1999 Toyota Camry Tires & Wheels Problems

I REPLACED MY FRONT TIRE AT BERGEYS DEALERSHIP. THE TIRE WAS BUBBLED UP ON THE MIDDLE OF THE FRONT SURFACE. I HAD REQUESTED TO REPLACE TWO MORE TIMES BUT THE BUBBLE STILL SHOW ON THE TIRE. I SUSPECT THE TIRE'S LOT QUALITY IS NOT GOOD. BUT, THE DEALER DID NOT ACCEPT THAT THEIR TIRES WERE NOT GOOD; I REALLY DON'T WANT TO DRIVE THIS TIRE ON THE ROAD. I WISH THIS TIRE'S LOT NEED TO BE RECALL BECAUSE OF THE BAD QUALITY TO PREVENT DRIVERS GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. *TR

ON 8-27-2011, SET OF 5 NEW MICHELIN DESTINY TIRE P205/65R-15 92T BSW (4 FOR DRIVING WHEELS & 1 FOR SPARE WHEEL) WERE PURCHASED AND INSTALLED ON 1999 CAMRY V6, MILEAGE WAS 97163 MILES. ON 9-9-2012, A BUBBLE WAS NOTICED ON FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE. ON 9-11-2012, THE BUBBLED TIRE BLOWOUT WHILE WAS DRIVING TO TIRE SHOP FOR INSPECTION OF POSSIBLE TIRE DEFECTIVE, BUT NOT AT BUBBLED SPOT, MILEAGE WAS AT 107467 MILES. THE BLOWOUT CAUSED DAMAGE THE ALLOY WHEEL, FRONT BUMPER AND FENDER AND MUD FLASH ON DRIVER SIDE. REMOVED THE BLOWOUT TIRE WITH THE SPARE TIRE, CONTINUED DRIVING TO THE TIRE STORE AND PURCHASED NEW MICHELIN DESTINY TIRE P205/65R-15 92T BSW TIRE FOR REPLACEMENT. *TR

I WAS TOLD THAT BELT BREAKAGE CONTRIBUTED TO MY TIRES BEING OUT OF ROUND AND EGG SHAPED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED A TIRE BLOWOUT. AS A RESULT, HE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL. UPON DOING SO, THE VEHICLE SPUN AROUND IN A COMPLETE CIRCLE BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN SMOKING. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THE CONTACT WAS WAITING FOR A RESPONSE FROM THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 160,000.

ON SIX OCCASIONS IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA I HAVE EXPERIENCED TIRE FAILURE DUE TO TREAD SEPARATION. ON TWO OF THESE OCCASIONS I HAVE BEEN ON THE FREEWAY AND HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET TO THE SIDE OF ROAD ON FOUR OTHERS I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE COMPANY WHERE I PURCHASED THE TIRES. THE TIRES INVOLVED WITH THESE FAILURES HAVE BEEN ON TWO SEPARATE CARS BOTH OF THEM ARE 99 TOYOTA CAMRY'S. THE TIRES ARE THE SAME MANUFACTURE AND MODEL BUT DIFFERENT SIZES. THE COMPANY WHERE I PURCHASED THESE TIRES FROM HAS WORKED WITH ME AND HAS REPLACED THESE TIRES ON ALL OCCASIONS. I AM WRITING THIS COMPLAINT NOW BECAUSE I HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH TWO TIRES ON ONE OF MY CAMRY'S AND ONE TIRE ON THE OTHER CAMRY AND I FEEL THAT THESE TIRES ARE NOT SAFE. *TR

