Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TIRES | |||||
| 01011901 | 10021265 | Class action lawsuit settlement notice. run flat tires may have uneven wear. *kb | 03/26/2007 | ||
| 0601 | 09/11/2006 | 0601 | 10019910 | Reports regarding uneven or premature tire wear on some factory-equipped dunlop sp sport 4000 dsst p225/60r17 and bridgestone b380 rft p225/60r17 run-flat tires. customer support program - warranty coverage enhancement for all wheel drive | 05/10/2006 |
| 00405 | 03/15/2005 | 10015824 | Run flat tire repair criteria. *tt | 08/12/2005 | |
| TIRES - PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS | |||||
| 00504 | 10/07/2004 | 10010576 | Tire pressure warning system information and re-initialization. *tt | 12/01/2004 | |
| TIRES - TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE | |||||
| T-SB-0381-08 | 12/01/2008 | 10044159 | Toyota: spare tire carrier binding. some customers may experience that the spare tire is difficult to remove or the cable is binding. *js | 05/16/2012 | |
| TC-11-003 | 02/16/2011 | 10038205 | Ready | 06/10/2011 | |
| TC-11-003 | 02/16/2011 | 10038205 | Toyota service campaign: see document search button for owner letter. in cold weather where salt is used, the salt can corrode the spare tire carrier cable. 1998-2020 sienna. *rm | 06/10/2011 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TIRES - PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS | ||||||
| PE06010 | TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 02/27/2006 | 08/02/2006 | TIRE PRESSURE WARNING SYSTEM FAILURE | ||
| Odi opened pe06-010 based on 12 reports of alleged tire pressure warning system (tpws) failure on the subject vehicles.all reports alleged that the tpws warning light did not illuminate on the driver information panel when the tire pressure was low or the tire was flat.in some incidents, the consumer reported that tpws light did not illuminate when the tire pressure in 1 tire was at 15-20 psi and the other tires were at or near the recommended tire pressure.during pe06-010, additional failure data was identified as noted in the failure report summary above.as of july 25, 2006, odi was not aware of any allegations where the alleged defect resulted in a crash, an injury, or a fatality in the subject vehicles.in addition, odi is aware of only two incidents where a tire was reported to have caught on fire during the incident.in both incidents, fire damage was limited to the rear passenger tire and tire well and/or smoke damage to items in the vehicle.odi's analysis showed the following:(1) the subject vehicles use an indirect tpws system with p225/60r17bridgestone b380 or dunlop sp sport 4000 dsst run flat tires(rfts). (2) there is a large variability in the pressure and driving time atwhich the tpws will trigger the tpws warning light toilluminate. (3) the tpws may not make an accurate judgment under a variety ofroad or driving conditions, including if the vehicle is drivenover 62 mph, the outside temperature is below 32 degreesfahrenheit, the tread wear is uneven, the loading is overthe limit, or the pressure of 2 or more tires drops at the sametime. (see toyota's april 10, 2006 information request responsefor more details.) (4) some consumers reported that their tire pressure was below 15psi or even as low as 0 psi before they realized that they had atire pressure issue and as a result had to replace the tire. note: toyota states that if the tire pressure drops to below 15psi, the tire can not be repaired. (5) in april 2006, in response to reports of premature or uneven tirewear, toyota issued a customer support program to providesupplemental tire warranty coverage for 2004-early 2006 mysienna vehicles with rfts. (6) field data and nhtsa testing showed that the tpws on the 2004-2005 my toyota sienna 2wd vehicles, which use the same tpws as the subject vehicles, but have standard tires, performed betterthan tpws on the subject vehicles.due to the following reasons, odi has decided that further expenditure of agency resources on this investigation is not warranted at this time: (1) only a very small percentage of tpws and tire related complaints and warranty claims cited that the tpws did not illuminate on the subject vehicle during the incident.in the remaining tire related incidents, it was not possible to determine if the tpws contributed to the tire related failure. (2) odi is not aware of any incidents that were reported thatresulted in the driver losing vehicle control. (3) the field data did not establish a relationship between poortpws performance and tire incidents with safety consequencesaccordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will continue to monitor complaints and other information relating to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles and take further action in the future if warranted. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| TIRES | |||
| 07/01/2007 | 9000 | ||
| Replace all 4 tires @ 9000 mile due to pressure monitor fail to report, an alignment has was done at around 5000 mile because showing tire wear. toyota states it's tire not the monitor system. i have the receipts to prove it. if it's the tires, why don't they replace them. tires came with the car when i did purchased. | |||
