NHTSA Complaint #10426287 — 2011 TOYOTA CAMRY

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011 DEAR SIR, ABOUT 10 DAYS AGO, MY WIFE HAD A BLOWOUT OF HER RIGHT FRONT TIRE WITH TREAD SEPARATION OF THE SIDEWALL VERY NEAR THE TIRE TREAD. AT THAT TIME, SHE ALSO NOTICED ON THE RIGHT REAR TIRE A LARGE BLISTER IN APPROXIMATELY THE SAME AREA THAT WAS BULGING OUT SEVERAL INCHES. AS DIRECTED BY TOYOTA I TOOK THE 2011 CAMRY LE TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER (SPARKS TOYOTA) IN MYRTLE BEACH, SC. THE SERVICE MANAGER (CHRIS ?) INDICATED THAT HE THOUGHT WE HAD HIT SOMETHING THAT DAMAGED THE SIDEWALL ON THE FRONT AND REAR TIRES. HE SHOWED ME A MINISCULE SCRATCH ON THE PAINTED ALLOY RIM THAT HE THOUGHT MAY HAVE BEEN AN IMPACT AREA. I COULD HARDLY SEE IT AND IT WAS TOO SMALL TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED BY MY CAMERA. HE ALSO SAID THE TIRE WAS SCUFFED SLIGHTLY BUT OF COURSE IT WAS SCUFFED AFTER THE BLOWOUT BY SUDDEN DEFLATION. THE RIGHT REAR TIRE HE INDICATED ALSO HAD BEEN IMPACTED WHICH I COULD NOT SEE ANY APPARENT DAMAGE. I SPOKE WITH FIRESTONE BY TELEPHONE AND THEY INDICATED THAT SINCE THE TECHNICIAN HAD REPORTED SIDEWALL DAMAGE THE WARRANTY WAS NO GOOD DUE TO IMPACT. QUITE FRANKLY, WE HAVE NOT HIT ANYTHING WITH EITHER TIRE NOR RUN OVER OR SCRAPED THE SIDEWALL ON CURBING. I FEEL THAT BOTH OF THESE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE AND TOYOTA AND FIRESTONE ARE COVERING UP DEFECTIVE TIRES THAT NEED TO BE RECALLED. I AM FILING A COMPLAINT WITH THE NTSB AND ALSO WITH THE CONSUMER PRODUCTS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION IN WASHINGTON D.C. *KB