THE OUTER BELT OF THE FRONT TIRE SEPARATED WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 15 NEAR BAKER, CA , TOWARDS LAS VEGAS, AT 7:30 PM. WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY, I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR AND AVOID A MAJOR ACCIDENT IN THAT BUSY HIGHWAY. I RECEIVED A CITATION FROM THE HIGHWAY PATROL BECAUSE I HAD TO LEAVE THE CAR ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. I HAD TO PAY FOR A TOW TRUCK TO REMOVE THE CAR. THE CAR WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS BY THE LIBERTY MUTUAL'S APPRAISER. I LATER FOUND OUT THAT THESE TIRES HAD BEEN RECALLED ON NOV '06, BUT NEITHER PEP BOYS (THE SELLER) NOR THE TIRE MANUFACTURER, COOPER TIRES, HAD EVER CONTACTED ME ABOUT THE RECALL. MOREOVER, PEP BOYS HAD FAILED TO INFORM ME OF THE SERIOUS CRASH RISK OF THESE TIRES, EVEN WHEN I TOOK MY CAR ON MAR 30TH, 2008 FOR TIRE ROTATION !!! BOTH COMPANIES PEP BOYS AND COPPER TIRES HAVE BEEN UNRESPONSIVE TO MY COMPLAINTS AND CLAIMING THE OTHER AS THE RESPONSIBLE PARTY IN THIS CASE. BY THE WAY, I'M STILL WITHOUT A CAR. *TR

ANEW SET OF GOODYEAR VIVA, P195/70R14 WAS PURCHASED AT WALMART SORE 1195, WAVELAND, MS ON 5/8/08. I NOTICED A PRONOUNCED PULL TO THE LEFT AND ON 5/12/08 I TOOK THE CAR TO LEGGETT'S TIRE & AUTO FOR ALIGNMENT. AFTER THE ALIGNMENT PULL TO THE LEFT WAS STILL PRESENT. I RETURNED TO LEGGETT'S AND AFTER CHECKING THE ALIGNMENT, I WAS ADVISED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT IN THE ALIGNMENT BUT WAS DUE TO A TIRE PULL. I WENT BACK TO WALMART AND AFTER CHECKING THE BALANCE THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TIRES. I HAVE ROTATED TIRES ABOUT EVERY OTHER OIL CHANGE AND THE PULL TO THE LEFT IS PRESENT AFTER EVERY OTHER OIL CHANGE. I HAVE HAD ALIGNMENT DONE FOR THE THIRD TIME RECENTLY AT A& A AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR IN OCEAN SPRINGS, MS AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE PULL WAS NOT IN THE ALIGNMENT BUT WAS A TIRE PULL WHICH WOULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO SEPARATION. I WENT TO WALMART STORE 2715 IN D'IBERVILLE TO EXPRESS MY COMPLAINT ABOUT THE DEFECT IN THE TIRES AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD RESEARCH IT. DOT CODES ARE: RIGHT FRONT, M6RWH6HR1408; LEFT FRONT, M6RWH6HR_____; LEFT REAR, M6RWH6HR1608;RIGHT REAR, M6RWH6HR_____. *TR

BLOW OUT OF 2 COOPER LIFELINER CLASSIC 2 TIRES. *JB

OCT. 22, 2006 DEAR DUNLOP TIRE REPRESENTATIVE: ON THE MORNING OF SEPT. 10, AS I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 10 TO THE JACKSONVILLE AIRPORT WITH MY DAUGHTER, THE DUNLOP TIRE ON MY CAR LOST NEARLY ITS ENTIRE TREAD, DAMAGING THE CAR. BESIDES CAUSING $1,800 IN DAMAGE TO MY WIFE''S CAR, THE LOSS OF THE TREAD ALSO COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. IM SENDING YOU THIS LETTER, AND CCING COPIES TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC ADMINISTRATION, MY INSURANCE COMPANY, AND TO MY CONGRESSMAN AND U.S. SENATORS HERE IN FLORIDA, SO THAT YOU WILL BE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND WILL TAKE ACTION TO CORRECT IT, AS I BELIEVE THAT IT CAUSES A THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY. I''D APPRECIATE IT IF YOU COULD RESPOND WITH DETAILS OF WHAT ACTION YOU INTEND TO TAKE. THE TIRE IS A DUNLOP RADIAL TUBELESS P195/70R14, RATED AT 90S M+S. SINCERELY, DANIEL LINDLEY 564 101ST AVE. N. NAPLES, FL 34108 239-591-8328, LINDLEY555@EARTHLINK.NET CC: AIG INSURANCE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SAFETY TRAFFIC ADMINISTRATION FLORIDA U.S. CONGRESSMEN AND SENATORS