| 06/01/2006 | 10000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2005 toyota sienna equipped with dunlop sp4000 tires. while having the vehicle inspected at an independent repair shop she was informed it would not pass inspection because all four tires were bald. the tires were replaced by an authorized dealer under warranty. since being replaced she has experienced 4 blowouts on the front and rear tires. she was informed by the authorized dealer that the failures most likely occurred because the tires were not being rotated on schedule and were under inflated. after each blowout a new dunlop sp4000 tire would be installed. the failure mileage was 10,000 and the current mileage was 66,000. sm. | |||
| 02/02/2008 | 30000 | ||
| Safety issue - vehicle was not equipped with a spare tire, jack and tire wrench. run-flat tires were prematurely worn prior to 30k. toyota dealers refuse to resolve tire issues and will not add spare tire and jack to vehicle. this is major highway safety issue! | |||
| 10/15/2009 | 30000 | 1 | |
| Regarding 2005 toyota sienna investigation pe06010 tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems which is closed, i have experienced this twice. two flat tires, with dunlap run flats, both tires severely damaged by running without enough pressure, no warning lite came on. scary to think you can drive at freeway speeds and not know you have a flat, but when you exit the car and happen to notice the flat you feel lucky not to have crashed. toyota dealer says this is just the run flats doing their job. i had two sets of these run flats and have switched to standard radials and feel safer, at least i will know when i have a flat tire while driving! sorry i don't have the tire/model size info in front of me now but i can look at receipts for further details. i know it was sport something, and 17. the dunlaps went to recycling so i don't have their serial numbers. *tr | |||
| 08/09/2009 | 43257 | 1 | |
| Toyota sienna 2005 oem tire valve stem cracked. *tr | |||
| 07/09/2007 | 19600 | 1 | |
| Toyota sienna 2005 oem tire valve stem cracked and leaked air slowly. toyota dealer replaced valve stem. *tr | |||
| 05/24/2009 | 1 | 05/25/2005 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota sienna. the vehicle has dunlop runflat tires, size p225 60 r17 (na). while the contact was examining her vehicle, she noticed a bump near the rim of the tire. whenever she would drive 40 mph or greater, the vehicle would begin to shake. the dealer could not determine the cause of the failure. the tire mileage was 15,000. the vehicle mileage was unknown. updated 12/07/09. *lj the consumer stated the tread was coming apart on the tires. updated 12/08/09 | |||
| 11/10/2008 | 1 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota sienna. at 25,000 miles, the seat belts on the front driver and passenger sides and the rear middle seat stopped functioning properly. the dealer could not duplicate the failure and stated that if the seat belts would not fail in their presence, nothing could be done. on a separate occasion, the driver's side seat belt finally failed and the dealer replaced the seat belt under warranty. the dealer refused to make repairs to the other seat belts even though the vehicle was still under warranty. the contact was concerned that the seat belts would not provide adequate protection if a crash occurred. the vin and mileages were unknown. updated 03-06-09 *bf the consumer also stated she has run flat tires, however the tire sensor did warn her that her tire went copletely flat. there was a strip of rubber missing from the tire. the consumer was informed the tire sensor did not work with run flat tires. updated 03/11/09. *jb | |||
| 06/05/2008 | 100282 | 1 | |
| I purchased four goodyear tires 215/65r16 from justtires in mar 07. within a few days, there were three valve stem issues (leaking) on three different tires. about 3 mo later, there was a fourth incident. justtires seems to know about this problem, as they showed no surprise and repaired it immediately. although there was no accident or such, there ancillary problems resulting in my losing a full day of personal work (i am a research scientist). the cost of repairs was covered by justtires, but not my lost time. i bring this up as there was an issue in chinese made valve stem in ford vehicles tires posed in today's aol. could this be a similar problem? *tr | |||
| 05/01/2007 | 26000 | 1 | |
| Serious uneven wearing of tires. flat at inner shoulders but normal at center and outer shoulders for all the four tires. *tr | |||
| 05/04/2007 | 2 | 08/31/2005 | |
| Premature tire wear with run-flat tires. tires replaced after 17,000 miles on the vehicle. *tr | |||
| 01/16/2007 | 7000 | 2 | 08/08/2005 |
| The tires on our 2005 toyota sienna minivan have failed twice: once in april 2006 and again in january 2007. both times the low tire pressure indicator did not work . we warned toyota the first time the sensor didn't work and they checked it and said it was working fine. our tires failed again, and the indicator did not light this past time as well. toyota has said we may have to pay for this latest set of tires. *jb | |||
| 12/04/2006 | 28000 | 1 | 08/01/2005 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 40 mph on the highway, the right rear run flat tire blew out without warning. there were no obvious road hazards seen. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer, who determined that all four run flat tires needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was alerted. the tires were dunlop, run flat tires, and the tire line and size were unknown. *ak | |||
