1999 Toyota Tacoma

I AM HAVING BACK PROBLEMS DUE TO DESIGN OF DRIVERS PORTION OF THE 60/40 SEAT IN MY TOYOTA TACOMA PICKUP. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER FROM WHICH I PURCHASED IT AND FILED A COMPLAINT WITH TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE. THEY REPLACED THE FOAM AND THE COVERS TO NO AVAIL. THE PROBLEM IS IN THE DESIGN AND POOR QUALITY OF THE SEAT. I BELIEVE THAT THE SEAT PLACES THE DRIVER AT RISK FOR BACK INJURY FROM EITHER AIR BAG INFLATION OR REAR END IMPACT DUE TO STEEL HORIZONTAL REINFORCING RODS IN THE SEAT FRAME. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE LONG TERM EFFECT OF WEAR AND TEAR ON THE LOWER SPINE FROM CONTINUAL CONTACT WITH THESE RODS CAUSES SERIOUS PROBLEMS. THESE RODS ARE PLACED PERPINDICULAR TO THE DRIVERS SPINAL COLUMN AND ARE MOUNTED HORIZONTALLY ON THE FORWARD PART OF THE SEAT FRAME. THEY ARE PADDED ONLY BY SEAT COVER MATERIAL AND LOW DENSITY FOAM. I BELIEVE THAT THE ADDITIONAL SEAT WIDTH OF THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE 60/40 SEAT ACCENTUATES THE EFFECT OF THE PRESSURE ON THE SPINE AS OPPOSED TO A REGULAR "BUCKET" SEAT. ADDITIONALLY THE "MIDDLE" SEAT POSITION HAS SEAT BELT CONNECTORS WHICH ALLOW FOR A SEATING SPACE OF ONLY 7.5 INCHES HORIZONTALLY. NO ADULT COULD POSSIBLY FIT IN THE SPACE, THE SEAT POSITION IS USELESS BUT COULD ENCOURAGE SOMEONE TO SEAT A CHILD IN IT WITH DEADLY RESULTS. *AK

FIRST INCIDENT I WAS ON INTERSTATE 5 HEADED TO SAN JOSE. I WAS WITHIN 15 MILES OF MY DESTINATION, NO PLACE TO CHANGE TIRE, HAD TO DRIVE ON IT UNTIL I REACHED OUTSKIRTS OF MORGAN HILL, CA AND HAD SPARE MOUNTED, PURCHASED A WINSTON TIRE TO TAKE PLACE OF SPARE FOR MY 500 MILE JOURNEY HOME TO LONG BEACH, CA. 2ND INCIDENT, I WAS ON THE RAMP OF THE 91EASTBOUND FREEWAY AND HAD TO IMMEDIATELY GET OFF AT LONG BEACH BLVD. CONTACTED AAA WHEREUPON THE TIRE WAS TAKEN OFF AND THE WINSTON (SPARE) WAS NOW PUT ON. TOOK THE BLOWN TIRE TO THE TIRE STATION IN CARSON, CA AND THEY PRORATED THE TIRE, STATING THAT AT THE AMOUNT OF MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 17,500 I HAD USED UP ALMOST 60% APPARENTLY, THE RECEIPT INDICATES THAT THEY COLLECTED 40% OF THE VALUE OF THE TIRE FROM ME, FOR A TOTAL OF $32.10 OF A SO-CALLED $65.99 TIRE. AT THIS POINT I AM LUCKY TO EVIDENTLY BE ALIVE. I'VE ALREADY REPLACED THE TIRES AT MY EXPENSE INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR FIRESTONE TO GET OFF THE DIME. I HAVE SINCE WRITTEN THEM AN E-MAIL EXPRESSING MY ANGER AND DISMAY AT A COMPANY THAT CONSIDERS THE VALUE OF THEIR PRODUCT MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE HUMAN LIVES THEY MAY HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P215SR14 )

FROM THE DAY WE BOUGHT THE TRUCK THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM ONE PAIR OF OUR TIRES. AS WE ROTATED THEM AT EACH 5K MILE INTRAVELS THE NOISE WOULD MOVE WITH THEM. WE TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE FRONTIER TOYOTA DEALER IN VALENCIA FOR SERVICE ON 7/13/00. THEY CHARGED US FOR A TIRE ROTATION AND BALANCE AND ALIGNMENT. AFTERWARDS THE NOISE WAS UNBEARABLE AND THE TRUCK DEVELOPED A EXTREME VIBRATION AND SHIMMY. THE TIRES WERE ON THE VERGE OF DISINTEGRATING. WE AGAIN RETURNED THE TRUCK TO FRONTIER TOYOTA WHO REPLACED THE TWO (2) SUBJECT TIRES. THE PROBLEM DISAPPERED. OUR TRUCK IS CURRENTLY RUNNING SMOOTHER THAN WHEN WE ORIGINALY PURCHASED IT. ALL OF THE ASSOCIATED SQUEAKS AND NOISES FROM THE VIBRATION HAS ALSO DISAPPEARED. WE ARE DISPLEASED THAT THE DEALER SHOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THE TIRE RECALL FOR SIMILAR TIRES AND YET CHOSE TO CHARGE US FOR AN UNNECCESARY ALIGNMENT. WE BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE SERIOUS DEFECTS IN MANY MORE TIRE SIZES THAN HAVE BEEN RECALLED AND ASK THAT YOU INVESTIGATE THE ENTIRE PRODUCT LINE OF TIRES FROM FIRESTONE.( DOT NUMBER: W29V TIRE SIZE: P265/75R15 )

I WAS NOT DRIVING, I WAS WASHING MY VEHICLE WHEN I NOTICED A LONG SPLIT ON THE TREAD SURFACE. THE SPLIT WAS ABOUT FOUR INCHES LONG AND IT FOLLOWED ONE OF THE TREAD LUGS. I TOOK THE TIRE IN TO A FIRESTONE DEALER AND ASK IF IT WAS A DEFECTIVE TIRE AND THEY SAID NO THAT IT WAS A ROAD HAZARD. IT WAS NOT A ROAD HAZARD! THEY MADE ME BUY A NEW TIRE.( DOT NUMBER: W29V AWI TIRE SIZE: P265/75R15 )