2010 Toyota Prius Tires & Wheels Problems

I had begun to notice a slight shimmy at highway speed for a few days, but it wasn't pronounced enough to cause concern, especially since the weather was very windy and already subjecting the car to heavy crosswinds. On Monday, [XXX], the shimmy became suddenly more pronounced, so I pulled off the highway ([XXX]) and parallel-parked on street in Cambridge, MA. While parking, I heard a loud creaking and grinding sound, and the car no longer responded to steering inputs. I exited the car and noticed the rear driver's side wheel protruding at a strange angle from the wheel well. I called AAA and the tow truck driver discovered that, behind the wheel, where the wheel meets the rear axle, the arm had rusted clean through. In other words, the wheel had completely fallen off, and was being held to the car only by the brake line. I was towed to a mechanic in Salem, MA. Both the Salem mechanic and the AAA tow truck driver said that they had never seen anything like this in all the years they'd been servicing cars. I told them that the car had never been in a flood or otherwise involved in the kind of extraordinary event that would cause more than typical rust exposure. Had the wheel come off at highway speed, I could have been seriously injured or killed. The issue did not seem to have been caused by driver/owner oversight or normal wear and tear. It seems highly unusual and potentially indicative of a defect or manufacturing error. I hope other 2010 Prius owners are aware of the vehicle's susceptibility to this issue. And I would like Toyota to take some responsibility for the high cost of repair. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Tires losing air and noticed the rubber breaking down and separating from the sidewall on all four tires. Took into Evans dealership and they informed us the tires were a safety issue and tried to sell new tires. They told us the tires were made in 93 but we bought in 2016, so we looked up and DOT number on tire (only had u093). The service tech did not understand the DOT numbers since it was missing the last four numbers. They do have a date on the paperwork U09304160416 The tires only have approximately 25, 000 miles and car is garage kept. Rubber should not be breaking down. What can we do? We had no idea about the date until they pointed it out. Legally these tires are a safety issue. Tires P 195/60R15

Low pitched rumbling sound from front wheel well when car is moving between 5-25 mph.

TIRE BLEW OUT ON THE FREEWAY WITHOUT WARNING. IT WAS A GENERAL ALTIMAX RT43 SIZE 195/65 15.WITH ABOUT 9300 MILES ON IT. TIRE HAS SEVERAL BLOWN OUT SECTION IN THE SIDEWALL.

AT APPROXIMATELY 85,000 MILES, I NOTICED A LOW HUMMING/RUBBING SOUND COMING FROM MY WHEELS. AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE INSPECTED, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL BEARING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WHEEL BEARINGS TYPICALLY DON'T NEED TO BE REPLACED UNTIL AROUND 150,000-200,000 MILES, ON AVERAGE. THE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THAT IT WASN'T YET LOOSE AND THAT I COULD REPLACE IT WITHIN A COUPLE OF MONTHS. I HAVE NOW NOTICED LOOSE STEERING AND THE SOUND HAS GROWN LOUDER, SO I WILL BE REPLACING THE BEARING SO THAT I DO NOT RISK THE WHEEL BREAKING OFF FROM MY VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY TO AND FROM WORK. HAVING TO REPLACE THE BEARING THIS EARLY IN THE VEHICLE'S LIFE SEEMS EXCESSIVE, AND FROM MY ONLINE RESEARCH, IT SEEMS THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE TO REALIZE THIS. I'VE ALSO HAD TROUBLE TRACKING DOWN THE PART THROUGH MY LOCAL PARTS STORES, WHICH CONCERNS ME AS WELL BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHY THEY DON'T CARRY THE PART, OR WHY IT IS SO EXPENSIVE TO ORDER ONLINE. HAS THERE BEEN A SHORTAGE OF THIS PART BECAUSE OF A DEFECT OR NUMEROUS REPLACEMENTS? IF THE WHEEL WERE TO BREAK OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, IT COULD EASILY RESULT IN A FATAL ACCIDENT. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. *TR

THIS IS SECOND INCIDENT FRONT DRIVER SIDE OEM TIRE SIDEWALL CRACK NEAR EDGE (EDGE OF WHEEL RIM) .TIRE IS STILL AVAILABLE .NOTICED CRACKS ON AUG 9,2014...MILES ON TOYOTA PRIUS 2010 IS ABOUT 36000 MILES FIRST TIME HAPPENED FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE SIDE WALL CRACK IN JANUARY 2014. REPLACE WITH NEW TIRE ( MILES ON CAR ABOUT 33000) ALL OEM TIRES ON THE 2010 PRIUS ALMOST WEAR-OUT....REALLY FAST. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE DRIVER SIDE TIRE BECAME LOW ON AIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO NOTICED THAT THE VALVE STEM SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND HAD IT REPLACED. TWENTY MINUTES LATER THE TIRE SENSOR WARNING ILLUMINATED AND THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE WAS ALSO LOW AND THE STEM VALVE HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,979.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS, EQUIPPED WITH GOODYEAR ASSURANCE FUEL MAX TIRES, TIRE SIZE 215/45R/17. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER AND REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRES DEFLATED. THE TIRES WHERE INSPECTED AND THE CONTACT LOCATED CRACKS IN THE INSIDE SIDEWALL OF ALL FOUR TIRES. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE DOT NUMBER FOR THE TIRES WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE WAS REPORTED TO THE TIRE MANUFACTURER. THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000. ..UPDATED 07-17-13 *BF