MY WIFE WAS TRAVELING ALONG ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE LEFT FRONT TIRE. THE TREAD SEPARATION DESTROYED THE LEFT FRONT QUARTER PANEL AND DRIVER SIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR. THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER DRIVABLE AND HAD TO BE TOWED. WE CONTACTED OUR INSURANCE COMPANY TO START A CLAIM FOR THE DAMAGES CAUSED BY THE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP FOR REPAIR. THE VEHICLE IS BEING REPAIRED AND SHOULD BE READY SOON. I WENT TO THE TIRE STORE WHERE THE TIRES WERE PURCHASED 1.5 YEARS AGO. THE MANAGER MENTIONED THAT IT WAS A DEFECTIVE ISSUE AND CONTACT BRIDGESTONE. I CALLED BRIDGESTONE AND THEY MAILED ME A CLAIMS FORM. BRIDGESTONE IS REQUESTING ME TO SHIP THE TIRE TO THEIR FACILITY FOR INSPECTION. I FEEL THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO SHIP THE TIRE TO THEM AND THEY STILL MAY NOT HONOR THE CLAIM. I HAVE THE DEFECTIVE TIRE AND PICTURES OF THE DAMAGE THAT WAS DONE TO THE VEHICLE. WE HAVE BEEN WITHOUT THE USE OF THE VEHICLE SINCE AUGUST 11, 2006. THE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE ARE BRIDGESTONE B420 IN SIZE P205 70R14. *JB

I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH SOUTH ON I45 ABOUT 10 MILES N. OF HUNTSVILLE AND STARTING TO FEEL THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKING FROM GENTLY TO VIOLENTLY IN A SHORT TIME. 2) THINK OF HAVING A FLAT I SLOWED DOWN AND BEGAN TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER. WHILE THE CAR WAS SLOWING DOWN AND BEFORE GETTING ON THE SHOULDER I SAW RUBBER PIECES FLYING AND HEARD SEVERAL LOUD THUMPS COMING FROM THE LEFT FRONT SIDE OF THE CAR. WHEN THE CAR CAME TO A STOP, I HEARD A LOUD FIZZLE SOUND AND THE CAR IMMEDIATELY LEANED TO THE LEFT. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND FOUND THAT ALL OF THE RUBBER COVERING ROAD-CONTACTING SURFACE OF THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS GONE EXPOSING METAL WIRES AND THE BASE RUBBER. I ALSO NOTED THAT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BUMPER, THE LEFT FRONT FENDER AND MUDGUARD OF THE CAR WERE DAMAGED, DISTORTED PUSHED CLOSER TO THE LEFT FRONT DOOR. THE PEELED, FLAPPING AND FLYING APART RUBBER ALSO CAUSED NUMEROUS BLACK STREAKS AND MARKS ON THE FENDER AND THE BUMPER. THE LEFT FRONT DOOR BELOW THE DOOR HANDLE WAS ALSO SCRAPES. 3) I REPLACED THE BLOWN OUT-TIRE WITH A FACTORY PROVIDED NEVER-USED SPARE TIRE AND DROVE TO A DISCOUNT TIRE STORE ON SOUTH SHAVER ROAD ON THE WAY HOME TO HAVE THE SEPARATED TIRE INSPECTED. THE TIRE TECHNICIAN CONFIRMED VERBALLY THAT THE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. HE CALLED GENERAL TIRES AND WAS TOLD THAT I HAVE TO MAKE THE CALL MYSELF SINCE THIS INVOLVES PROPERTY DAMAGE. I DROVE HOME AND CALLED GENERAL TIRES TO REPORT THE PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD TO WAIT 5-7 DAYS FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS BY MAIL. I WAS TO KEEP THE BLOWN TIRE AND OTHER TIRES THAT CAME WITH THE CAR UNTIL THEIR INVESTIGATION COMPLETES. THE BLOWN OUT TIRE, THE SPARE AND THE OTHER THREE TIRES ALREADY ON THE CAR ARE OF THE SAME SIZE, MODEL, MANUFACTURER AND CAME WITH A 1999 TOYATO CAMRY WHEN PURCHASED. TIRE MANUFACTURER: GENERAL, MODEL HP 400 A/S, SIZE P205/65 R15. THE DOT NUMBER ON THE TIRES ARE ACUR 2V1 178.

