NHTSA Complaint #11551548 — 2019 TOYOTA COROLLA

On August 28, 2023, I purchased two Yokohama Avid Ascend LX BW tires, size 205/55R16. I was charged $209.19 for each tire, plus another $129.95 for a 4-wheel alignment. The total for the two tires and alignment was $549.16. I had these tires for a little over one month before this incident. On October 4, 2023, after driving about eight miles on the freeway at around 60 to 65 mph, I pulled off the freeway to buy gas. When I started to leave the gas station, I noticed my tire warning light was on. I got out of the car and noticed the left rear tire was low and going flat. I drove home (less than one mile) and called a towing service. The towing service did not arrive. So I sprayed canned air in the tire and drove to the tire shop. The tire shop person said the tire was not repairable and showed me a large hole in the tire tread with what looked like fraying around the hole. The person said he could not tell what caused the flat but suggested it may have been aggravated by heat. It was about 95 degrees outside. They put the spare on my car. I called the dealership where I bought the tire, and they said to take it to an affiliated dealership, which I did the following day. That dealership person took pictures of the tire but did not know what caused the flat. They said they would have to order a replacement tire, which did not arrive until October 6, 2023. They charged me another $36.16 to install the replacement. For the large price charged, these tires should have been durable, reliable, and trouble free. My efforts to contact Yokohama were returned “undeliverable.” I am concerned about the safety and reliability of these expensive tires. If these tires are affected by heat, they should not be sold in the western United States where the climate is often hot in the summer and fall months. Anyone selling such tires should issue a warning if they are affected by heat.