NHTSA Complaint #10545205 — 2011 TOYOTA SIENNA

ON JULY 1ST 2013 I RECEIVED NOTICE OF A SAFETY RECALL, DUE TO RISK OF TIRE FAILURE AND A CRASH, WHEN TOWING WITH MY TOYOTA SIENNA. THE RECALL INDICATED THAT IF THE VEHICLE HAS A TOW HITCH, THE FACTORY INSTALLED TIRES WOULD BE REPLACED WITH NEW EXTRA LOAD TIRES. I HAD ALREADY REPLACED MY FACTORY INSTALLED RUN FLAT TIRES WITH NEW EXTRA LOAD TIRES AFTER ONE OF THE FACTORY INSTALLED RUN FLATS FAILED. I CONTACTED TOYOTA ON JULY 1ST TO REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT FOR MY EXPENSE. ON 9/18/13 TOYOTA INFORMED ME THAT THE DEALER WOULD INSPECT MY CAR TO DETERMINE WHETHER IT QUALIFIES. ON 9/20 DCH TOYOTA INSPECTED THE CAR AND INFORMED ME THAT THE CAR IS NOT ELIGIBLE BECAUSE MY TRAILER HITCH IS NOT A TOYOTA BRAND TRAILER HITCH. WHEN I PURCHASED THIS CAR, TOYOTA DID NOT HAVE TOYOTA HITCHES AVAILABLE AND RECOMMENDED WE GET ONE FROM HITCH, WHICH WE DID. NOW WE ARE TOLD THAT TOYOTA ISN'T RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RECALL BECAUSE THE HITCH ISN'T A TOYOTA BRAND. I SPOKE WITH A SUPERVISOR AT THE TOYOTA COMPANY TODAY, WHO VERIFIED THIS. THIS SEEMS IRRESPONSIBLE AND WRONG. THE CAR, WITH THE FACTORY INSTALLED RUN FLAT TIRES, WAS IMPROPERLY RATED FOR TOWING, MAKING MY VEHICLE UNSAFE TO USE FOR TOWING, REGARDLESS OF THE BRAND OF TRAILER HITCH BEING USED. TOYOTA SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING THE TIRES SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS IMPROPERLY RATED FOR TOWING UNLESS THE TIRES ARE REPLACED. TOYOTA INSISTS THAT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION APPROVED THEIR PLAN TO REPLACE THE TIRES AND RENDER THE CAR SAFE FOR TOWING ONLY IF THE CONSUMER IS USING A TOYOTA HITCH. THERE MUST BE SOME MISUNDERSTANDING, AND I AM ASKING THAT YOU REVIEW AND REVISE THE AGREEMENT SO THAT ALL OWNERS OF TOYOTA SIENNAS THAT WERE IMPROPERLY RATED FOR TOWING WILL BE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL, EVEN IF THEIR TRAILER HITCH IS NOT A TOYOTA-BRAND HITCH. *JS