PURCHASED FOUR NEW DUNLOP SP SPORT A2 P195/70R14 TIRES AT 36,157 MILES ON 05/10/02 FROM TOYOTA DEALER IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA. ON APRIL 2, 2004, IN PREPARATION FOR A TRIP TO TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA (APPROXIMATELY 180 MILES), ALL FOUR TIRES WERE CHECKED AND EACH HAD 32 PSI AIR PRESSURE. ON APRIL 3, 2004 (APPROXIMATE ODOMETER READING 55,000) UPON ARRIVAL IN TALLAHASSEE, DISCOVERED ONE OF THE TIRES MOUNTED ON THE LEFT REAR WAS PARTIALLY DEFLATED AND WAS UNDERGOING SEPARATION AT THREE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS ON THE SIDEWALL. WE TOOK THE CAR TO DISCOUNT TIRE COMPANY, 1507 KILLEAN CENTER BOULEVARD, TALLAHASSEE (PHONE 850-894-8473) FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE TIRE. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE PARTIAL DEFLATION WAS CAUSED BY A TIRE DEFECT THAT RESULTED IN THE SIDE WALL SEPARATION. WAS FORTUNATE THAT THE TIRE DID NOT FAIL AT HIGHWAY SPEED (70 MPH). DUNLOP THROUGH THE DUNLOP WEBSITE. *AK

DEFECTIVE REPLACEMENT TIRES. AFTER ONE YEAR, THE TIRES BEGAN CAUSING VIBRATION IN THE CAR. AN INDEPENDENT SERVICE CENTER AND THE TIRE SALES CENTER CONFIRMED THAT THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE. SO FAR, 3 OF 4 TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED. *AK

ON APRIL 2003, THE CONSUMER BOUGHT 4 BRIDGESTONE TIRES, MODEL POTENZA P195/70R14 DOT- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 WEEKS LATER, ON 4/21 WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE FRONT LEFT TIRE BLEW OUT AND TREAD SEPARATED. AGAIN, ON MAY 22 THE RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. *AK THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT OF THE RIM(S), WHEEL COVER(S), HUB CAPS, AND A REPLACEMENT OF THE TIRES WITH ANOTHER BRAND. *SCC *JB

I PURCHASED FOUR NEW BRIDGESTONE "POTENZA RE900" TIRES FOR MY 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY LE SEDAN FROM COSTCO WHOLESALE (72800 DINAH SHORE DR, PALM DESERT, CA 92211 (760) 202-1362) IN EARLY MAY. TWO WEEKS LATER WHILE DRIVING TO MORNING CHURCH (APPROX. 45 MPH) I HEARD A LARGE "BOOM" AND DISCOVERED THE LEFT REAR TIRE HAD EXPLODED. I DROVE TO THE NEAREST GAS STATION WHERE THEY INSTALLED THE SAME MODEL SPARE TIRE. I RETURNED TO COSTCO AND THEY REPLACED THE SPARE WITH A NEW BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE900 TIRE. LAST SATURDAY EVENING ABOUT 6:00PM (JUNE 21, 2003) WHILE DRIVING HOME TO PALM SPRINGS ON HIGHWAY 10 AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, I HEARD ANOTHER LOUD NOISE AND DISCOVERED ANOTHER BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE900 TIRE HAD EXPLODED. LUCKILY, SOMEONE STOPPED AND REPLACED IT WITH THE SPARE SO I COULD GET HOME. AGAIN, I RETURNED TO COSTCO WHERE THEY REPLACED IT WITH ANOTHER BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE900 TIRE. IN MY OPINION, COSTCO'S MANAGER, AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THIS PARTICULAR TIRE SHOULD HAVE: 1. IMMEDIATELY PULLED THEM FROM THE INVENTORY SO THAT THIS MODEL COULD NOT BE SOLD TO OTHER CUSTOMERS 2. REPORTED THIS COSTCO MANAGEMENT... WHO, IMMEDIATELY, SHOULD HAVE PULLED THEM FROM THE INVENTORY OF EVERY STORE 3. REPORTED THIS INCIDENT TO BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE 4. REPORTED THIS INCIDENT TO THE NHTSA. WHAT SHOULD BE MY NEXT RECOURSE OF ACTION? I LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING A PROMPT RESPONSE CONCERNING THIS VERY SERIOUS MATTER. SINCERELY, MILDRED MADSEN. *JB 1370 ADOBE WAY PALM SPRINGS, CA 92262 EMAIL: MADSENEM@AOL.COM PHONE: (760) 323-4683. *JB

