2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid tires problems

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER EQUIPPED WITH MICHELIN LTX M/S TIRES, SIZE: P245/65/R17 (NA). WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE THREAD ON THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE SEPARATED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR BUMPER AND REAR WHEEL WELL LINER WERE PARTLY DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE OTHER THREE TIRES HAD CRACKED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE TIRES HAD NOT BEEN REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS AWARE OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13T012000 (TIRES), BUT THE TIRE SIZE WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE TIRE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000 AND THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,800.”

“EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE: I FIRST NOTICED THAT MY LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT WAS ON WHEN I STARTED OUT THIS MORNING. I STOPPED AT A GAS STATION TO CHECK THE TIRES AND NOTICED A LARGE SCREW STUCK IN MY FRONT LEFT TIRE. MY TIRE PRESSURE GAUGE REGISTERED LESS THAN 5PSI. I FILLED THE TIRE TO AT LEAST 25PSI AND HEADED BACK HOME, FIGURING I COULD PUT THE SPARE ON IN MY GARAGE AND TAKE THE FLAT TO BE REPAIRED. I WAS GLAD TO GET BACK AS THE BIGGEST SNOWSTORM OF THE SEASON WAS AN HOUR AWAY. THE FAILURE: I WAS ABLE TO GET THE JACK AND OTHER EQUIPMENT OUT OF THE BACK AND SUCCESSFULLY LOWERED THE SPARE TIRE ONTO THE GROUND. MY PROBLEM IS THAT I CANNOT REMOVE THE SPARE TIRE FROM THE CARRIER CABLE. WE'VE HAD A LOT OF SALT SPRAYED ON THE ROADS RECENTLY AND ALL THE PARTS WERE WHITE. I SPRAYED WITH WD40, BUT NO LUCK. THE MANUAL IS NO HELP AS IT ONLY SHOWS A PICTURE OF THE SPARE AND A ROTATING ARROW. I CAME INSIDE TO LOOK ONLINE TO SEE IF THERE WAS A SOLUTION.. NONE. I THEN SAW A RECALL LISTED FOR THE 2008-2010 SIENNA (ID# 8250). BECAUSE OF A SAFETY ISSUE WITH SPARE TIRE CARRIER CABLE, IT COULD POSSIBLY BECOME CORRODED AND CAUSE THE SPARE TO FALL OFF FROM UNDER THE…”

“THIS REPORT CONCERNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LIMITED THAT WAS PURCHASED NEW AS A DEALER LEFTOVER. THE VEHICLE HAS JUST OVER 20,000 MILES AND THE TOYO OPEN COUNTRY A20 TIRES ARE SHREDDING AND HAVE PIECES OF THE TREAD MISSING. THIS IS ON ALL FOUR TIRES. THE TIRES ARE P245/55R19 WITH A DOT NUMBER CXHH-DK80508. I HAVE NOT YET CONTACTED TOYO, HOWEVER FROM OTHER COMPLAINTS NOTED, IT DOES NOT SEEM THAT THE MANUFACTURER WILL WILLINGLY ACCEPT THE DEFECT OF PREMATURE WEAR OF THIS TIRE. THE TIRE SIZE IS UNIQUE, WHICH CAUSES THE REPLACEMENT COST TO BE MUCH HIGHER THAN MORE STANDARD SIZES. *TR”

“I HAD A TIRE BLOWOUT ON INTRASTATE HIGHWAY DAMAGING WHEEL. THAT HIGHWAY IS RECENTLY REPAIRED AND THERE WERE NO ROAD HAZARDS IN SIGHT AT THE TIME OF THE BLOWOUT. TIRE HAD ONLY 15,000 MILES OF WEAR AND IS FILLED WITH NITROGEN. I PERSONALLY INSPECTED THIS TIRE AND THERE IS NO DAMAGE TO THE THREAD. THE TIRES HAVE BEEN ROTATED TWICE CONSISTENT ON AVERAGE WITH TIRE MANUFACTURE RECOMMENDATION OF EVERY 7500 MILES. ALSO AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT THE WEATHER 50 DEGREES AND THE ROADWAY WAS CLEAN AND DRY. THE TIRE LINE IS OPEN COUNTRY A20 AND CANNOT BE ENTERED BECAUSE ITS NOT ON THE DROP DOWN LIST. A BRAND NEW TIRE AND WHEEL MUST BE PURCHASED. *TR”

“TOYO OPEN COUNTRY A20 TIRES 245/55/19 WHICH CAME AS STANDARD EQUIPMENT ON 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID WORE SIGNIFICANTLY AND PREMATURELY. AT 18000 MILES THESE TIRES WERE WORN NEARLY TO THE WEAR BARS RESULTING IN EXTREMELY POOR WET AND SNOW TRACTION LEADING TO SLIDING AND HYDROPLANING. THE TREAD ALSO BEGAN TO PEEL ON ONE TIRE. I DID NOT NOTICE THE WEAR UNTIL IT WAS POINTED OUT BY A MECHANIC AS THEY LOOKED GOOD FROM A DISTANCE AND I DIDN'T THINK TO CHECK THE TREAD ON A 60,000 MILE WARRANTY TIRE AT ONLY 18000 MILES. TOYOTA STATES THAT THIS IS NORMAL WEAR AND TOYO DOES NOT HONOR A MILEAGE WARRANTY ON OEM TIRES. THESE ARE DANGEROUS TIRE AS THEY WERE SOLD ON ONE OF THE BEST SELLING FAMILY VEHICLES IN THE INDUSTRY AND COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT ESPECIALLY COMING INTO THE WINTER MONTHS AS OWNERS OF LOW MILEAGE VEHICLES MAY NOT REALIZE THAT THE TIRES ARE ACTUALLY COMPLETE WORN OUT ALREADY. *TR”

“TIRE FALLING APART AND FLAKING INCLUDING PREMATURE WEARING ON FACTORY OEM TOYO OPEN COUNTRY 245-55X19 A20 TIRES WHICH WERE ON MY 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER PURCHASE BRAND NEW ON JUL 2008. APPROXIMATE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 20,195. ALL TIRES ARE SHOWING THE SAME ABNORMAL WEAR AS VERIFIED BY TOYOTA DEALER. THERE ARE NUMEROUS ONLINE COMPLAINTS OF SIMILAR OWNERS WITH PICTURES OF THE UNUSUAL WEARING. MINE ARE WORSE THAN ARE DESCRIBED AS CONCURRED BY TOYOTA SERVICE ADVISORS. *TR”