NHTSA Complaint #11019254 — 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

ON SEPT. 14, 2014, WE PURCHASED A 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER XLE, WHICH CAME WITH BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/L 422 ECOPIA TIRES. ON AUG. 20, 2015, WHEN THERE WERE 10,235 MILES ON THE CAR, WE REPLACED 1 OF THE TIRES WITH A NEW BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/L 422 ECOPIA TIRE. ON SEPT. 26, 2016, WHEN THERE WERE 23,324 MILES ON THE CAR, WE REPLACED ANOTHER OF THE TIRES WITH ANOTHER NEW BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/L 422 ECOPIA TIRE. ON AUG. 17, 2017, WHEN THERE WERE 31,228 MILES ON THE CAR, WE BROUGHT THE CAR TO TOYOTA OF HACKENSACK FOR ITS 35,000-MILE FACTORY MAINTENANCE, BEFORE WE WOULD DEPART FOR A FAMILY VACATION WHERE WE EXPECT TO DRIVE APPROXIMATELY 2,500 TO 3,000 MILES. DURING THE MULTIPOINT INSPECTION OF THE CAR, THE TECHNICIAN NOTED THAT ALL 4 TIRES WERE WORN. AFTER DISCUSSING THIS MATTER FURTHER, THE TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER RECOMMENDED THAT WE SHOULD REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES. TOYOTA AND THEIR WHOLESALE TIRE DEALER BOTH CONTACTED THE BRIDGESTONE TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF COURTESY CREDIT THAT BRIDGESTONE WOULD PROVIDE TO US TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF NEW TIRES, AS ONE OF THE ALREADY-REPLACED TIRES WAS ONLY USED FOR 7,904 MILES (I.E, 31,228 23,324 = 7,904), ANOTHER OF THE ALREADY-REPLACED TIRES WAS ONLY USED FOR 20,993 MILES (I.E., 31, 228 10,235 = 20,993), AND THE 2 REMAINING ORIGINAL TIRES WERE ONLY USED FOR 31,228 MILES, AND THE BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/L 422 ECOPIA TIRES HAVE AN EXPECTED TREAD WEAR LIFE OF 65,000 MILES. TOYOTA ALSO ADVISED BRIDGESTONE THAT THE TIRES WERE ROTATED EVERY 5,000 MILES AND WERE PROPERLY ALIGNED. NONETHELESS, BRIDGESTONE TOOK THE POSITION THAT SINCE THE TREAD WEAR ON THE 4 TIRES WAS 6-4-4-2, IT INDICATED THAT THE TIRES WERE NOT PROPERLY ALIGNED AND A WARRANTY CLAIM WAS IN APPROPRIATE. TOYOTA TRIED EXPLAINING TO BRIDGESTONE THAT BY REPLACING TWO OF THE TIRES IN 2015 AND 2016 AND HAVING USED TWO OF THE TIRES OR ONLY 7,904 MILES AND 20,993 MILES, DESPITE ROTATING THE TIRES PROPERLY, THE TREAD WEAR HAD TO BE SLIGHTLY UNEVEN.