2003 Toyota 4Runner Tires & Wheels Problems

I HAVE A 2003 4 RUNNER WITH ONLY 102375 MILES AND THE RIMS ARE CRUMBLING AWAY LIKE CHALK. THESE SHOULD NOT DO THIS, IT HAS TO BE DEFECTIVE MATERIALS AND SHOULD BE RECALLED BEFORE SOMEONE IS HURT OR WORSE. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND WILL BE RESPONSIBLE AND THEY NEED TO RECALL AND FIX THEIR MISTAKE.

WHILE TRAVELING SOUTHBOUND ON I-85 IN NORTH CAROLINA AT MILE MARKER 51.4 , AT 65 MPH THE LEFT REAR TIRE SIDEWALL EXPLODED CAUSING A NEAR ACCIDENT. THE TIRES HAD BEEN ON THE VEHICLE LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AS THEY WERE REPLACED AS A FOUR TIRE SET, THEY WERE ALL NEW TIRES. APPARENTLY THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE SIDEWALLS WITH THESE TIRES. I GOOGLED THIS SIDEWALL BLOWOUT AND THERE HAVE BEEN OVER 198 CASES OF COOPER TIRES WITH SIDEWALL BLOWOUT. THE TIRE BRAND IS COPPER TIRES, MODEL- COOPER DISCOVERER A/T 3 265/70 R 16 DOT- UTC2 1A6 4716 DATE CODE- 2013

PLEASE VISIT THIS SITE AND YOU FIND OVER 600 COMPLAINTS REGARDING TOYOTA'S WHEELS CORRODING. HTTP://WWW.NUCKLESLAW.COM/SOFTWARE-NEGOTIATIONS-EXPERT/TOYOTA-ALLOY-WHEELS-BUBBLING-TOYOTA-QUALITY-CONCERNS/COMMENT-PAGE-12/#COMMENTS I'M AN OWNER OF A 2003 4RUNNER AND HAVE RESEARCHED THE ISSUES INVOLVING THE PAINT ON THE WHEELS PEELING. I HAVE FOUND THAT IT IS AN ISSUE WITH SEVERAL, IF NOT ALL WHEELS THAT TOYOTA USES ON THEIR 4 RUNNERS AND OTHER TRUCKS. WHY DOES TOYOTA CONTINUE TO SELL AND USE A WHEEL WHEN THEY KNOW IT IS DEFECTIVE, AND WHY AREN'T THEY CORRECTING THE PROBLEM BY ISSUING REFUNDS, OR REPAIR SERVICES? THE DEFECT LEADS TO THE WHEEL BEING CORRODED AND EVENTUALLY COMPROMISES THE INTEGRITY OF THE WHEEL'S STRENGTH. THE SAFETY OF THE WHEEL IS A BIG CONCERN OF MINE, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TO GET WORSE. SINCERELY, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

MY DASH IS CRACKED FROM DRIVERS SIDE TO PASSENGER SIDE AND IT APPEARS TO BE KIND OF MELTING. WHEN I AM DRIVING OVER 50MPH AND MY BACK WINDOW IS DOWN IT MAKES AN HORRIBLE NOISE BUT THE DEALERSHIP SAYS ITS FINE NOT

2003 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE TIRES PROBLEM. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED A FEW DAYS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, SHE EXPERIENCED TWO INCIDENTS, WHERE SHE ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE TIRES, WERE SEVERELY WORN AFTER ONLY 20,000 MILES.

1. FLAT TIRE, NEEDED TO GET SPARE OUT FROM UNDER VEHICLE. 2. BRAND NEW SPARE TIRE HAD NEVER BEEN TAKEN DOWN, NEW SPARE TIRE HAS BRANDING MARKING ON THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE, FROM THE HEAT UNDER THE VEHICLE AND WHERE IT IS ATTACHED TO HAS COMPROMISED THE SAFTY OF THE TIRE. 3. WENT TO TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. *NM

30 MONTH OLD 2003 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER SPORT. WENT TO USE SPARE TIRE FOR THE FIRST TIME BUT FOUND PLACES ON THE SIDEWALL WHERE THE RUBBER APPEARS TO BE MELTED. THE MARKS LOOK LIKE THEY CORRESPOND TO THE PLACES WHERE THE SPARE TIRE TOUCHES THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE SPARE TIRE IS STORED. IT LOOKS TO ME (AS A LAYMAN) THAT THE DAMAGE IS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH THAT IT COMPROMISES THE SAFETY OF THE TIRE. *JB

TOYOTA 4- RUNNER, 2003. WHEEL LUG BOLTS ARE BREAKING OFF CAUSING WHEEL TO BECOME LOSE. TOYOTA SAYS THE TIRE ROTATION SERVICE PEOPLE OVERTIGHTENED THE LUG NUTS. THIS SERVICE WAS 9 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE LUG BOLT BREAKING. I CONTEND THAT THE PROBLEM IS DUE TO: A. THE LUG BOLTS ARE TOO SMALL FOR THE WEIGHT AND HP OF THIS VEHICLE. OR B. THE METALLURGICAL COMPOND OF THE BOLTS AND/OR NUTS IS NOT CORRECT. OR C. THE THREAD TOLERANCES OF THE BOLTS AN NUTS IS NOT CORRECT....TOYOTA REFUSES TO TEST THE DAMAGED BOLTS AND NUT THAT I SAVED TO SEE IF THIS COULD BE AN ISOLATED PROBLEM FROM THEIR SUPPLIER.

