1998 Toyota Tacoma

THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A HIGHWAY AT A SPEED BETWEEN 60-65 ML/HR, WHEN I HEARD SOMETHING POP. WHEN COMING TO A STOP SIGN AT THE OFF RAMP, THE STEERING WHEEL IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO THE RIGHT, AFTER PRESSING ON THE BRAKES. I TOOK IT TO WALMART WERE I PURCHASED THE TIRES AND EXPLAINED TO THE INTAKE TECHNICIAN OF THE SITUATION AND REQUESTED A BALANCING OF ALL 4 TIRES, BECAUSE I THOUGHT A WEIGHT HAD FALLEN OFF THE RIM. THE AUTO TECHNICIAN BALANCED ALL 4 TIRES. THE RECEIPT STATED TIRES BALANCE ACCEPTED AND COMPLETE. NO OUT OF BALANCE SPECIFICATIONS WERE INDICATED. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 60-65 ML/HR AND COMING TO A STOP, THE VEHICLE STILL PULLED TO THE RIGHT IMMEDIATELY WHEN LETTING GO OF THE STEERING WHEEL. I THEN HAD THE ALIGNMENT CHECKED BY ANOTHER AUTO/TIRE SHOP. IT WAS FOUND TO BE OUT OF ALIGNMENT. THE MECHANIC COULD NOT SOLVE THE VEHICLE PULLING TO THE RIGHT AND SWAPPED THE FRONT TIRES, FROM RIGHT TO LEFT. HE FOUND THE VEHICLE NOW PULLED TO THE LEFT. HE STATED THE ALIGNMENT SPECIFICATIONS ARE CORRECT AND THAT IT WAS A BAD TIRE. THE PROBLEM WITH THE TIRE WAS INTERNAL AND TO CONTACT WALMART WHERE YOU PURCHASED THEM. WALMART DID NOT CHECK THE TIRE AND STATED THE WARRANTY WAS NOT EFFECTIVE AT 5/32ND TREAD DEPTH. WALMART STATED THEY OPTED OUT OF MICHELIN'S TIRE WARRANTY AND TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER OF THE TIRE DIRECTLY. I THEN CONTACTED MICHELIN NORTH AMERICA CUSTOMER CARE, WERE THEY AUTHORIZED ME TO TAKE IT TO ANOTHER TIRE DEALER WHO SOLD MICHELIN TIRES. I TOOK IT TO PHIL LONG TOYOTA DEALER WHO STATED THEY WOULD PROCESS THE WARRANTY FOR THIS TIRE. THEY CHECKED THE TIRE AND FOUND THAT THE TIRE ON THE LEFT SIDE HAD AN INTERNAL SEPARATED BELT. THE COMPANY MICHELIN NORTH AMERICA IS PROCESSING THE WARRANTY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE WAS FRACTURED BY THE REAR WHEEL ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 319,552.

DRIVER WAS ALONE TRAVELING WESTBOUND ON I-64. WHILE TRAVELING AT THE POSTED HIGHWAY SPEED (65), AFTER COMING OVER THE CREST AT MILE MARKER 242. THE DRIVER NOTED A LOUD SNAPPING SOUND. DRIVER THEN NOTED WITH PERIPHERAL VISION THAT THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL HAD BEEN EJECTED FROM THE VEHICLE. DRIVER'S IMMEDIATE REACTION WAS TO REMOVE FOOT FROM ACCELERATOR AND TO CONTINUE MAINTAINING CONTROL. THAT IS CONTINUE IN A STRAIGHT PATH WITH BOTH HANDS ON THE STEERING WHEEL TO PREVENT AN OVER CORRECTION SCENARIO. DRIVER TRIED TO APPLY PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES TO GRADUALLY SLOW DOWN. HOWEVER, AFTER APPLYING PRESSURE THE DRIVER REALIZED THAT HE HAD NO BRAKES. DRIVER CONTINUED WITH THE CONTROLLED CRASH AND ALLOWED THE TRUCK TO DRIFT TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER WHERE THE TRUCK EVENTUALLY CAME TO A STOP. RIGHT FRONT SPINDLE SNAPPED. SINCE ROTOR AND BRAKES EJECTED WITH THE WHEEL DRIVER HAD NO BRAKES. WITNESS AVAILABLE IN RED JEEP (LICENSE # AVAILABLE). MORE DETAILS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. DT