1998 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER Tires Problems

4 DUNLOP RADIAL ROVERS 235/75 R15 INSTALLED 2 OR 3 YEARS AND 30,000 MILES AGO ON MY 1998 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. I ALWAYS MAINTAINED RECOMMENDED PRESSURES AND JUST ROTATED THEM MYSELF LAST WEEK AFTER OUR PREVIOUS LAS VEGAS TRIP. ON OUR WAY BACK FROM LAS VEGAS JULY 19, 2004 2 PM NEAR FONTANA THE CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE PROGRESSIVELY UNTIL IT WAS UNDRIVEABLE ABOVE 45 MPH SO I PULLED OVER TO A SMALL TURNOUT. I CHANGED THE LEFT REAR TIRE THAT I FOUND HAD A MAJOR BULGE (3 INCH DIAMETER BUBBLE ON SIDEWALL WHICH CONTINUED ANOTHER 3 INCHES INTO THE TREAD.) CHANGED IT TO THE SPARE AND CAR STILL SHOOK WHEN DRIVEN. FOUND OUT THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE WAS WORSE, ABOUT 1/3 THE CIRCUMFERENCE WAS BUBBLED MAKING THE TIRE LOOK EGG SHAPED FROM THE SIDE. LOOKS LIKE MORE THAN TREAD SEPARATION, POSSIBLY BROKEN BELTS SINCE THE BUBBLES HAD AIR PRESSURE. DROVE...

VEHICLE HAD A FLAT TIRE WHILE DRIVING. WHEN CHANGING TIRE, CONSUMER DISCOVERED THAT SPARE TIRE HAD A STEEL WHEEL WHILE VEHICLE'S WHEELS WERE ALLOY. WHILE PURCHASING REPLACEMENT TIRES DEALER ADVISED CONSUMER THAT SPARE TIRE WAS VERY UNSAFE BECAUSE THE LOCKING LUG WAS ONLY GRIPPING WHEEL BY A FEW THREADS. LUG WAS 1/2 INCH AWAY FROM WHEEL.*AKJLG

2 FRONT REPLACEMENT TIRES FAILED AFTER LESS THAN 5 MONTHS OF USE - SEPARATION. *AK (DOT NUMBER: 8XHL TIRESIZE: 235/75/R15) (DOT NUMBER: 8XHL TIRESIZE: 235/75/R15)

JOINT THAT CONECTS TIRE TO STEERING WHEEL BROKE AND CAUSED TIRE TO POP AND FLIP OVER. *AK

THE TIRE SHREDDED WHILE DRIVING ALONG THE HIGHWAY. I DO HAVE PHOTOS OF THE TIRE SHOWING THE DISINTEGRATION OF THE TIRE TREAD. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THE RECALLED TIRES. HOWEVER, DUE TO THIS INCIDENT, I FEEL I SHOULD HAVE MY TIRES REPLACED BY FIRESTONE. I WILL FORWARD THE PHOTS TO YOUR OFFICE. (DOT NUMBER: W2HHAWB068 TIRESIZE: P225 75R15)

WE HAVE A THUMPING NOISE IN ONE OF THE TIRES. FIRESTONE WILL NOT HONOR THE RECAL ON THIS AS IT IS A 225 . DO WE HAVE ANY RECOURSE? I AM CONCERNED THAT ALL THE TIRES ARE DANGEROUS AT THIS POINT. (TIRESIZE: 22575R15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 22575R15 )

REPLACEMENT OF ALL FIVE TIRES AS TWO WERE ALREADY SEPARATING,HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH ONE LOOSING AIR SINCE BOUGHT,UNABLE TO FIND REASON,TIRES WERE REPLACED BY GOODYEAR AND FIRESTONE ADVISED CAN'T REEMBURSE BECAUSE OF ALREADY TAKEN OFF,OTHER FIRESTONE SAID TIRES ARE TWO YEARS OLD AND NEEDED REPLACING ANYWAY. I SPOKE WITH ROBERT OPER.50 AT NHTSA. *AK (DOT NUMBER: W2HHAWB048 TIRESIZE: P225/75R15)

UPON SWITCHING MY FIRESTONE TIRES TO ANOTHER BRAND, I NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE TIRES REMOVED FROM MY VEHICLE HAD A DEFINITE CRACK BETWEEN THE TREAD. IT WAS AN OLDER TIRE, 2 YEARS, 40K MILES, BUT THE DEEP CRACK BETWEEN THE TREADS CONCERNED ME, AS I HAD NOT SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE. NONE OF THE OTHER 3 TIRES EXHIBITED THIS UNUSUAL WEAR CHARACTERISTIC. *AK (DOT NUMBER: W2HH TIRESIZE: P225/75R15)