| 10/04/2006 | 23494 | 1 | 07/15/2005 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 40 mph on dry flat road conditions, the front passenger run flat tire lost air. at the same time, a reduced tire pressure light illuminated on the dashboard. the contact pulled over, and upon visual inspection, it was found that the tire had lost air pressure. the vehicle was driven 6 miles to the contact's residence, and the tire failed completely upon arrival. on 10/05/06, the manufacturer was contacted, and determined that the tires would be replaced under the 36000 mile warranty. the contact expressed that a vehicle without a spare tire posed a serious safety risk in the event that a consumer's tire failed on a highway without a cell phone. the front passenger run flat tire was replaced under a recall once before when the vehicle had 18000 miles because of excessive tread wear. the tire manufacturer was dunlop. line was tubeless and size was 17 in. | |||
| 09/25/2006 | 1 | 05/19/2005 | |
| Excessive tire wear on toyota sienna minivan awd. 2005 awd 19,000 miles. excessive noise. has taken to dealer twice to try and get replacement. i read numerous incidents with these tire and the inability of the toyota motor corp. to fix the problem. dunlop tires *nm | |||
| 08/15/2006 | 13000 | 3 | 02/01/2006 |
| Tire pressure warning system on my 2005 sienna awd (13,000 miles) turned on. checked pressure in all tires, left rear was below 15 psi, all others were 25 psi (recommended pressure is nte 51 psi). filled tire to specification tire pressure and light rescinded. within 5 days, light reappeared with same procedures and results. took to the dealer. dealer replaced single tire indicating a nail was found. within 30 miles, the replacement tire deflated (dunlop, oem run flat tires) on freeway. no tire pressure warning system light illuminated. air pressure was checked and did not register any pressure, assume 0 psi. triggered to check tire pressure after hearing a loud popping sound. tire pressure warning system is not operating as expected and dealer indicates there is nothing wrong and that's just how the system works. remaining dunlop oem run flat tires do not retain pressure greater than 25 psi. dealer says they retain pressure when monitored there. but within 5 days, pressure returns to 25 psi. *jb | |||
| 06/16/2006 | 16000 | 1 | 04/11/2004 |
| Catastrophic tire failure on a toyota sienna awd van with run flat tires. fortunately, no major injuries or damage this time. the tire pressure monitoring system failed to sense the lack of pressure in one of the tires. driving on the tire with no air pressure caused catastrophic tire failure. i was told by the toyota dealer the tire pressure monitoring did not malfunction, it simply does not work. it cannot be fixed since toyota says there is nothing wrong. *jb | |||
| 06/03/2006 | 13673 | 1 | 06/01/2005 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving road debris was ran over causing a flat tire. the tire pressure senor did not indicator there was a flat tire. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was determined the tire was unable to be repaired due to the damage. the manufacturer was not alerted. *ak | |||
| 04/16/2006 | 20300 | 1 | 12/14/2005 |
| In reference to my 2005 toyota sienna le awd minivan, equipped with dunlop run flat tires. i am scheduled to replace all four of my tires tomorrow as a few weeks ago i was told by the dealership when i brought it in that the tires showed excessive wear and needed replacing. i believe the tires should be investigated as they are failing after short periods of time. one yr(19,000 miles). they have extreme wear and my van steering wheel shakes excessively over 55 mph (the reason i brought it to the dealership in the first place).making me very nervous to drive it until the tires can be replaced(at over $250 a tire). there are other consumer complaints of extreme wear and tires blowing out as well as steel belts showing and premature tread wear. this van was a top choice for safety for my husband and i as we have three children. however, if the tires aren't safe and they blow it really doesn't matter how safe the van is, i am sure i would end up crashing. as well as my last insurance bill increasing due to excessive claims on this type of vehicle. i can't state for sure but could probably assume that others are having problems, and getting in accidents due to the tires, that could be probably have been avoided. *nm | |||
| 02/06/2006 | 1 | 02/10/2005 | |
| Consumer passenger side rear tire deflated while driving. there were no warning lights, dealer informed consumer that there would be a warning light shown if pressure dropped to 5%. *ts the warning light didn't illuminate to let the consumer know the tire had went flat. the consumer was informed the sensor was tied into the abs. *jb | |||
| 03/12/2006 | 1 | 12/10/2004 | |
| I am concerned about safety and wear of the run flat tires provided on my 2005 toyota sienna van. i have 12,000 miles on my tires and understand many complaints of needed replacement at 15,000 at a cost of approx. $345 per tire and availability of the tires is sparse. i was never told that the car was equipped with these tires and have no place for a spare if i wish to use a regular wearing tire. i think the car should be equipped with a place for a spare and tires recalled. i am taking a long trip and will have 15,000 miles on my car shortly. when i am away from home, i hear it can take weeks to locate a replacement run flat tire. *jb | |||
