2003 Toyota Tacoma

LETTER TO THE SECRETARY FROM RE COMPLAINT REGARDING THE SAFETY OF THE 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING, ANOTHER VEHICLE SLID INTO HIS VEHICLE AND HE HIT THE PASSENGER FRONT TIRE OF THE OTHER VEHICLE AT 40 MPH. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE TIRES AND FRONT FENDER RATIO HAD A DESIGN DEFECT. THE CONSUMER WAS INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT. *JB..UPDATED 01/31/12..UPDATED 11/19/13 *BF

I HAVE HAD 3 OUT OF 4 TIRES PURCHASED IN 9/08 DEVELOP LARGE "BUBBLES" AT THE RIM AND 1 ONE OF THEM WENT FLAT. THE OTHERS WERE NOTICED AND CHANGED AND ALL TIRES HAD TEARS IN THEM THAT WERE NOT VISIBLE WHEN THE TIRES WERE ON THE RIM. THE FIRST TIRE HAD AROUND 25000 MILES ON IT WHEN IT DEVELOPED A LARGE BUBBLE WHILE WE WERE TRAVELING. THE RECEIPT FROM THE DEALERSHIP THAT REPLACED THE TIRE SAID IT HAD A CUT IN IT. LAST WEEK ANOTHER TIRE WENT FLAT AFTER I HAD DRIVEN OVER 400 MILES AND THIS CAUSED ME TO INSPECT MY TIRES AND I NOTICED A "BUBBLE" THAT STARTED ON THE RIM OF ANOTHER TIRE. WHEN I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN I HAD TO BUY 2 NEW TIRES BECAUSE BOTH OF THESE TIRES HAD TEARS OR CUTS 1 1/2 - 3 INCHES LONG THAT WERE VISIBLE ONLY AFTER THE RIM WAS REMOVED. THESE TIRES HAD AROUND 40,000 MILES ON THEM. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER I PURCHASED THE ORIGINAL TIRES FROM AND I AM IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING OUT A RESOLUTION WITH THEM. THE 4TH TIRE HAS A "RIPPLE" IN IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TIRE, NOT AROUND THE RIM, AND THE DEALERSHIP HAS TOLD ME THAT IS FROM SEPARATION AND IS NOT UNUSUAL. I AM ALSO ASKING THAT THEY REPLACE THAT TIRE FOR ME. I STILL HAVE THE LAST 2 TIRES BUT WILL HAVE TO GIVE THEM TO THE DEALERSHIP WHEN WE WORK OUT A RESOLUTION. *TR

DT: THE CONTACT STATED A RECALL LETTER WAS RECEIVED PERTAINING TO THE LOWER BALL JOINTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR THE RECALL ON 12/27/05 WHERE THE BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED AND THE VEHICLE WAS REALIGNED. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHIMMY AFTER ABOUT THREE MONTH LATER AND IT WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE FRONT TIRES WERE BALANCE WHICH RESULTED IN DIFFICULTY OF STEERING DUE TO THE TIRES BECOMING WORN. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED THAT THE WORN TIRES WERE A DIRECT RESULT OF THE IMPROPER ALIGNMENT PERFORMED BY THE DEALER ON 12/27/05. AFTER 3 DAYS, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR TIRE ROTATION BECAUSE THE DIFFICULTY IN STEERING HAD WORSENED. THE ROTATION FIXED THE PROBLEM FOR AWHILE HOWEVER AFTER A COUPLE OF MONTHS THE STEERING WORSENED. ON 6/26/06, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER INDEPENDENT TIRE DEALER FOR REALIGNMENT. THE CONTACT CAN PROVIDE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE REALIGNMENT OF THE TIRES BEFORE THE ALIGNMENT, AFTER THE ALIGNMENT AND THE SPECIFIED RANGED. *NM

DT: CONTACT STATED THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE. THE SIDEWALL BLEW OUT ON THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SPIN AROUND AND END UP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE REAR TIRE ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE WENT FLAT. THE TREAD FOR THE TWO FRONT TIRES IS SEPARATED AT THE SIDEWALL. ALL FOUR TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. HE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, WHO URGED THE CONTACT TO SENT TO THEM THE TIRES. HE HAS NOT YET SENT THE TIRES TO THE MANUFACTURER. *AK

WHILE ROTATING THE TIRES ON MY NEW 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA P/U FOR THE FIRST TIME (6,000 MILES), I NOTICED A BULDGE IN THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT TIRE (GOODYEAR WANGLER HP P205/75R15) LOCAL GOODYEAR DEALER(AUTO WORLD) CALLED GOODYEAR, THEY SAID NO WARRANTY, BUT THEY WILL SELL ME A REPLACEMENT TIRE AT THERE COST OF $97.00 (AS IF I'LL BUY ANOTHER GOODYEAR TIRE)! HOW MANY HAVE TO BE HURT OR INJURED BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE! OR ARE THEY FOLLOWING FIRESTONE / BRIDGESTONE'S LEAD..... *LA

THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A FIRESTONE TIRE PROBLEM. ALL 5 TIRES SPLIT ON THE SIDEWALL. FIRESTONE SENT AN INSPECTOR, AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A ROAD HAZARD. VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN LESS THAN 1000 MILES AND THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE. *AK THE SECOND SET OF TIRES HAD THREE TIRES WITH SPLITS IN THE SAME AREA. THE FIRESTONE INSPECTOR SUGGESTED THAT THIS WAS DUE TO ROCKS OR SOME SORT OF PROBLEM CUTTING THE TIRES. THE CONSUMER HAD NEVER DRIVEN THE VEHICLE OFF OF PAVED ROADS. ALL EIGHT TIRES HAD SPLITS IN THE SAME AREA. *SC

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE LEFT FRONT TIRE EXPLODED. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND CALLED ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE TO CHANGE THE TIRE.*AK THREE DAYS LATER THE LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT, THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE SPARE TIRE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF ABOUT TO FAIL AS WELL. THE NEXT DAY, TOYOTA HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED AND ALL 5 TIRES WERE REPLACED. *CB *JB