NHTSA Complaint #10610655 — 2009 TOYOTA SIENNA

WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAYS SPEEDS (65 MPH) ON INTERSTATE 290 HEADING WEST OUTSIDE OF WORCESTER, MA AT APPROXIMATELY 7:30AM THE SPARE TIRE FELL OFF THE VEHICLE CAUSING US TO RUN OVER THE TIRE. VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING (WITHIN A MILE DOWN ROAD), THE PASSENGER SIDE RUNNING BOARD WAS ALSO MISSING. A ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE VEHICLE WAS ALREADY TENDING TO ANOTHER MOTORISTS NEAR THE INCIDENT AND WE TALKED TO HIM. HE INDICATED THAT THE MASS STATE POLICE WERE RESPONDING TO ASSISTS. THEY ARRIVED SHORTLY AFTER AND TOLD ME THE SPARE TIRE WAS IN THE MEDIAN AND PROBABLY DAMAGED AFTER BEING HIT BY A TRUCK. WE WERE WELCOMED TO RETRIEVE IT, BUT SINCE SHE WAS OPERATING ALONE SHE COULDN'T STOP 4 LANES OF WESTBOUND TRAFFIC BUT THAT I WAS WELCOME TO TRY AND RETRIEVE IT. BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC SPEEDS, THE NUMBER OF LANES OF TRAFFIC, AND THE LACK OF A BREAKDOWN LANE NEAR THE MEDIAN, IT WAS DECIDED IT WOULD NOT BE SAFE TO RETRIEVE THE TIRE. WE HAVE FILED A DAMAGED VEHICLE REPORT WITH TOYOTA CORPORATION ESPECIALLY IN LIEU OF A KNOWN DEFECT (FEDERAL RECALL NOTICE) REGARDING THE HARNESS HOLDING THE SPARE TIRE IN PLACE ON THESE VEHICLES. *TR