NHTSA Complaint #10151421 — 2005 TOYOTA PRIUS

MY 2005 PRIUS HAD A FLAT TIRE LAST WEEK, I TOOK IT TO A TIRE SHOP TO FIND OUT ALL FOUR TIRES WERE WORN DUE TO ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. I HAVE HAD IT SERVICED EACH TIME AT THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR AND THEY ROTATED THE TIRES ONCE, I THOUGHT THEY HAD TWICE. IN ANY EVENT THEY SAID I MUST HAVE HIT A LARGE POTHOLE WITH MY REAR TIRE, BECAUSE IT WAS THE WORST. ALL FOUR TIRES HAD WORN UNEVENLY. THE ORIGINAL TIRE DEALER I TOOK THE CAR TO SAID THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE CAR AND THE SECOND TIRE DEALER WHERE I HAD THE ALIGNMENT DONE AND NEW TIRES PUT ON SAID IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. THEY HAVE DEVELOPED A SHIM FOR REAR WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND SAID IT WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE PRIUS. THEY ALSO SAID THEY COULD SEE NO EVIDENCE OF AND DAMAGE BY A POTHOLE OR ANYTHING ELSE. I FELT BAD THE DEALER WOULD NOT OWN UP TO THE PROBLEM. I KNOW I DIDN'T ROTATE TIRES AS OFTEN AS I SHOULD HAVE, BUT I HAVE A MERCURY AND FORD THAT HAVE THEIR TIRES ROTATED ABOUT EVER 15,000 MILES. I GET GREAT TIRE WEAR AND HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS. BY TIME I GOT THE ALIGNMENT AND THE TIRES I WAS INTO IT OVER $500.(THAT'S A LOT OF GAS). THE TIRE DEALERS SAID IT WAS THE CAR MORE THAN THE TIRES. I HAVE HAD TOYOTAS IN THE PAST AND WAS VERY DISSAPOINTED IN THEIR RESPONSE TO THIS ONE. I HAVE SORT OF LOST CONFIDENCE IN THIS CAR AND EVEN DISCUSSED GETTING A DIFFERENT CAR WITH THE DEALER BUT THEY WERE UNWILLING TO DISCUSS THAT. *NM