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH YOKOHAMA AVID TIRES , LINE SIZE: 195/65/R15. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT AND REAR DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIRE TIRES WERE BALD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE OF THE TIRES WAS 14,500. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,500. *TR

THIS A SECOND PAIR OF NEW TIRES WE BUY. THEY WERE WORN UNEVENLY. WE DO TIRE ROTATION EVERY 5,000 MILES AND ALIGNMENT EVERY 10,000 MILES. HOWEVER, THE CAR ITS THE TIRES VERY UNEVENLY. THE TIRE PRESSURE IS CHECKED AND KEPT AT THE GIVEN MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDATIONS. ALL MY FRIENDS THAT OWN TOYOTA'S HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEMS. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE THAT COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT IF THE TIRES GET TORN WHEN DRIVING. PLUS WE ARE DAMAGING THE ENVIRONMENT WHEN WE ARE REPLACING THE TIRES SO OFTEN. I HAD SIMILAR TIRES IN A DIFFERENT CAR, THEY LASTED 90,000 MILES. HERE I CANNOT GET 25,000 MILES OUT OF THEM. *TR

3 TIRES HAVE FAILED ON A TOYOTA PRIUS WITH LESS THAN 30,000 MILES. *TR

FRONT TIRES CHIPPING ON THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE. TOLD TO GET THEM ROTATED AND ALIGNMENT. 6 LUG NUTS BROKE OFF DURING THE ROTATION AND THE ALIGNMENT WAS NOT THAT FAR OFF. TOLD THE TIRES WHERE THE WRONG ONES FOR THAT HEAVY OF A VEHICLE. TOOK TO THE DEALER AND HE LAUGHED AT ME AND SAID THEY WOULD LOVE TO CHARGE ME TO REPLACE ALL MY LUG NUTS AND THOSE WHERE THE RIGHT TIRES FOR THE VEHICLE AND HE SAID I WAS LUCKY TO GET 35,000 MILES OUT OF THEM BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE ONLY GOT 25,000 MILES WITH THE TIRES HE THEN TRIED TO SELL ME A NEW SET OF TIRES. FOUR DAYS LATER THE CAR DECIDED TO DRIVE ITSELF INTO A TREE AT 20 MILES AN HOUR. NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED BUT THE CAR WAS TOTALED. *KB

CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF SIDEWALL WHILE DRIVING. DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO LOW SPEED AT TIME OF FAILURE. NO OBVIOUS SIGNS OF ROAD HAZARD PENETRATION AND/OR CONTACT. PRODUCT IS IDENTIFIED ON SIDEWALL AS YOKOHAMA AWD 833 (DID NOT SEE IN DATABASE). IN ADDITION TO THE DOT#, THERE WAS ANOTHER 'SERIAL #' OR SOMETHING ON THE TIRE - N5P2210. *TR

I TURNED INTO A PARKING LOT AND STAYED WAY TO THE RIGHT BECAUSE OF A LARGE TRUCK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AND WENT OVER THE CURB AND BOTH TIRES BLEW. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 3 WEEK OLD 2011 TOYOYA PRIUS WITH 1700 MILES ON THE ODOMETER ON THE FREEWAY DRIVING MY DAUGHTER BACK TO SCHOOL MY REAR PASSENGER SIDE YOKOHAMA AVID TIRE EXPERIENCED A BLOWOUT. AFTER SUCCESSFULLY MANEUVERING THE CAR OFF OF THE FREEWAY AND TO A SAFE LOCATION I INSTALLED THE SPARE DONUT AND THEN INSPECTED THE TIRE. THE INSIDE SIDEWALL BURST OPEN AND NO ROAD HAZARD WAS PRESENT. I FILED A CLAIM WITH YOKOHAMA TIRES AND THEY HAD ME HAVE THE TIRE INSPECTED BY DISCOUNT TIRE IN SCOTTSDALE, AZ. THEIR INSPECTION SUGGESTED A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT SINCE THEY COULD NOT LOCATE ANY PUNCTURES OR OTHER TYPE OF ROAD HAZARD. AT THE TIME OF THE BLOWOUT I WAS 75 MILES FROM FLAGSTAFF, AZ, MY FINAL DESTINATION ON A SUNDAY LATE AFTERNOON AND COULD NOT LOCATE AN OPEN TIRE DEALER OR TOYOTA DEALER THAT WAS OPEN SO I CONTINUED ON THE DONUT AT 50 MPH TO FLAGSTAFF AND LOCATED AN OPEN SEARS THAT HAD THE RIGHT SIZE REPLACEMENT TIRE BY ANOTHER MANUFACTURER. I HAD SEARS INSPECT THE BLOWN OUT TIRE AND THE REST OF THE TIRES AND THEY CONCLUDED THAT THE TIRE WAS DEFECTIVE BASED ON THEIR OBSERVATIONS. I REQUESTED THAT YOKOHAMA PROFESSIONALLY INSPECT THE TIRE LOCAL TO ME SO THAT I CAN CARRY IT IN AS OPPOSED TO SHIPPING IT TO THEM. PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND IF THERE IS ANYTHING ELSE THAT I SHOULD DO TO DOCUMENT THIS ISSUE. **PLEASE NOT THAT THIS OCCURRED ON A 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS*** THERE WAS NO PRIUS MODEL LISTED UNDER 2011 TOYOTA MODELS....PLEASE CORRECT. *TR

