NHTSA Complaint #10329410 — 2009 TOYOTA CAMRY

EARLY APRIL, I ATTEMPTED TO ROTATE TIRES ON A 2009 TOYOTA CAMRY. AFTER JACKING UP THE VEHICLE AND REMOVING THE LUG NUTS, I WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE TIRE, DESPITE USING A TECHNIQUE OF PLACING A 2X6 ACROSS THE TIRE AND HITTING IT WITH A 3 POUND HAMMER. I SPLIT THE 2X6 WITHOUT ANY AFFECT UPON THE TIRE. I PHONED TOYOTA HQ IN NY AND SUBSEQUENTLY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO SCHAUMBURG IL TOYOTA WHERE THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY USED A SLEDGE HAMMER TO LOOSEN THE TIRES. WHEN I RETURNED HOME AND AFTER I JACKED UP THE VEHICLE AT ALL 4 POINTS, I STILL HAD TO LAY DOWN AND USE A 3 POUND HAMMER AND HIT THE INSIDE OF THE STEEL WHEEL MULTIPLE TIMES FOR EACH WHEEL IN ORDER TO REMOVE EACH WHEEL. WITHOUT A VERY HEAVY HAMMER AND THE ACT OF HITTING THE STEEL WHEEL WITH TREMENDOUS FORCE, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO REMOVE A WHEEL. SINCE I PREVIOUSLY LIFTED WEIGHTS BENCHING 390 POUNDS, I DO NOT CONSIDER MYSELF AVERAGE IN TERMS OF THE ABILITY TO CHANGE A TIRE. WITHOUT A VERY HEAVY HAMMER AND THE STRENGTH TO DELIVER TREMENDOUS FORCE TO THE WHEELS, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO CHANGE A 2009 TOYOTA CAMRY TIRE. SINCE IT IS MANDATORY FOR MANUFACTURES TO PROVIDE THE MEANS TO CHANGE TIRES IN AN EMERGENCY, TOYOTA HAS MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR VIRTUALLY THE ENTIRE USER COMMUNITY TO CHANGE A TIRES. THIS CONSTITUTES AN EXTREME RISK TO OWNERS AND PASSENGERS WHERE A TIRE FAILURE OCCURS AND THERE IS NO HEAVY HAMMER AND THE INDIVIDUALS DO NOT HAVE THE STRENGTH TO FREE THE ON-VEHICLE WHEEL. I WROTE 3 LETTERS TO TOYOTA HQ JAPAN AND RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM TOYOTA NY WHERE THEY INDICATED THAT IT IS NECESSARY TO ROTATE TIRES EVERY 5,000 MILES. DUE THE EXTREMELY CLOSE FIT OF THE WHEEL TO THE AXLE ASSEMBLY AND THE PROPENSITY OF THE AXLE ASSEMBLY METALLIC COMPOSITION TO OXIDIZE AND THE ACT OF TIGHTENING THE LUG NUTS WHICH PRESSES THE METAL WHEEL ON TO THE AXLE ASSEMBLY, THERE IS VIRTUALLY NO TIME PERIOD IN WHICH USERS ARE ABLE TO REMOVE A WHEEL WITHIN NORMAL CONSTRAINTS. THIS IS A SERIOUS DESIGN DEFICIENCY. UPDATED 07/27/10*JB *TR