NHTSA Complaint #11119783 — 2017 TOYOTA RAV4

WE PURCHASED A NEW 2017 TOYOTA RAV4 THAT CAME WITH A "TEMPORARY" SPARE TIRE AND WHEEL. I PURCHASED AN OEM 2017 RAV4 WHEEL AND TIRE THAT MATCHES THE NORMAL TIRES FOR CONVENIENCE AND ESPECIALLY SAFETY REASONS. I ALSO ATTEMPTED TO PLACE THE FULL SIZE TIRE AND WHEEL IN THE WHEEL WELL OF THE RAV4 WITH NO SUCCESS. IN SHORT, THE WHEEL WELL IS NOT ADEQUATE FOR A FULL SIZE TIRE AND PROJECTS APPROXIMATELY TWO INCHES ABOVE THE FLOOR. IT ALSO CAN NOT BE SECURED TO THE VEHICLE. AFTER EVALUATING THE SITUATION, I CALLED THE TOYOTA CONSUMER DEPARTMENT AND AFTER THEY CONSULTED WITH THEIR TECHNICAL PERSONNEL, I WAS TOLD THAT THE FULL SIZE WHEEL WILL NOT FIT IN THE SPARE TIRE WHEEL WELL! ON PAGE 644 OF THE 2017 RAV4 OWNERS MANUAL THERE IS A DIRECT REFERENCE TO A FULL SIZE WHEEL STORAGE AREA IN ADDITION ON PAGES 642 AND 645 TO A TEMPORARY TIRE USE, ETC. THE RAV4 TEMPORARY TIRE IS NOT THE SAME CIRCUMFERENCE AN FULL SIZE TIRES; THUS, THE TOYOTA CONSUMER DEPARTMENT STATED THAT DUE TO THIS SITUATION, TEMPORARY TIRES MUST NOT BE MOUNTED ON THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. IF THERE IS A FLAT TIRE ON THE FRONT OF THE RAV4, A PERSON MUST MOUNT A REAR TIRE ON THE FRONT THEN MOUNT THE TEMPORARY TIRE ON THE RELOCATED FULL SIZE TIRE ON THE REAR. THIS PROCEDURE IS VERY DANGEROUS IN THE BEST OF SITUATIONS. I PROPOSE THAT TOYOTA BE REQUIRED TO MODIFY THE SPARE TIRE WELL TO FIT FULL SIZE TIRES AND PROVIDE FULL SIZE TIRES ON THEIR VEHICLES. HONDA DOES THIS FOR THEIR CRV SMALL SUVS. SPARE WHEEL WELLS FOR THE TOYOTA CAMRYS AND COROLLAS ARE LARGE ENOUGH FOR FULL SIZE TIRES. THE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING OF THE USELESS TEMPORARY TIRE ASSEMBLY HAS TO COST MORE THAN A FULL SIZE TIRE. THE NET WEIGHT BETWEEN THE TWO IS ABOUT 12 LBS. WHICH ADDS ABOUT FIVE GALLONS OF GASOLINE PER YEAR @ 15,000 MILES. THIS CONCERN WAS EXPRESSED IN THE SEPTEMBER 2018 ISSUE OF CONSUMER REPORTS ON PAGE 12.