DURING TIRE ROTATION, TECH WAS RE-INSTALLING TIRE / HUB NUT (LUG NUT) AND HUB BOLT BROKE. VEHICLE HAD APPROX 15,000 MILES. *TR

WHEN BRAKING NORMALLY AND THE CAR PASSES OVER RIBBED ROAD SURFACE AREAS WHICH INDICATE A STOP AHEAD OR RAISED EXPANSION STRIPS, THE CAR OFTEN TIMES APPEARS TO SPEED UP. IT'S AS IF WHEN THE WHEELS COME SLIGHTLY OFF THE GROUND, BRAKING IS INTERRUPTED AND THE WHEELS SPIN MORE RAPIDLY. NORMAL BRAKING RESUMES WHEN THE TIRE REGAINS CONTACT WITH THE ROAD SURFACE, CAUSING A MINOR LURCHING FEELING. ALTHOUGH IT CREATES JUST A MOMENTARY OUT-OF-CONTROL FEELING, IT IS A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE FEELING OF NO BRAKING. IT HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES AT THE SAME TRAFFIC LIGHT AND EACH TIME IT CATCHES ME OFF GUARD. MY 2010 PRIUS HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN IN FOR THE BRAKING RECALL FIX. *TR

I OWN A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHEN I WENT CHECK TIRE PRESSURE THE LEFT FRONT COVER ON THE VALVE STEM BROKE OFF IN THE THREADS OF THE VALVE STEM JUST AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CAP. THE TIRE STILL HELD PRESSURE BUT THE INNER VALVE WAS EXPOSED DOWN TO THE POINT WHERE THE SEAL WAS. WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR TO TIRES PLUS THE MECHANIC SAID THIS WAS COMMON. HE SHOWED ME A TROPHY JAR WITH THREE OTHER TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING VALVE STEMS IDENTICAL TO MINE. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO TOYOTA AND THEY REPLACED THE TPM MODULE IN THE TIRE. I WORK IN AVIATION AND HAVE A BACKGROUND IN MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION. THE FOUR TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR UNITS I EXAMINED WE CRACKED IN THE EXACT SAME PLACE, RIGHT AT THE BASE OF THE DUST COVER. I SUSPECT CORROSION STRESS CRACKING. MY CAR HAS 37,000 MILES ON IT, NO PHYSICAL DAMAGE TO THE CAR OR THE VALVE STEM WAS APPARENT. *TR

2010 TOYOTA PRIUS. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEM WITH TIRE AND REQUEST FINANCIAL RELIEF *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE TPMS LIGHT ILLUMINATED. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A SERVICE STATION, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND A LEAK, SO AIR WAS ADDED BECAUSE THE TIRE WAS LOW. WHEN THE CONSUMER LEFT THE SERVICE STATION, THE LIGHT WENT OUT. THE NEXT TIME HE DROVE THE VEHICLE, THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. AS THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING, ANOTHER MOTORIST ALERTED HIM TO LET HIM KNOW HIS TIRE WAS GOING FLAT. THE NEXT DAY, THE CONSUMER DROVE TO SEARS AND THEY INSPECTED THE TIRE AND FOUND A GASH, WHICH MEANT THE TIRE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JB

CAR: 2010 PRIUS II DRIVING ON WET PAVEMENT AND APPROACHING A STOPLIGHT. STARTED APPLYING THE BRAKES AND HIT A POT HOLE - VEHICLE SPED UP FOR A MOMENT AND LUNGED FORWARD THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS BUT IT WAS THE MOST NOTICEABLE. EACH TIME IT HAS OCCURRED WHILE BRAKING AND GOING OVER UNEVEN ROADS. THIS TIME ALMOST HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AT THE LIGHT.