO REPLACEMENTS AND NO TREAD WEAR WARRANTIES, WE THINK THE CAR SHOULD NO LONGER BE ALLOWED ON THE US MARKET. *NLM

THE FRONT TIRES WORE OUT UNEVENLY. THE OUTSIDE OF THE TIRES WORE TO THE POINT THAT AIR WAS LEAKING OUT. CONSUMER TIRES WERE NOT APART OF A RECALL TOYOTA ISSUED ACCORDING TO THE VIN OF THE VEHICLE. THE TIRES ARE BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE 92, TUBELESS STEEL BELTED RADIAL M+S. P175/65 R14 84S. DOT # EL 9P T9902, JDH 2301 E92Z. CONSUMER REQUEST RECALL INFORMATION ON THESE TIRES STATED ABOVE. *JG

CONTINUED EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR POSSIBLE CAUSE VEHICLE WEIGHT AND ALIGNMENT PROBLEM. I AM ON MY THIRD SET OF TIRES IN 30,000 MILES AND THE TIRES THAT ARE NOW ON THE CAR ARE WEARING POORLY AFTER LESS THEN 5,000 MILES. TOYOTA IS REFUSING TO HELP ME WITH THIS PROBLEM ANY FURTHER THEN THEY HAVE. THE CAR WONDERS IN SLIGHTLY WINDY CONDITIONS AND FREEWAY DRIVING WHICH FELLS UNSAFE. TOYOTA HAS HAD TO REPLACE THE COMPUTER AND DO A VALVE JOB DUE TO THE LOSS OF POWER I EXPERIENCED, WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.*AK

WE HAD A TIRE SEPARATE AT 75MPH IN THE REAR. A COUPLE WEEKS LATER THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE SEPARATED AT 70MPH. THE CAR HAD APPROX. 20000 ON IT. WHEN TOYTOTA RAISED THE CAR THEY FOUND A THIRD FRONT LEFT TIRE HAD BEGUN TO SEPERATE. I SAID I DID NOT TRUST THESE BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE TIRES SO THEY PUT ON MICHELIN TIRES. THE DEALER THEN CALLED AND SAID NO OTHER TIRE COULD SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE PRIUS. THEY HAD ALREADY PUT THE MICHELINS ON. I CALLED ALL THE TIRE MANUFACTURES TO FIND OUT THAT ONLY THE FACTORY BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE TIRES COULD SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE HYBRID PRIUS. I PHONED TOYOTA AND FIRESTONE. BOTH SAID THEY WOULD CALL ME BACK WITHIN THREE WEEKS. NO ONE HAD CALLED. TOYOTA SAID IT IS A TIRE MANUFACTURER PROBLEM, BUT THEY USE THEIR TIRES. I WENT TO THE DEALER TO BE TOLD SINCE I TOOK THE CAR IN THEY HAD THREE OTHER PRIUS'S COME IN WITH BLOWN TIRES ALL WITH ABOUT 20000 MILES ON THEM. I WENT TO SEARS IN SAN BERNARDINO AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY TOO HAD TWO PRIUS'S WITH BLOWN TIRES. I HAVE LOST OVER $2000.00 AND SPENT THREE WEEKS WITH A PAINFUL KNEE AND TOYOTA DOESN'T CARE. I GOT THREE FRIENDS TO BUY TOYOTA PRIUSS AND I NOW WORRY ABOUT THEIR TIRES. SINCE THIS STARTED TOYOTA EMAIL ME AND SAID DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR OVER 85 MPH FOR THE TIRES CAN NOT SUPPORT THE CAR AND SPEED. WHY WEREN'T WE TOLD THIS AT TIME OF PURCHASE? NO OTHER TIRE IS MADE FOR THE CAR AND THE BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE TIRES ARE NOT UP TO SUPPORTING THE CAR SAFELY EVER. I WILL TAKE MY CHANCES WITH THE MICHELINS. OTHER PRIUS OWNERS HAVE TOLD ME THEY WILL TAKE THEIR CHANCES WITH OTHER BRANDS EVEN IF THEY ARE NOT RATED FOR CAR. *AK *JB