NHTSA Complaint #10251910 — 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA

I HAVE A 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA WITH ALL WHEEL DRIVE AND RUN-FLAT TIRES. I WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR HAS A TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS). I HAD TWO EVENTS OF LOW TIRE PRESSURE THAT WENT UNDETECTED BY ME. BOTH TIMES I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER WHO TOLD ME THE NOISE AND VIBRATION WAS DUE TO LOW TIRE PRESSURE. I TOLD THEM THAT I NEVER SAW THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD. THE LATEST EVENT WAS A BLOW-OUT OF THE LEFT FRONT RUN-FLAT TIRE ON HWY 85 IN CA. THE CAR WAS DIFFICULT TO HANDLE AND I SLOWED AND EXITED THE FREEWAY AND THERE WAS NEVER A TPMS WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD TO INDICATE LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE. THE TIRE WAS TOTALLY GONE. HAD TO COVER THE COST OF THAT REPAIR. I RECENTLY TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER TO FIND OUT WHY THE TPMS WAS NOT WORKING. THE DEALER THEN TOLD ME THAT THE TPMS SYSTEM ON THE 2005 TOYOTA IS BASED ON THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM AND USES THE SPEED OF TIRE ROTATION AND NOT DIRECT TIRE PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS. FURTHERMORE, THEY TOLD ME THAT THE TMPS WAS WORKING PERFECTLY. I FIND APPLICATION OF A TMPS BASED ON TIRE CIRCUMFERENCE WITH RUN-FLAT TIRES IS COMPLETELY USELESS. THERE IS NO WAY THE 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA TMPS WILL EVER WORK WITH RUN-FLAT TIRES. THE RUN-FLAT TIRES HAVE EXTREMELY STRONG SIDE-WALLS TO ALLOW THE CAR TO CONTINUE WITH LITTLE AIR PRESSURE BUT, THAT MEANS THE TIRE DOES NOT DEFORM WITH LOW TIRE PRESSURE. THE FACT THAT I HAD A TOTAL TIRE BLOWOUT WITHOUT A TMPS WARNING LIGHT SHOWING MEANS THE TMPS SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK. I FIND THIS SYSTEM TO BE UNSAFE AND I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS BEING DONE AND HOW COULD THIS TMPS SYSTEM COMPLY WITH DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RULE CFR CITATION: 49 CFR PARTS 571 AND 590; DOCKET ID: NHTSA 2000-8572, RIN ID 2127-A133? *TR