| 10/14/2005 | 5000 | 1 | 03/21/2005 |
| I have a 2005 toyota sienna awd that is equipped with bridgestone run-flat tires. i was given no spare tire with my vehicle. i was traveling with my family on october 14 2005 on interstate 5 in ca. at 4 am when my tire went flat at 70 mph. the low tire pressure warning system failed to notify my wife who was driving that the tire had lost air pressure. she continued to drive until the tire started to disintegrate and she felt the vehicle start to pull to the right. there we were stuck in the middle of nowhere with a destroyed tire and no spare. i was forced to have my van towed to bakersfield ca. and have the tire replaced with a standard tire since the run-flats are impossible to find. toyota refuses to compensate me in any way for this irresponsible design they have on their awd siennas. i don't want these unsafe tires on my van and i want a spare. i paid $40,000 for this van and should have been given a spare tire. i was led to believe that these garbage tires would take the place of a spare which they obviously do not!*jb | |||
| 01/15/2006 | 1 | 10/23/2004 | |
| After only 19,000 miles of use, the run-flat tires on my toyota sienna have been worn away significantly to a dangerous level. the dealer has recommended only replacement with the same exact tire model, as no other tire brand or model may be used with this vehicle. at only 6,000 miles one tire had failed spontaneously without triggering the low-pressure warning system. i had been told by dealer the non-visible edge of tire (side facing toward the vehicle) had worn through the tread completely. that tire was replaced at my cost, assuming it was a unique and isolated incident. i see now that these tires are inadequate. *jb | |||
| 12/05/2005 | 1 | ||
| My 2005 toyota sienna le awd has just 7,000 miles on it. recently took it to the dealership for a regular service and requested that they look at the tires as i was experiencing vibration when driving. dealership said that all four tires needed to be replaced as soon as possible as there was cupping and uneven wear. they suggested that i caused this problem by driving on the tires under-inflated or by somehow not maintaining them. however, i am meticulous about maintaining my vehicle and i have not noticed at any time that the pressure was too low, and never at any time did the low tire pressure warning go off. still haggling with dealership to determine whether they will pay to replace them, though i'm not sure replacing them will do much good in another 7,000 miles. no failures, injuries, or deaths to report,... yet. with these poorly made, defective tires, it's only a matter of time. *jb | |||
| 12/01/2005 | 1 | 11/30/2005 | |
| I am filling out this complaint before one of my bridgstone run flat tires on my new toyota sienna fails. i am not happy with having to drive on these dangerous tires. nor am i happy with the alternatives to replace them. these 2 reputable companies are not taking responsibility for these extremely costly and potentially dangerous tires. *jb | |||
| 11/01/2005 | 15000 | 1 | 11/25/2004 |
| Run flat tires on toyota sienna nearly bald after only 15,000 miles. *jb | |||
| 11/12/2005 | 3350 | 1 | 08/18/2005 |
| Got a nail in a run flat tire on my 2005 awd sienna van. took it to the dealer for repair or replacement under warranty. dealer told me that it was not covered under warranty because the nail was in the sidewall and then offered to sell me 4 new run flat tires for my 3 month old van for $1300. had four regular tires put on the van and also bought a new wheel for a spare since the awd van does not come with a spare tire (bridgestone). *nm | |||
| 10/10/2005 | 13500 | 4 | 12/04/2004 |
| Dunlop run flat tires wear excessively and need to be replaced after only 14,000 miles or less and present a safety issue. *jb | |||
| 09/16/2005 | 1 | ||
| Dt: found out on september 16, 2005 that the tires were extremely worn.out. took the vehicle to the dealer for an oil change and the mechanic had the consumer come out and look at the tires, and said the tires must be replaced. the indication for the tires never gave any notice that the inflation was not proper. there was no vibration, or abnormal bulging and this vehicle is serviced regularly at the toyota dealer. these are bridgestone ran flat tires, they have premature wear, had replace all four tires. had maintained the tires according to the toyota maintence plan. they did not want to replace the tires because they could not issue a tire warranty. consumer wanted states that the mechanic's recommendation that all four tires be replaced. there was wear on the inside of the tires and iwasnot visible from outside. consumer wanted to believe that toyota was going to help him, but it was at his expense.*ak | |||
| 04/14/2005 | 1 | 11/01/2004 | |
| Toyota sienna developed problems with the runflat tire equipment.*mr a few days after purchasing the vehicle, the consumer discovered the vehicle did not have a spare tire. the owners manual lead the consumer to believe that the run flat tires could be repaired or replaced at any tire dealer in the us. the consumer went to a tire shop to have the tires rotated, however he was told if the tire became flat it would cost $250.00 for a new tire and the tire(s) could not be repaired. the consumer went to the dealer and was told the same information, in addition if one of the tires had over 15,000 miles all 4 tires would have to be replaced. the consumer contacted toyota and was told the vehicle was designed for run flat tires and there was no place for a spare tire. the consumer requested that the runflat tires be replaced with regular tires. *jb | |||
