NHTSA Complaint #10883139 — 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA

ON JUNE 17, 2016, I GOT INTO MY 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA XLE-IMS RAMPVAN (JOINT TOYOTA-IMS, FLOOR-LOWERED WHEELCHAIR VAN CONVERSION WITH RAMP). THERE WAS DEBRIS ON THE BACK SEAT (WHAT IN A NON-IMS SIENNA BE THE THIRD-ROW SEAT). I SAW TIRE BELTS STICKING UP FROM THE TREAD OF THE SPARE TIRE. THE TIRE HAD EXPLODED AND DEFLATED, STREWING DEBRIS FROM THE RUPTURED TIRE BELTS AND TREAD ON THE BACK SEAT. NOTE THAT IN THE IMS VERSION OF THE SIENNA, THE SPARE TIRE IS MOUNTED ON A BRACKET BEHIND THE BACK SEAT. THANKFULLY, NO ONE HAD BEEN IN THE VAN AT TIME OF EXPLOSION. THE RUPTURE OF THE TIRE COULD HAVE BEEN BEHIND THE HEAD OR NECK OF A PASSENGER SITTING IN THE LEFT-REAR POSITION. THE EXPLODED SPARE TIRE IS A FIRESTONE RADIAL TEMPA SPARE, T155/80R17 101M. IT IS THE ORIGINAL SPARE TIRE AND WAS INFLATED TO THE SPECIFIED 60 PSI. I STILL HAVE THE EXPLODED TIRE, WHICH I HAD DISMOUNTED AND REPLACED. I ALSO HAVE PHOTOS OF THE RUPTURED TIRED WHILE IT WAS STILL MOUNTED TO ITS BRACKET BEHIND THE BACK SEAT.