NHTSA Complaint #10456091 — 2011 TOYOTA SIENNA

ON MARCH 3,2012 WHILE RETURNING FROM ASHEVILLE,NC TO OUR HOME IN GRAYSLAKE,IL WITH A FULL DAY OF NOTHING BUT INTERSTATE DRIVING OUR TIRE WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON . WE PULLED OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT BY CALUMET CITY,IL. ASSUMING I JUST NEEDED TO ADD SOME AIR TO THE TIRE I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THE WHOLE SIDEWALL SPLIT OPEN. WE HAD NOT HIT ANY SHARP OBJECTS OR POTHOLES,BUT THE RUN FLAT TIRE WAS RUINED. AS THE 2011 TOYOTA SIENNA AWD DOES NOT HAVE A SPARE AAA COULD NOT HELP TO REPLACE THE TIRE. THEY COULD TOW US TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, BUT WHEN WE NOTIFIED THE DEALERSHIP THEY INFORMED US SINCE IT WAS LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE TIRE UNTIL MONDAY. WE THEN MADE THE DECISION TO HAVE THE VAN TOWED TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP NEAREST OUR HOME(LIBERTYVILLE,IL) AT OUR EXPENSE.TOYOTA GLADLY REPLACED THE TIRE (WITH ONLY 9400 MILES OF WEAR) FOR $283.00 AND TOLD ME IF ANY COMPLAINTS TO TAKE THE TIRE TO A BRIDGESTONE DEALER. I INFORMED THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP THAT IF THE AWD SIENNA HAD A SPARE AND IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN BEFORE PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE IT DID NOT HAVE A SPARE I WOULD NOT BE IN THIS PREDICAMENT. I TOOK THE TIRE TO THE BRIDGESTONE DEALER . HE SAID IT LOOKED LIKE THE TIRE WAS DAMAGED(IT WAS NOT,IT JUST SPLIT APART) AND SAID HE WOULD SEND IT TO THE CORPORATE OFFICE TO BE EVALUATED. THIS WAS A MONTH AND A HALF AGO WITH NO RESPONSE. I AM AFRAID THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. *TR