BOTH FAILURES WERE BLOWOUTS WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS AT APPROX. 75 MILES PER HOUR. THE FIRST FAILURE IN 1998 WAS IN THE EARLY EVENING ON INTERSTATE 45 IN HOUSTON TEXAS. THE LEFT TIRE BLEW WITH NO WARNING. THE TREAD SEPERATED AND THE TIRE WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED. A NEW TIRE WAS INSTALLED. THE SECOND FAILURE WAS ON INTERSTATE 285 IN ATLANTA GA. AGAIN THE TIRE FAILED INSTANTANEOUSLY AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE TWO REMAINING TIRES ARE IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT WITH 49000 + MILES. ONE OF THE TWO TIRES THAT WERE INSTALLED ARE STILL ON THE CAR. IT IS ON THE FRONT. EVER SINCE THEY WERE INSTALLED THE VEHICLE HAS HAD A VIBRATION. ONE OF THE ORIGINAL TIRES IS STILL ON THE VEHICLE AND THE SPARE IS IN USE. I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL SOON. IF YOU HAVE ANY DESIRE TO SEE IT YOU MUST RESPOND SOON....

TIRE BLOWOUT -- TIRE WAS DESTROYED( DOT NUMBER: W2HHAWB487 TIRE SIZE: P225/75R15 )

TIRE BLOWOUT -- TIRE WAS DESTROYED( DOT NUMBER: W2HHAWB487 TIRE SIZE: P225/75R15 )

PE00 020; VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND FRONT RIGHT TIRE BLEWOUT. WHEN HE CHANGED TIRES THERE WAS ONE AND HALF INCH TEAR LOCATED IN THE INNER SIDE OF TIRE. TIRE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS#AT, P22575R15. FIRESTONE WAS NOTIFIED. *AK ONE OF THE TWO FIRESTONE DEALERS STATED THAT THE TIRE WAS DAMAGED DUE TO INCORRECT PRESSURE USED AND THE SECOND DEALER CLAIMED IT TO BE DUE TO ROAD HAZARD. *YH

BAD RIDE. BOUNCY SINCE ABOUT THE 1ST YEAR. I ROTATE & CHECK TIRE PRESSURE BUT NO CHANGE. NERVOUS THIS IS ALSO A BAD TIRE. IS THERE ANY CONCLUSIVE PROOF THAT THIS IS A GOOD/SAFE TIRE?( DOT NUMBER: W2HH TIRE SIZE: P22575R15 )

THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT (P225/75/R15) TIRE BLEW OUT WITH HOLES IN THREE PLACES BETWEEN THE TREAD AND SIDEWALL. *MJS

TIRES HAVE BEEN ROTATED AND BALANCED AS MANUFACTURER SUGGESTED. INSIDE OF TIRES HAVE SHOWN SIGNIFIGANT WEAR AND AT THE TIME OF RECALL WE HAD TIRES CHECKED ONLY TO FIND THAT THERE WAS STEEL SHOWING ON ONE TIRE AND THAT TIRE WAS CHANGED OUT WITH THE SPARE. OTHER 3 TIRES ARE SHOWING SIGNS OF EXTREME WEAR AND WE WERE TOLD THAT BECAUSE THE TIRES WERE NOT MADE IN DECATOUR, IL THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE BEYOND PURCHASING NEW TIRES. THERE ARE ONLY 40000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AT THIS TIME AND THE TIRES ARE WARRENTIED AT 50000. OUR CONCERN IS THAT THE TIRES ARE A HAZARD BECAUSE OF THE WEAR AND THIS VEHICLE IS PRIMARILY USED FOR THE FAMILY.( DOT NUMBER: W2HH AWB25 TIRE SIZE: P225/75R15 )

FRONT LEFT TIRE BEGINING TO CRACK ALONG TREAD, LOTS OF TREAD STILL ON TIRE. CAN PEAL BACK TREAD1/4 INCH IN PLACES. FRONT RIGHT HAS SMALL CRACKS SAME LOCATION.( DOT NUMBER: W2HH AWB TIRE SIZE: P225/75R15 )

EXESSIVE TREAD WEAR, FLAT SPOTS,EXESSIVE NOISE,CONSTANT ROTATING AND BALANCING NEEDED.( DOT NUMBER: W2HAWB377 TIRE SIZE: 225/75/R15 )