NHTSA Complaint #10383392 — 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE: I FIRST NOTICED THAT MY LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT WAS ON WHEN I STARTED OUT THIS MORNING. I STOPPED AT A GAS STATION TO CHECK THE TIRES AND NOTICED A LARGE SCREW STUCK IN MY FRONT LEFT TIRE. MY TIRE PRESSURE GAUGE REGISTERED LESS THAN 5PSI. I FILLED THE TIRE TO AT LEAST 25PSI AND HEADED BACK HOME, FIGURING I COULD PUT THE SPARE ON IN MY GARAGE AND TAKE THE FLAT TO BE REPAIRED. I WAS GLAD TO GET BACK AS THE BIGGEST SNOWSTORM OF THE SEASON WAS AN HOUR AWAY. THE FAILURE: I WAS ABLE TO GET THE JACK AND OTHER EQUIPMENT OUT OF THE BACK AND SUCCESSFULLY LOWERED THE SPARE TIRE ONTO THE GROUND. MY PROBLEM IS THAT I CANNOT REMOVE THE SPARE TIRE FROM THE CARRIER CABLE. WE'VE HAD A LOT OF SALT SPRAYED ON THE ROADS RECENTLY AND ALL THE PARTS WERE WHITE. I SPRAYED WITH WD40, BUT NO LUCK. THE MANUAL IS NO HELP AS IT ONLY SHOWS A PICTURE OF THE SPARE AND A ROTATING ARROW. I CAME INSIDE TO LOOK ONLINE TO SEE IF THERE WAS A SOLUTION.. NONE. I THEN SAW A RECALL LISTED FOR THE 2008-2010 SIENNA (ID# 8250). BECAUSE OF A SAFETY ISSUE WITH SPARE TIRE CARRIER CABLE, IT COULD POSSIBLY BECOME CORRODED AND CAUSE THE SPARE TO FALL OFF FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE RECALL SAYS TO SEE AN AMENDED RECALL FOR JULY 19, 2010. I CAN'T FIND IT. OWNERS WERE TO RECEIVE A LETTER "WHEN A PERMANENT REMEDY WAS AVAILABLE." REPAIRS WERE EXPECTED TO START IN OCTOBER 2010. I'M THANKFUL I WASN'T OUT TRYING TO UNSUCCESSFULLY REMOVE THE SPARE TIRE IN A SNOWSTORM, BUT A USELESS OWNERS MANUAL, A DEFECTIVE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT, AND ESPECIALLY A RECALL FOR THE SAME PIECE OF EQUIPMENT ON ANOTHER MODEL WITH NO AMENDED REPAIR INFORMATION IS UNACCEPTABLE TO ME. WHY WEREN'T HIGHLANDER OWNERS LIKE ME NOTIFIED AS WELL? HAVE SIENNA VEHICLES BEEN REPAIRED? NOW I HAVE TO DRIVE THE CAR WITH A FLAT FRONT TIRE TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO GET THE SPARE TIRE TAKEN OFF THE VEHICLE SO I CAN TAKE THE FLAT OFF AND GET IT REPAIRED. I CONSIDER THIS ANOTHER BALL DROPPED BY TOYOTA. *TR