| 09/07/2005 | 17600 | 1 | 12/28/2004 |
| My 2005 toyota sienna has bridestone run flat tires. i noticed wear on my front tires at 15,741 miles and rotated my tires. i was noticing a noise from the front of my car and had the brakes checked, they were ok but my tires were not. took vehicle to a bridgestone tire dealer and he said that the tires were shot with 17,600 miles. they are contacting the manufacturer to see if they will replace or adjust the tires. is it safe to drive this car with these tires in this kind of condition? mike berg. *jb | |||
| 08/01/2005 | 3100 | 1 | 03/01/2005 |
| Dt: had a new 2005 toyota sienna with 3,000 miles on the vehicle that had run flat tires, and the back right passenger tire that went flat. then smoked and reached a flash point and caught fire. was driving on highway at a speed of about 60 mph and noticed a jumpiness in the vehicle. drove this way for an unknown distance. pulled to side of the road, noticed a lot smoke coming from the tire and immediately removed family from vehicle. called 911, and aaa. a passerby who worked for the forestry division called fire department as well. two passerbys used 2 full fire extinguishers and put out fire, fire department came after and watered down tire as well. towed to a dealer, dealer did not know why tire went into flames. dealer did not offer no explanation. contacted toyota suggested that when the tire went flat along with hot temperatures, hot pavement, and gases within the tire could have cobusted and caused the fire. toyota did replace the tire. the ti bridgestone, brand b380 run flats, unsure of tire size at this time. *ak | |||
| 07/01/2005 | 9900 | 1 | |
| 2005 toyota sienna concerns with the run flat tire equipment and no spare tires. *mr when the tire goes flat or when the pressure was below 15 psi, the tires must be replaced. *sc *jb | |||
| TIRES - PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS | |||
| 10/15/2009 | 30000 | 1 | |
| Regarding 2005 toyota sienna investigation pe06010 tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems which is closed, i have experienced this twice. two flat tires, with dunlap run flats, both tires severely damaged by running without enough pressure, no warning lite came on. scary to think you can drive at freeway speeds and not know you have a flat, but when you exit the car and happen to notice the flat you feel lucky not to have crashed. toyota dealer says this is just the run flats doing their job. i had two sets of these run flats and have switched to standard radials and feel safer, at least i will know when i have a flat tire while driving! sorry i don't have the tire/model size info in front of me now but i can look at receipts for further details. i know it was sport something, and 17. the dunlaps went to recycling so i don't have their serial numbers. *tr | |||
| 12/11/2009 | 100525 | 1 | |
| We have a 2005 toyota sienna with all wheel drive (awd) and run-flat tires. the right rear tire disintegrated while on i80 at freeway speed. there was no warning by the tire pressure monitoring system, before or after the tire failure. i noticed a vibration earlier in the day and now suspect the tire had been flat for some miles. this was our second instance of a failure of a run-flat tire, but in the case of the left front tire, the warning light did come on. in both cases, it was necessary to replace all 4 tires due to the awd. in both cases an alignment has also been done, which includes resetting the speed sensors (tsb pg005-04), and no problems were detected. this indicates the system is inadequate to reliably detect a flat tire and a crash could have easily resulted. *tr | |||
| 07/15/2008 | 38776 | 1 | |
| I have a 2005 toyota sienna with all wheel drive and run-flat tires. i was told that the car has a tire pressure monitoring system (tpms). i had two events of low tire pressure that went undetected by me. both times i took the car to the dealer who told me the noise and vibration was due to low tire pressure. i told them that i never saw the low tire pressure light on the dashboard. the latest event was a blow-out of the left front run-flat tire on hwy 85 in ca. the car was difficult to handle and i slowed and exited the freeway and there was never a tpms warning light on the dashboard to indicate loss of tire pressure. the tire was totally gone. had to cover the cost of that repair. i recently took the car back to the dealer to find out why the tpms was not working. the dealer then told me that the tpms system on the 2005 toyota is based on the anti-lock braking system and uses the speed of tire rotation and not direct tire pressure measurements. furthermore, they told me that the tmps was working perfectly. i find application of a tmps based on tire circumference with run-flat tires is completely useless. there is no way the 2005 toyota sienna tmps will ever work with run-flat tires. the run-flat tires have extremely strong side-walls to allow the car to continue with little air pressure but, that means the tire does not deform with low tire pressure. the fact that i had a total tire blowout without a tmps warning light showing means the tmps system does not work. i find this system to be unsafe and i want to know what is being done and how could this tmps system comply with department of transportation rule cfr citation: 49 cfr parts 571 and 590; docket id: nhtsa 2000-8572, rin id 2127-a133? *tr | |||
