NHTSA Complaint #10148880 — 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA

AFTER PURCHASING 2004 SIENNA IN 06/03 WE HAD 2 FLAT TIRES AND 1 BLOW OUT ON RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER. THE VAN BARELY HAD 9000 MILES ON IT AND WE PUT A COMPLETE NEW SET OF TIRES ON. THE CONSTANT WORRY OF FLAT TIRES WAS NOT AN OPTION. WHAT'S WORSE THAN THAT, ON THE UPGRADED WHEELS, THERE APPEARS TO BE A MAJOR DESIGN FLAW, NORMAL DUST,DIRT,ROCKS PICKED UP ACCUMULATES ON THE INSIDE OF THE BACK WHEELS, YOU CANNOT WASH IT OUT, THE WHEELS MUST BE REMOVED AND BLOWN OUT. THIS CAUSES THE WHEELS TO BE "OFF BALANCE: PROVIDE A TERRIBLE RIDE AND CAUSE UNEVEN TIRE WEAR. THE VAN NOW HAS 30000 MILES AND IS NEED OF A NEW SET OF TIRES AGAIN. IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN A VERY BAD RIDE FOR THE LAST 15000 MILES, BUT WHO CAN AFFORD TO BUY TIRES AT THAT RATE? AFTER VISITING WITH A FEW OTHER LOCAL SIENNA OWNERS WITH THE SAME WHEEL DESIGN, IT APPEARS AS THOUGH, LOW AND BEHOLD, THEY HAVE ALSO BEEN REPLACING TIRES AT MUCH HIGHER THAN NORMAL RATE. UNTIL VISITING WITH US ABOUT IT , THEY HAD MADE THE ASSUMPTION THAT TIRES JUST WEREN'T MADE LIKE THEY USED TO BE! THE 3 OTHER COUPLES (VANS) ALSO HAD BETWEEN 30000 AND 40000 MILES AND WERE ALSO ON THEIR 2ND OR EVEN 3RD SET OF TIRES!! BY THE WAY, ALL SETS OF TIRES WERE NOT THE SAME BRANDS AND DIFFERED FROM THE 2 BRANDS ) . THE SERVICE AT THE DEALER FROM WHICH THE VAN WAS PURCHASED ARE WONDERFUL, BUT NOT MUCH THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT UNLESS TOYOTA RECOGNIZES THE DESIGN FLAW. I HAVE TO WONDER EVERY TIME I SEE A SIENNA WITH THIS PARTICULAR WHEEL DESIGN, HOW MANY SETS OF TIRES HAVE THEY HAD TO PURCHASE AND HOW BADLY IS THE COMFORT OF THEIR RIDE COMPROMISED? I WILL BE TRADING THE VAN OFF SHORTLY ONLY BECAUSE OF THIS REASON, WHICH IS A CRYING SHAME, IT'S A GREAT FAMILY VEHICLE, OTHER THAN THIS, BUT THE VIBRATION FROM TIRES WORN SO UNEVENLY IS HORRENDOUS AND I AM TIRED OF BUYING TIRES, AND IT'S INCONVENIENT, TO SAY THE LEAST, TO TAKE THE VAN TO THE QUICK LUBE WEEKLY TO HAVE THE WHEELS PULLED OFF AND CLEANED OUT. *AK