2003 Toyota Sienna

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA SIENNA WITH TOYO EXTENSA TIRES, TIRE SIZE 215/65/15. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED AND NOTICED THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WAS FLAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT AN OBJECT PUNCTURED THE TIRE AND A PATCH WAS USED TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. THREE MONTHS LATER THE SAME TIRE WAS PUNCTURED AGAIN BY A SMALL ROCK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE TIRE WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 108,800.

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WASHINGTON STATE, AND NOTICED THAT MY DRIVER'S SIDE REAR TIRE TREAD WAS SEPERATING FROM THE SIDEWALL AND STEAL. MY SON THEN FOUND THAT THE PASSANGER REAR WAS DOING THE SAME THING. I HAD TO CALL HOME AND FIND THE CLOSEST PLACE TO REPLACE THE TIRES. EUGENE. OR. WAS THE CLOSEST AND IT WAS 49 MILES. ABOUT 15 MILES OUTSIDE OF EUGENE, THE TREAD ON THE DRIVERS SIDE WAS THROWN OFF OF MY CAR AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO MY VAN. I REGAINED CONTROL AND GOT THE CAR TO COSTCO WHERE I REPLACED ALL 4 TIRES.

SO FAR THERE IS NO FAILURE OF MY DUNLOP SP-40 TIRES OTHER THAN POOR TREAD WEAR. AT 17,000 MILES I WAS TOLD I NEEDED NEW TIRES. THE DUNLOP TIRES ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A 60,000 MILE LIFE. TOYOTA IS NOT ANY HELP AS OF THIS DATE. I ALSO E-MAILED DUNLOP MY COMPLAINTS AND GOT NO RESPONSE FROM THEM. I WAS TOLD THEY WERE JUST CHEAP TIRES. I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT MY TIRES HAVE BEEN ROTATED AT LEAST TWICE AND POSSIBLY A THIRD TIME. I REALLY DON'T FEEL THAT THE WEAR IS FROM POOR MAINTENANCE. I AM A STAY AT HOME MOTHER WHO DRIVES VERY LITTLE. IF SOMEONE WILL CHECK INTO THIS, I BELIEVE THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS BOTH TO TOYOTA AND DUNLOP REGARDING THE WEAR OF THESE TIRES ON THE SIENNA MINIVANS!! *NM

THIS IS FOR A NEW TOYOTA SIENNA VAN. THE STEERING HAS ALWAYS HAD A SHAKE IN IT FROM DAY ONE. DEALER CHECKED TIRES FOR FLAT SPOTS. FOUND ONE BAD TIRE AND REPLACED. SHAKE STILL THERE.TOOK THE VAN TO ANOTHER TIRE STORE TO HAVE BALACES ON TIRES CHECKED AND THEY WERE NOT BALANCED PROPERLY. HAD TIRES RE-BALANCED AGAIN. SHAKE STILL THERE. DEALER THEN CHECKED STEERING COMPONANTS AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. DEALER THEN ROTATED AND RE-BALANCED TIRES AND STATED THAT THE SHAKE MAY WORK ITS WAY OUT WITH SOME ADDITIONAL MILEAGE PUT ON THE TIRES AFTER THE ROTATION. WAS ADVISED TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE VAN ON VACATION AND SEE HOW IT GOES. AFTER VACATION MILEAGE OF 1600 MILES,SHAKE STILL THERE. DEALER RE-INSPECTS AND FINDS AN INNER TIE-ROD DEFECTIVE(LEFT SIDE). TOYOTA SENDS A WHOLE NEW RACK AND PINNION STERRING SYSTEM TO BE REPLACED. DEALER COMPLETES WORK BUT SAYS THEY DIDN'T REPLACE RIGHT SIDE OUTER TIE-ROD BECAUSE THE DEFECTIVE TIE-ROD WAS ON THE LEFT SIDE. NEXT DAY THE SHAKE STILL THERE. BACK TO DEALER FOR MECHANIC TO TEST DRIVE. HE STATES THERE IS A DEFINATE SHAKE IN THE STEERING BUT DOESN'T KNOW WHY. SO THEY HAVE MY VAN AGAIN TODAY FOR THE FOURTH TIME TO TRY AND FIGURE IT OUT.