NHTSA Complaint #10496496 — 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

MY HUSBAND AND I WERE DRIVING ALONG EL CAMINO REAL IN SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO CALIFORNIA WHEN WE HEARD A VERY LOUD BANG AND OUR CAR SWAYED TO THE RIGHT AND ALMOST HIT A BYSTANDER. THE REAR PASSENGER RIGHT TIRE BLEW OUT AT NO APPARENT REASONS. THERE WAS A BIG CRACK OF 3 TO 4 INCHES ON THE SIDE (INSIDE PART) OF THIS TIRE. WE BROUGHT OUR CAR TO MELODY TOYOTA TELLING THEM THAT IT WAS A DEFECTIVE TIRE BECAUSE THERE WAS NO SIGNS OF NAILS OR ANY OTHER OBJECTS THAT WILL CAUSE THE TIRE TO BLOW OUT. FORTUNATELY, WE DECIDED NOT TO TAKE THE FREEWAY THIS TIME OR ELSE WE WILL BE IN A BIG ACCIDENT. MELODY TOYOTA TOLD US THAT IT WAS DUE TO OUTSIDE INFLUENCE BUT THEY ARE NOT SURE ABOUT IT BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE THE SURFACE WAS SO SMOOTH AND NO MARKS OF ANY OBJECTS HITTING IT. IT LOOKED THAT IT CAME FROM THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE. THEY DECIDED TO SEND THE TIRE TO THE MANUFACTURER (TOYO BRAND) TO INVESTIGATE. OUR WORRY THE TIRE MANUFACTURER WILL TRY TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AND THEY WILL RULE THAT IT WAS DUE TO OUTSIDE INFLUENCE. GRANTING IT WAS DUE TO OUTSIDE INFLUENCE THE TIRE SHOULD DEFLATE SLOWLY AND NOT A SUDDEN LOUD BURST. WE ARE REPORTING THIS BECAUSE WE WANT TO SAVE THOUSANDS OF LIVES WHO HAVE THIS BRAND OF TIRES. FORTUNATELY, NOTHING BAD HAPPENED TO US AND THE BYSTANDER. I WAS REQUESTING THE DEALER TO REPLACE ALL OUR TIRES BECAUSE WE HAVE NO PEACE OF MIND DRIVING WITH THESE TIRES. BY THE WAY, OUR CAR IS A BRAND NEW CARTOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2012 THAT WE BOUGHT ONLY LAST JUNE OF 2012, IT WAS AN 8 MONTH-OLD CAR. WHAT REALLY UPSETS ME THE DEALER WAS SELLING ME A SPARE TIRE FOR $300. WHY SHOULD WE PAY $300 WHEN WE ALMOST GOT INTO ACCIDENT?SO, AT THIS TIME WE'RE STILL WAITING WHAT WILL BE THEIR FINDINGS. I HOPE THEY WILL BE HONEST ABOUT IT. I TOOK SEVERAL PICTURES OF THE DAMAGED TIRE FOR THE RECORD. *TR