NHTSA Complaint #10701391 — 2006 TOYOTA SIENNA

ALL FOUR ALLOY WHEELS ON THIS VEHICLE HAVE THE PAINT BUBBLING AND CHIPPING OFF LEAVING THE WHEEL EXTERIOR EXPOSED TO WEATHER AND FURTHER CORROSION. UNDERNEATH THE CHIPPED PAINT THE ALLOY IS CORRODING, POTENTIALLY COMPROMISING THE STRENGTH AND OVERALL INTEGRATY OF THE WHEELS. I HAVE EXPERIENCED AIR LOSS IN BOTH FRONT TIRES OVER THE COURSE OF JUST A FEW DAYS. MY LOCAL TIRE SHOP CHECKED BOTH FRONT TIRES FOR PUNCTURES BUT FOUND NOTHING. THEY THEN REMOVED THE TIRES FROM THE RIMS AND INDICATED THE RIMS HAD CORRODED AROUND THE OUTER DIAMETER OF THE RIM WHERE THE TIRE BEAD IS SUPPOSED TO SEAL. THEY CLEANED THE CORROSION FROM THE RIM INTERIOR AND APPLIED A BEAD SEALING COMPOUND THAT FILLS IN THE CORRODED AND PITTED BEAD AREA OF THE RIM ALLOWING THE TIRE BEAD TO SEAL AND HOLD AIR. WHEN IT COMES TIME TO ROTATE THE TIRES THE TECH PERSON INDICATED THAT I SHOULD ALSO HAVE THEM SEAL THE TIRES PLACED ON THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AS THEY WOULD PROBABLY START LOOSING AIR AS WELL WITH THE ADDED WEIGHT OF THE FRONT WHEEL DRIVE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS YEAR MODEL OF THE TOYOTA SIENNA. THUS FAR,TOYOTA WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO CORRECT THIS ISSUE WHICH SEEMS TO ME TO BE A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. *TR