THREE OF FOUR MICHELIN TIRES EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, RESULTING IN ERRATIC AND DANGEROUS BEHAVIOUR OF THE VEHICLE, A 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY. TIRES WERE PURCHASED IN DECEMBER 2001 FROM SEARS, WHO ONLY WOULD PRO-RATE THE TIRES. THE DOT #S FOR TWO OF THE TIRES ARE 2XJ9 DMX 2001 AND 2XJ9 DMX 1901. I DID NOT RETAIN THE DOT NUMBER FROM THE FIRST TIRE THAT FAILED, AS I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. HOWEVER, THREE OF FOUR TIRES FAILED, INDICATING THAT THERE IS A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM/DEFECT. LUCKILY, THE SEPARATIONS WERE DETECTED BEFORE ANY OBVIOUS DAMAGE WAS CAUSED AND BEFORE ANY BLOWOUTS OCCURRED. THEY DID, HOWEVER, RESULT IN DANGEROUS BEHAVIOR OF THE CAR, ESPECIALLY ON WET OR SNOWY ROADS.THE CAMRY WAS USED AS A FAMILY VEHICLE AND DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY UNUSUAL USE. TIRES WERE INFLATED PROPERLY AND CHECKED PERIODICALLY. THE FIRST TIRE FAILED IN APPROXIMATELY APRIL 2003, THE SECOND IN MAY 2003, AND THE THIRD IN JULY 2003. FOURTH TIRE SHOWED NO OBVIOUS SIGNS OF FAILURE, BUT WAS REPLACED ANYWAY.*AK

20560R16 TIRES SPLITING BETWEEN THE TREADS AND CAUSING THE CAR TO VIBRATE. ONLY HAVE APPROXIMATELY 10,000 MILES ON THE TIRES.

AROUND 15 MONTHS AGO I PURCHASED A SET OF YOKOHAMA TIRES FOR MY TOYOTA CAMRY FROM MY TOYOTA DEALER AND AS SOON AS THEY PUT THEM ON I NOTICED DRIVABILITY PROBLEMS IN THE FORM OF STEERING SHIMMY. THE DEALER THOUGHT THAT ONE OF THE TIRES MUST HAVE TREAD SEPARATION SO THEY REPLACED THE SUSPECTED TIRE; ALTHOUGH I THOUGHT IT DROVE SOMEWHAT BETTER I STILL COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SHIMMYING. OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT 15 MONTHS I CONTINUED TO COMPLAIN AND THEY REBALANCED AND ROTATED THE TIRES BUT IT HAS CONTINUED TO WORSEN OVER TIME. SO I SUSPECT THAT ALL 4 TIRES SUFFER FROM THE PROBLEM AND THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD A RUN OF DEFECTIVE TIRES.*AK

WHILE DRIVING OUTSIDE SIDEWALL ON LEFT REAR TIRE BLEWOUT INTO SEVERAL PIECES. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER STATED NOTHING THEY COULD DO. *AK *SLC

AS WE WERE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, GOING APPX. 55 M.P.H., WE HEARD A LOUD BANG TOWARDS THE REAR END OF THE CAR. THEN, OUR CAR STARTED SWERVING FROM LANE TO LANE AS IF WE HAD NO CONTROL OVER IT. I COULD HAVE HIT SEVERAL CARS. BUT, SOON I GOT THE CAR INTO THE RIGHT SHOULDER. WE GOT DOWN TO SEE THE LEFT REAR TIRE'S STEEL BELT HAD RIPPED OFF AND THE TIRE WAS BALD. THE BALD TIRE CAUSED THTE WHOLE CAR TO SWERVE.*AK (DOT NUMBER: URMW-203 TIRESIZE: 19570R14S)