NHTSA Complaint #11174765 — 2016 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 55-60 MPH (CONSTANT SPEED W/O ACCELERATION) IN 2WD IN A 75 MPH ZONE ON HWY 29 SOUTHBOUND WHEN THE REAR TIRES LOST TRACTION (W/O AUDIBLE SKIDDING) CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO VEER TO THE LEFT INTO THE LEFT LANE AT AN ANGLE EXCEEDING 40 DEGREES. THE VEHICLE BRAKES WEREN'T USED AND I REMOVED MY FOOT OFF OF THE ACCELERATOR DURING THE INCIDENT WHILE GENTLY TRYING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT OR STRIKE ANYTHING AND TRACTION WAS ABRUPTLY REGAINED (W/O WARNING) BEFORE HITTING THE GUARD RAIL ALLOWING THE VEHICLE TO REGAIN CONTROL. THE VEHICLE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM FAILED TO ACTIVATE WHEN NEEDED DESPITE ALMOST GOING SIDEWAYS INTO THE GUARD RAIL. THE VEHICLE TIRES FAILED TO OPERATE IN MANNER CONSISTENT FOR AN ALL-TERRAIN TIRE. THE TIRES EXCEED 75% TREAD LIFE WITH NO IMPERFECTIONS FOUND. UPON INSPECTION AFTER THE INCIDENT AND TESTING ON A DIFFERENT ROAD, 30-40% OF THE TREAD WILL REMAIN SNOW PACKED EVEN ON CLEAR ROADS DUE TO DRIVING ON SNOW PACKED ROADS PRIOR. THIS PARTICLE TREAD PATTERN DESIGN FAILS TO HAVE ENOUGH SPACE BETWEEN THE TREAD GROVES TO ALLOW SNOW TO CLEAR. THIS TIRE SHOULD NOT ALLOWED TO BE SOLD AS AN ALL-TERRAIN TIRE AND HAS A DESIGN FLAW MAKING IT CLEARLY UNSAFE TO USE IN SNOW. DURING ROUTINE DRIVING, THE TIRES CONSTANTLY FAIL TO PROPERLY PROVIDE TRACTION TO THE POINT WHERE LOW SPEED TURNING INTO PARKING LOTS BECOMES A CHALLENGE FOR SAFE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE'S TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM CLEARLY HAS A DESIGN FLAW PREVENTING ACTIVATION DURING A SCENARIO IN WHICH IT IS REQUIRED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE HAS (4) TOYO OPEN COUNTRY A/T II TIRES SIZE P265/70R17, (10 32NDS TREAD REMAINING). OUTSIDE CONDITIONS AS FOLLOWS: TEMP, 1 DEGREE F, ROAD CONDITIONS, CLEAR, FLAT AND NO ICE OR SNOW ACCUMULATION, WIND SPEED, 5-10 MPH N TO S AND WAS HITTING VEHICLE PARALLEL TO ITS TRAVELING DIRECTION, LOCATION, NORTH DAKOTA.