| 03/28/2008 | 49264 | 1 | |
| 2005 toyota sienna xle limited, awd, vin [xxx], tire pressure warning system does not work, and never has worked properly. it most recently failed on march 28, 2008, where the right rear tire had zero air pressure. this was a brand new run flat tire which went flat immediately after installation. the vehicle was driven 31miles and the tire pressure warning light never came on. due to this faulty warning system, a brand new $250.00+ tire was destroyed, requiring replacement. this system has failed numerous times prior to the above-mentioned incident. since purchasing this vehicle, i have learned that this tire pressure warning system does not monitor the tire pressure at all; that it only monitors the wheel speed, and it is extremely inaccurate at that. i have discovered that toyota had been aware of this problem for years and yet still fraudulently marketed this system as viable tire pressure warning system on the 2005 toyota sienna. as a disabled person, this tire pressure warning system was the deciding factor in my buying the 2005 toyota sienna. i have difficulty bending down to take the tire pressures and i expected and rely on this tire pressure warning system to warn me of low tire pressure; it is a total and complete failure in that regard. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr | |||
| 11/14/2007 | 15000 | 1 | 10/24/2005 |
| Tire went completely flat on my 2005 sienne xle limited before the tire pressure warning light went on. the low tire pressure warning system failed and despite the fact that it had run flat tires, i did not get the expect 50 miles of driving to get to a service station and needed to be towed. *cn | |||
| 01/16/2007 | 7000 | 2 | 08/08/2005 |
| The tires on our 2005 toyota sienna minivan have failed twice: once in april 2006 and again in january 2007. both times the low tire pressure indicator did not work . we warned toyota the first time the sensor didn't work and they checked it and said it was working fine. our tires failed again, and the indicator did not light this past time as well. toyota has said we may have to pay for this latest set of tires. *jb | |||
| 08/17/2006 | 9700 | 2 | 04/11/2005 |
| Major safety problem with tire air pressure system. normal tire pressure is 35 psi. because of the tire design, you can run with very low air pressure and not feel it (on a normal car, it is very obvious). that is why toyota had to put in the tire pressure warning system/light. twice the tire pressure warning system did not come on until a tire had ~10 psi. that is a dangerous level. the first time i did nothing and the tire was replaced by the tire manufacturer (nail issue) and the tire was less then 7 months old. the second time, i brought it to the dealer. they tested two ways: 1) on the computer and it passed; 2) test drive where alert light came on below 18 psi. in my testing it came on between 10-15 psi and in real life closer to 10-11 psi (based on my 2 problems). checking tire pressure daily does not help because in real life, if you take a trip you can drive for 3-6 hours which if something happens to the tire during the trip, you will not know until it fails (again this is because unlike normal tires, you can not tell the tire has lost significant air pressure. you can read here and other places about the catastrophic failures others have had in just this situation. i spent many many hours on the phone with toyota to get the specification on when the system should alert you. i was once told it is a difference of more then 5 psi. however, it seems that toyota has no published spec for how the system should work in real life. this is defective and toyota is not telling us the truth. all systems have to be designed to a spec. this system was and there is somewhere at toyota a spec. they are not sharing with consumers because of the implication it would have (they will have to recall/fix them). i do hope someone at the nhtsa will pursue this since it is a safety issue for families. *nm | |||
| 03/01/2005 | 15 | 12/01/2004 | |
| Consumer requesting reimbursement for 2005 toyota sienna for low tire pressure and rear door shock failure. *kb the rear wiper didn't work, the blower motor and damper had to be replaced, the rear heat did not work. the low pressure light did not warn the consumer that the tire pressure had dropped. *jb | |||
| 08/15/2006 | 13000 | 3 | 02/01/2006 |
| Tire pressure warning system on my 2005 sienna awd (13,000 miles) turned on. checked pressure in all tires, left rear was below 15 psi, all others were 25 psi (recommended pressure is nte 51 psi). filled tire to specification tire pressure and light rescinded. within 5 days, light reappeared with same procedures and results. took to the dealer. dealer replaced single tire indicating a nail was found. within 30 miles, the replacement tire deflated (dunlop, oem run flat tires) on freeway. no tire pressure warning system light illuminated. air pressure was checked and did not register any pressure, assume 0 psi. triggered to check tire pressure after hearing a loud popping sound. tire pressure warning system is not operating as expected and dealer indicates there is nothing wrong and that's just how the system works. remaining dunlop oem run flat tires do not retain pressure greater than 25 psi. dealer says they retain pressure when monitored there. but within 5 days, pressure returns to 25 psi. *jb | |||
