1993 TOYOTA PREVIA — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

VEHICLE HAS DRIVER-SIDE AIRBAG ONLY. AIRBAG DEPLOYED ON TUESDAY, JULY 2 AT ABOUT 5PM WHILE DRIVING ON A SAN DIEGO FREEWAY AT 60MPH. THERE WAS NO COLLISION OR WARNING TO DRIVER. MINOR INJURY TO DRIVER. VEHICLE WAS ULTIMATELY TOWED FROM ROAD TO SERVICE CENTER.

LETTER FROM CONGRESSMAN DEFAZIO ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT RE 1993 TOYOTA PREVIA AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT. *SMD THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED HER VEHICLE WAS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. *JB

HANKOOK OPTIMO H724 TIRE P205/75R-14 DOT T7XC HBH. INSIDE TIRE WALL (BACK DRIVER SIDE) SEPARATED ON 04-16-14 TRAVELING I10 WEST AT ARIZONA HIGH WAY SPEED LIMIT OF 75 MPH CAUSING ACCIDENT. NOTHING WAS RUN OVER ON HIGHWAY. SEVERE, ROLL-OVER ACCIDENT. MINI-VAN TOTALED. PURCHASED AT AMERICA'S TIRE, SAN RAMON, CA 07-20-13. TIRE HAD ~ 10,000 MILES WEAR ON 70,000 MILE TIRE. TIRES AND PRESSURE CHECKED 8 DAYS PRIOR. INSIDE WALL SEPARATIONS ARE EXTREMELY RARE. SUSPECTED MANUFACTURING DEFECT. MANUFACTURING QUALITY CONTROL IS NOT HARD. ANY MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT PUTS HUMAN LIFE IN DANGER IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. WILL NOT PURCHASE HANKOOK TIRES AGAIN. THERE ARE REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH INSIDE WALL CRACKING ON THE HANKOOK OPTIMO H725 TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SAFETY TRANSPORTATION ADMINISTRATION. I HAD REPORTED THE PROBLEM DIRECTLY TO HANKOOK. [XXX], HANKOOK TIRE, CONTACTED ME 04/21/14. HE IS CLEARLY NOT INTERESTED IN THE SERIOUS NATURE OF A POTENTIAL MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN 2 PHONE CONVERSATIONS ON 04/22/14. I CLEARLY STATED SEVERAL TIMES THAT MY INTENT IN CONTACTING THEM WAS FROM A SAFETY PERSPECTIVE. [XXX], FROM HANKOOK TIRE, DID NOT KNOW WHICH MANUFACTURING PLANT HAD MANUFACTURED THE TIRE EVEN THOUGH I HAD PROVIDED THE DOT NUMBER OR IF THERE WERE OTHER KNOWN PROBLEMS WITH THE SAME MODEL NUMBER. IF THERE HAD BEEN A CAR NEXT TO ME OR A CAR BEHIND ME OR A TREE ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SERIOUS INJURIES OR DEATH WITH THAT TYPE OF INSIDE WALL TIRE SEPARATION. AGAIN, LET ME REITERATE HOW RARE AND DANGEROUS INSIDE TIRE WALL SEPARATIONS ARE. THERE IS NO ABILITY TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE IN THIS TYPE OF SITUATION. THE VEHICLE JERKED TO THE LEFT, THEN JERKED TO THE RIGHT, AND THEN JERKED TO THE LEFT AGAIN BEFORE IT STARTED TO SPIN 180 DEGREES AND ROLL. THERE WERE NO TELL-TALE WARNINGS (ROUGH RIDE) OF THE POTENTIAL INSIDE TIRE WALL SEPARATION LIKE AN OUTSIDE TIRE WALL SEPARATION. A TIRE MANUFACTURER WHO IS LACKADAISICAL ABOUT SAFETY IS DEEPLY TROUBLING. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

HANKOOK OPTIMO H724 TIRE P205/75R-14 DOT T7XC HBH. INSIDE TIRE WALL (BACK DRIVER SIDE) SEPARATED ON 04-16-14 TRAVELING I10 WEST AT ARIZONA HIGH WAY SPEED LIMIT CAUSING ACCIDENT. NOTHING WAS RUN OVER ON HIGHWAY. SEVERE, ROLL OVER ACCIDENT. MINI-VAN TOTALED. PURCHASED AT AMERICA'S TIRE 07-20-13. TIRE HAD ~ 10,000 MILES WEAR. TIRES AND PRESSURE CHECKED 8 DAYS PRIOR. INSIDE WALL SEPARATIONS ARE EXTREMELY RARE. SUSPECTED MANUFACTURING DEFECT. MANUFACTURING QUALITY CONTROL IS NOT HARD. ANY MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT PUTS HUMAN LIFE IN DANGER IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. WILL NOT PURCHASE HANKOOK TIRES AGAIN. HAVE REPORTED IT TO HANKOOK TIRES. *TR THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE INSIDE TIRE WAS MISSING A CORD IN THREE PLACES. UPDATED 07/15/15. *JB

1993 TOYOTA PREVIA. SUDDEN BRAKE FAILURE AT ABOUT 30 MPH. I TRIED TO STOP AND THERE WAS NO BRAKING. PARKING BRAKE WAS ALSO NOT OPERABLE. I TURNED THE KEY OFF AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO RUN. PUTTING IT IN PARK OR REVERSE DID NOT STOP OR SLOW IT DOWN. I WENT DOWN GULLEY, ACROSS LAWNS AND PARKING LOTS AND DID CIRCLES IN PARKING LOT UNTIL IT FINALLY STOPPED (?RAN OUT OF GAS). TERRIFYING!! I NOTIFIED TOYOTA TO SEE IF THEY WERE INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT WHY THERE WAS THIS DANGEROUS FAILURE AND I WAS INFORMED MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THEY REALLY DIDN'T CARE. OVERALL IT HAD BEEN A GREAT VEHICLE AND ALL SIX OF MY CHILDREN USED IT TO LEARN TO DRIVE. I WAS ABOUT TO GIVE IT TO MY YOUNGEST SON. THANK GOODNESS IT HAPPENED WITH ME AND NOT HIM. I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT TOYOTA REALLY DIDN'T CARE THAT THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS INJURIES AND THERE ARE STILL ALOT OF PREVIAS ON THE ROAD. IT HAD FAIRLY NEW BRAKES AND HAD BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. IT WILL NOW BE SOLD FOR SCRAP. *TR