NHTSA Complaint #10016977 — 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY

I BOUGHT A 02 TOYOTA CAMRY SE LAST YEAR. I LIVE IN MICHIGAN AND IN THE WINTER IT SNOWS QUITE A BIT. GENERALLY NORMAL (NOT SNOW) TIRES WORK FINE IN THE WINTER. HOWEVER, THE NEW TIRES THAT COME WITH THE SE ARE NOT MEANT FOR WINTER WEATHER AT ALL. THEY PERFORM TERRIBLY EVEN IN THE LEAST AMOUNT OF NOW AND SKID. I HAD SEVERAL INCIDENTS WHERE I ALMOST HAD FATAL ACCIDENTS. LUCKILY I DID NOT GET INTO A CRASH AS I DRIVE EXTREMELY SLOWLY. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY DID NOT DO ANYTHING. HOWEVER, THEY REPLACED THE TIRES FOR A FEW SE BUYERS BUT DID NOT DO SO FOR ME. I THINK TOYOTA KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I THINK THEY SHOULD NOT SELL THE SE WITH THE BRIDGESTONE TIRES THAT THEY CURRENTLY DO. YOU CAN EXPECT A BUYER TO REPLACE ALL FOUR NEW TIRES WHEN THEY HAVE ONLY 2000 MILES ON THEM. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD FOR PEOPLE WHO DO NOT REALIZE THE PROBLEM BEFORE THEY BUY THE VEHICLE. I HOPE YOU WILL INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER AND HELP ALL THE SE BUYERS. *JB