| 06/16/2006 | 16000 | 1 | 04/11/2004 |
| Catastrophic tire failure on a toyota sienna awd van with run flat tires. fortunately, no major injuries or damage this time. the tire pressure monitoring system failed to sense the lack of pressure in one of the tires. driving on the tire with no air pressure caused catastrophic tire failure. i was told by the toyota dealer the tire pressure monitoring did not malfunction, it simply does not work. it cannot be fixed since toyota says there is nothing wrong. *jb | |||
| 03/10/2006 | 1 | ||
| 2005 sienna awd. had a flat tire for a couple of days but did not notice it (only drove in town, not interstate speeds). the warning light appeared but disappeared, and then it was intermittent (it looked like it would turn on only after some driving.) luckily this did not damage the tires, but i wonder what would have happen if i were on the interstate in the middle of nowhere and experienced the same problem (no warning light). i see that a recall may be in progress. *nm | |||
| 02/06/2006 | 1 | 02/10/2005 | |
| Consumer passenger side rear tire deflated while driving. there were no warning lights, dealer informed consumer that there would be a warning light shown if pressure dropped to 5%. *ts the warning light didn't illuminate to let the consumer know the tire had went flat. the consumer was informed the sensor was tied into the abs. *jb | |||
| 10/14/2005 | 5000 | 1 | 03/21/2005 |
| I have a 2005 toyota sienna awd that is equipped with bridgestone run-flat tires. i was given no spare tire with my vehicle. i was traveling with my family on october 14 2005 on interstate 5 in ca. at 4 am when my tire went flat at 70 mph. the low tire pressure warning system failed to notify my wife who was driving that the tire had lost air pressure. she continued to drive until the tire started to disintegrate and she felt the vehicle start to pull to the right. there we were stuck in the middle of nowhere with a destroyed tire and no spare. i was forced to have my van towed to bakersfield ca. and have the tire replaced with a standard tire since the run-flats are impossible to find. toyota refuses to compensate me in any way for this irresponsible design they have on their awd siennas. i don't want these unsafe tires on my van and i want a spare. i paid $40,000 for this van and should have been given a spare tire. i was led to believe that these garbage tires would take the place of a spare which they obviously do not!*jb | |||
| 01/15/2006 | 1 | 10/23/2004 | |
| After only 19,000 miles of use, the run-flat tires on my toyota sienna have been worn away significantly to a dangerous level. the dealer has recommended only replacement with the same exact tire model, as no other tire brand or model may be used with this vehicle. at only 6,000 miles one tire had failed spontaneously without triggering the low-pressure warning system. i had been told by dealer the non-visible edge of tire (side facing toward the vehicle) had worn through the tread completely. that tire was replaced at my cost, assuming it was a unique and isolated incident. i see now that these tires are inadequate. *jb | |||
| 06/01/2005 | 3000 | ||
| 2005 toyota sienna limited minivan. came with runflat tires (no option) and tire pressure measuring system. problem is that even with complete flat (0 psi) the system is not informing the driver. since the tires are run flat they look no different and my wife is driving around at highway speeds with a dangerous tire and no way to know it. toyotas response is to check tire pressure regularly. well that's fine, but still if you get a flat and drive all the way home on the interstate at 65+ mph it's not within the ratings on the tire which says specifically not to run the runflat tires over 55mph. on top of that we have one tire almost worn out already due to running low on pressure. multiple complaints like this are noted on internet web sites - toyota needs to issue a recall and fix this problem as many of us with young children bought this vehicle in large part for safety reasons and it is not safe! the tire pressure system is defective, and does not work at all. toyota is unwilling to fix it and so help me if anything ever happens i'll see them in court. | |||
| TIRES - TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE | |||
| 06/30/2007 | 17000 | 2 | 11/19/2005 |
| Purchased 2005 toyota sienna with firestone compact spare in november 2005. in june 2006, used spare for about 8 miles and noted severe cracking on spare. firestone replaced after two - three weeks delay due to out of stock. replacement spare was mounted july 7, 2006. in june 2007, i was planning road trip, so i checked spare. once again, noted cracking on spare. this tire was under a year old and has never been used on the road. one failure is bad luck, but two failures lead me to believe that tire and/or mount design on this vehicle causing premature failure. obviously, i am concerned about safety and long term reliability. *tr | |||
| TIRES - TREAD/BELT | |||
| 11/21/2006 | 1 | 09/15/2005 | |
| The run flat tires on my 2005 sienna have completely worn out to the extent that the steel treads are showing, with only 11,000 miles on the car. obviously they are very defective. *jb | |||
