NHTSA Complaint #10536313 — 2011 TOYOTA SIENNA

THE TIRES ON MY VAN HAVE EXCESSIVE WEAR AND NEED TO BE REPLACED AFTER ONLY 20,000 MILES. I INSTALLED A HITCH ON THE CAR MYSELF SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE AND USED IT TO TOW. I RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE FROM TOYOTA FOR MY 2011 SIENNA AWD MINIVAN THAT READS "THE TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION PLACARD DOES NOT STATE THE CORRECT VEHICLE CAPACITY WEIGHT AS THE RATED LOAD FOR THE COMBINATION OF CARGO AND OCCUPANTS. INCORRECT INFORMATION ON THE VEHICLE PLACARD MAY LEAD TO TIRE OVERLOADING AND POSSIBLY CAUSE TIRE FAILURE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH." IT GOES ON TO SAY "BASED UPON THIS INFORMATION TOYOTA HAS DETERMINED THAT THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS WILL BRING YOUR VEHICLE INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THE APPLICABLE REQUIREMENTS: REPLACEMENT OF THE FACTORY INSTALLED TIRES WITH NEW EXTRA LOAD TIRES." IT ALSO SAYS "...THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE TIRES AND LABEL/PLACARD NOTED ABOVE AT NO CHARGE TO YOU." I SPENT OVER 90 MINUTES AT THE DEALER AND 20 MINUTES ON THE PHONE WITH TOYOTA. THEY REFUSED TO HONOR THEIR RECALL BECAUSE THE HITCH ON THE CAR WAS AN AFTER-MARKET HITCH AND NOT INSTALLED BY TOYOTA. I FAIL TO UNDERSTAND WHY THEY ARE NOT HONORING THEIR RECALL AND THEIR OFFER TO REPLACE THE TIRES SIMPLY BECAUSE THE HITCH WAS NOT PURCHASED THROUGH TOYOTA. *TR