1995 Toyota Tacoma

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE VEHICLE HAS GOODYEAR WRANGLER SRA TIRES, SIZE P265/60R18. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED SEVERE BALANCING ISSUES WITH HIS TIRES. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS THE CAUSE OF THE VIBRATION. REPAIRS WERE MADE ON THE VEHICLE TO REMEDY THE VIBRATION. ANOTHER SHOP STATED THAT THE VIBRATION WAS DUE TO THE TIRES AND WERE DEFECTIVE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE TIRES TO THE DEALER AT LEAST FIVE TIMES TO BE BALANCED AND INSPECTED. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE AND REFUSED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE UNDER WARRANTY. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 230,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 222,000.

I FIRST NOTICED THE TRUCK WAS HANDLING DIFFERENTELY WHILE TAKING MY SON TO PRESCHOOL. I PULLED OVER TO CHECK FOR A FLAT BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT IT FELT LIKE. NO FLAT. SO I CONTINUED ON. THAT WAS FRIDAY FEBRUARY 8. THE SUNDAY AFTER, MY HUSBAND AND I HAD TO GO SHOPPING IN THE NEARBY CITY OF UKIAH. I MENTIONED TO MY HUSBAND THAT THE TRUCK WAS HANDLING FUNNY AND I WAS WORRIED ABOUT IT. HE CHECKED THE TIRE TOO AND COULDN'T DETECT ANYTHING. SO WE WENT TO UKIAH, ABOUT A 25 MILE DRIVE ONE WAY ON A TWISTY, TREACHEROUS ROAD. THE TRUCK WAS STILL HANDLING FUNNY BUT MY HUSBAND THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TIRE WEIGHTS. LATER IN A PARKING LOT IN UKIAH MY HUSBAND NOTICED THAT THE TIRE (FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE) WAS COMING APART. NOW THESE TIRES STILL HAVE PLENTY OF TRED LEFT SO SHOULD NOT BE FALLING APART LIKE THIS. WE HAD BEEN WONDERING WHY WE'D BEEN HAVING ALL THESE FLATS LATELY. WE SAW WHY WHEN WE CHANGED THE TIRE, THE ONE WE REPLACED IT WITH WASN'T MUCH BETTER! ALTHOUGH IT WASN'T COMING APART YET THE RUBBER INBETWEEN THE TRED IS WEAK AND CRACKING EVERYWHERE. ALL OF THE TIRES ARE IN THAT CONDITION. *AK (DOT NUMBER: 8XHLIPY309 TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)

I HAVE 3 USA MADE 31X10.50R15LT M/S LOAD RANGE B AND ONE CANADIAN MADE 31X10.50R15LT M/S LOAD RANGE C (DON'T KNOW WHY FIRESTONE DEALER DID NOT PROVIDE ALL LOAD RANGE B'S) TIRES THAT ALL HAVE A CRACK APPROXIMATELY 60% OF THE WAY UP THE SIDEWALL THAT RUNS COMPLETELY AROUND THE TIRE. THE CRACKS ARE DEEPENING OVER TIME. I BOUGHT THESE TIRES NEW AND THEY HAVE BEEN MAINTAINED BY FIRESTONE APPROXIMATELY EVERY FIVE THOUSAND MILES PER THE WARRENTY. I HAVE MAINTAINED MY TRUCK METICULOUSLY AND TIRE PRESSURE IS CHECKED AT LEAST TWICE MONTHLY. I HAVE SEEN THIS CRACK ON MANY WILDERNESS AT III TIRES IN PARKING LOTS. I THINK THESE TIRES SHOULD BE RECALLED ALSO. HTTP://WWW.BRIDGESTONE-USA.COM/NEWS/00815B.HTM SHOWS 137 CLAIMS AGAINST THIS TIRE AS OF 8-22-00 ALREADY AND DOING A STRAIGHT RATIO WITH THE RECALLED TIRES EQUATES TO APPROXIMATELY 6 DEATHS ON THIS TIRE. WHY IS IT NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL? NOT ENOUGH DEATHS YET? AS A MINIMUM THEY SHOULD BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE UNDER FIRESTONES WORKMANSHIP AND MATERIALS WARRANTY.*AK (TIRESIZE: 3110.5R15L)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 3110.5R15L )

WHILE DRIVING ON I4 FROM ORLANDO TO TAMPA AT 65 MPH THE RIGHT REAR TIRE OF MY TACOMA TRUCK HAD A TREAD SEPARATION AND BLEW APART. I WAS ABLE TO RECOVER AND PULL OVER TO REPLACE THE TIRE. NEITHER FIRESTONE, NOR TOYOTA WILL TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS, CLAIMING THE TIRE IS TOO OLD AND USED. IT CAME APART JUST LIKE THE TIRES ON THE RECALL, BUT IS A DIFFERENT SIZE. THE DAMAGE AMOUNT IS THE AMOUNT TO REPLACE THE TIRES, SINCE I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. I FEEL THE RECALL SHOULD BE WIDENED TO INCLUDE MANY OTHER SIZES OF THESE SAME TIRES. HAVING KNOWLEDGE OF THE RECALL IS THE MAIN THING THAT ALLOWED ME TO RECOGNIZE THE PROBLEM ON THE HIGHWAY AND AVOID ANY SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES.( DOT NUMBER: W2HY AWA TIRE SIZE: P215 70R14 )