| 10/16/2004 | 1 | ||
| I have run flat tires on my 2005 sienna (purchased october 2004). i also bought a set of winter tires & rims) in december 2004 and since then i am alternating them 6 months of the year. have currently 21,000 miles on my vehicle. the dunlop tires are almost worn out, although i probably put on them mo more than 12-13,000 miles. part of the reason i believe is that when i bought the car(even when i test drove it) i noticed a rough ride and a pull to the left, but could not wait for the dealer to order another car, so i took it home (i bought it from a dealer out of town). also i was blaming the tire thread geometry for the rough ride, and the dealership offered me to change the tires for the cheaper ones bridgestone, but i had to pay like $80 for the operation, so i decided not to. the rough drive continued until i decided to take it to my local dealership who found out that it was misaligned. the did a free alignment but the car would still pull to the left. this, i was told, was normal, since the tires had been worn unevenly, so now they had to get the normal wear again. now the car no longer pulls, but this comes a the cost of having excessively worn tires. i see that this is not an unique case. *nm | |||
| 02/22/2006 | 1 | 11/07/2005 | |
| I have a 2005 sienna xle awd, and the tires failed at 20,016 miles (the tread was completely gone on the interior side of the two front tires). i had the tires rotated at 4,472 miles and 11,048. however, all 4 tires show excessive wear for this amount of mileage! the tires are factory-issued dunlop run-flats. *jb | |||
| 01/15/2006 | 17000 | 1 | 01/05/2005 |
| Extremely rapid tire wear on dunlop run flat tires that were original equipment on a 2005 toyota sienna awd van. the tires have been rotated several times. at less than 17,000 miles at least one is down to the wear markers. the others are not far behind. i have discovered that this is ongoing issue for nearly all owners of these awd vans. these are very expensive top of the line tires. now a days 40,000 + miles is the norm! i can't believe that a $33,000+ vehicle is sold legally with such inferior equipment tires!. *jb | |||
| 11/10/2005 | 1 | ||
| The problem occurred with a 2005 toyota sienna that i have owned for approximately one year. at 24,000 miles on the car (mostly highway driving) the front 2 tires were completely bald and the rear tires had almost no tread left on them. the cost for replacement tires was approximately $900 which included a $100 credit per tire from dunlop. i refused to put those tires on my car again since i have three small children and can neither afford the cost or the risk to their safety with inadequate tires. dunlop will also not provide any sort of warranty on their new tires. the cost of new tires (non-runflat) was approximately $450. in addition to the four new tires we also had to obtain a spare tire and wheel and purchase a new jack. there is now a loose tire sitting in the back of our van that can be a safety hazard if we are ever unfortunate enough to be in a severe accident. *jb | |||
| 06/01/2005 | 7500 | 4 | 11/15/2004 |
| I own a 2005 toyota sienna awd. at 7500 miles the front tires had excessive wear, now with 9000 miles the dealer is recommending me to change all 4 tires. currently i am negotiating with toyota to pay for the tire replacement. they have offered little assurance to help and no commitment for future problems. i know this is a major problem with many awd toyota owners. toyota needs to be held accountable/responsible. *nm | |||
| 08/01/2005 | 4 | ||
| I have a 2005 toyota sienna xle awd which is equipped with dunlop run-flat tires. this car was used for one year and had mileage of 17,800 when we noticed that all four tires had the tread barrier exposed. it was exposed only on the outside and inside edges of the tires. the car was handling extremely strangely and was starting to wander on turns. this weekend changing lanes the car started to wander into an on-coming traffic lane when changing to the left lane of a four lane road. i contacted toyota only to be told that there was no mileage guarantee on the tires and they were $250/piece to replace. when told that they nearly caused head on accident they quickly offered to replace two of them free and then i could repair the others. they still would not guarantee the tires for any future mileage. i have since gone on the web to find that these tires have been reported by a huge number of the owners to have a similar problem. i do not think we should have an accident to find out that a tire has an identified safety problem. these tires do not wear correctly, they wear much too fast, and the toyota service rep at my dealership told me that we should run the tires at a higher than recommended tire pressure to help. the nhtsa should get involved in this matter before others are harmed or killed. *nm | |||
| 09/07/2005 | 17600 | 1 | 12/28/2004 |
| My 2005 toyota sienna has bridestone run flat tires. i noticed wear on my front tires at 15,741 miles and rotated my tires. i was noticing a noise from the front of my car and had the brakes checked, they were ok but my tires were not. took vehicle to a bridgestone tire dealer and he said that the tires were shot with 17,600 miles. they are contacting the manufacturer to see if they will replace or adjust the tires. is it safe to drive this car with these tires in this kind of condition? mike berg. *jb | |||