I CONTINUE TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH TIRE/STEERING WHEEL VIBRATIONS IN MY 2003 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER SPORT EDITION. THE PROBLEM OCCURS AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SITTING OVERNIGHT, OR ALL DAY LONG IN A PARKING GARAGE. THE PULSING AND STEERING WHEEL VIBRATIONS OCCUR BETWEEN 60 AND 65 MPH, DISAPPEAR AT ABOUT 70 MPH AND RESUME AT 65 MPH. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10 MILES THE PROBLEM DISSIPATES. THE DEALER SAYS THE TIRES ARE BALANCED AND ALLIGNED. THE DEALER STATES THE PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY "FIBERGLASS BELTS" IN THE DUNLAP TIRES THAT FORM A "SET." A REGIONAL TIRE CHAIN SPECIALIST STATES THIS IS "NONSENSE." THEY SUGGEST SYMPTOMS AND FACT IT ALWAYS OCCURS AT THE SAME SPEED SUGGESTS IMPROPERLY BALANCED TIRES OR ALLIGNMENT, OR TIRES "OUT OF ROUND," HOWEVER THE FACT THE PROBLEM DISAPPEARS AFTER DRIVING SUGGESTS THESE ARE NOT THE PROBLEM. I UNDERSTAND THE LEXUS VERSION OF THIS VEHICLE HAS A SIMILAR PROBLEM AND AUTO MAGAZINES NOTE A PROBLEM WITH "ENGINE VIBRATIONS.*AK

I OWN A 2003 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER 10000 MILES, DUNLOP GRAND TREK TIRES 265/70R16. IN LESS THEN 2 WEEKS I HAVE HAD 2 FLATS IN THE RIGHT, PASSENGER TIRE DUE TO STONES. IN ONE TIRE I HAVE 2 PATCHES, I HAVE A COMPLAINT INTO GOODYEAR FOR A NEW TIRE.*AK

PROBLEM: STEERING WHELL VIBRATION AT SPEEDS OF 60MPH AND UP. PURCHASED ON 8/2/03. RETURNED TO THE DELAER ON 8/12/03 TO HAVE ALL TIRES BALANCED AND A FULL ALIGNMENT; PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK RETURNED TO DEALER ON 8/14/03 TO HAVE THE TIRES SPEED MATCHED TO THE RIMS. WHEN I PICKED UP MY 4RUNNER I WAS TOLD THE VIBRATION WAS STILL PRESENT AND THAT I SHOULD UPGRADE MY TIRES FROM DUNLOP GRANDTREK AT20 265/65/17 TO MICHELIN CROSS TERAIN TIRES. THE DEALER OFFERED TO BUY TWO TIRES AND I WOULD BUY THE REMAINIG THREE (INCLUDING SPARE) AT $199.95 EACH WITH NO GUARANTEE THAT THE MICHELINS WOULD SOLVE THE VIBRATION PROBLEM. LEFT MY 4RUNNER AND ASKED THE DEALER TO CONTACT THE TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE FOR ASSIATNCE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. TOYOTA OFFERED TO BUY ANOTHER TIRE. I TOLD THE DEALER THAT THEY AND TOYOTA SHOULD REPLACE THE TIRES AT NO COST. WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER CUSTOMER RELATIONS MANAGER THAT THEY ORDERED THE DUNLOPS INSTEAD OF THE MICHELNS THAT ARE AVAIABLE FROM THE FACTORY AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT. CR MANAGER CHECKED WITH THE DEALERS GENERAL MANGER WHO OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSIATANCE. NOW SITTING IN MY GARAGE WITH 456 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. NEXT STEP  LEMON LAW SUIT AS CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AND CUSTOMER RELATIONS MANAGER THAT THEY HAVE HAD OTHER 2003 4RUNNER CUSTOMERS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT CONCERNING THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.

P265-65R17, DUNLOP GRAND TREK TIRE COLLAPSED WHILE DRIVING TO WORK IN AN 03 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER. SPEED WAS APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH. NO ROAD HAZARD WAS ENCOUNTERED. NO LOUD EXPLOSION. TIRE JUST SUDDENLY WENT FLAT. TIRE SEPARATED 360 DEGREES AROUND FRONT OF RIM. TIRE IS COMPLETELY INTACT ON BACK SIDE OF RIM. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SAYS THEY HAVE NEVER HAD A REPORT OF ANY PROBLEM WITH THESE TIRES. THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE TIRE AND REFERRED ME TO DUNLOP. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE REST OF THE TIRES, TO INCLUDE THE SPARE, NOW MOUNTED, ARE SAFE FOR DRIVING.*AK

THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL CENTER CAP CAME OFF, WHICH CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO PULL OVER.*TS CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO RETRIEVE THE SECOND WHEEL CAP. *JB