1999 Toyota 4Runner Tires & wheels Problems

I BOUGHT THIS TIRE FROM A FIRESTONE COMPANY. I WAS DRIVING ON THE I-60 EAST COMING FROM WORK. ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND IMMEDIATELY MY CAR STARTED TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. IT WENT OUT OF CONTROL, STIRRED TO THE LEFT AND HIT THE HIGHWAY SEPARATOR (A CONCRETE ROAD BLOCK). THE FRONT OF MY CAR DIRECTLY WENT CRASH INTO THAT CONCRETE BARRIER IN A PERPENDICULAR POSITION, MAKING A FULL FRONTAL CONTACT, THAT RELEASE BOTH FRONT AIRBAGS. MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED AND MY FRONT CAR AREA IS TOTALED. I CAME OUT OF THERE WITH NECK, HEAD, BACK AND CHEST INJURY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10206618

Incident

Oct 12, 2007

Mileage

140,000 mi

THE TIRES WERE DISINTEGRATING AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO RIDE EXTREMELY ROUGH AND CHOPPY. *AK THE TIRES FELT LESS SMOOTH. FIRESTONE ADMITTED THAT THE TIRES FELT CHOPPY AND REFUSED REPLACEMENT. THE PROBLEM WORSENED AS TIME WENT ON. *SC *JB

NHTSA ID

10048040

Incident

Nov 17, 2003

Mileage

6,000 mi

TIRES: THE TIRES DID NOT PHYSICALLY FAIL, HOWEVER AFTER ONLY 10,000 MILES, THEY WERE PRACTICALLY BALD - ALL 4. I REQUESTED THAT THE DEALER REPLACE THE TIRES WHICH THEY REFUSED TO DO ALTHOUGHT THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE TIRES WERE DANGEROUSLY WORN. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN INFORMED ME "OFF THE RECORD" THAT THEY KNEW THIS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE - THAT THE TIRES WHICH CAME "STOCK" FROM THE FACTORY WERE IN FACT "TOO SMALL" TO BEAR THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE. IN LIGHT OF THE SAFETY ISSUES REGARDING BRIDGESTONE?FIRESTONE AT THAT TIME, I ELECTED TO REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES AT MY COST. TAIL LIGHTS: THE TAILLIGHTS BEGAN FAILING VERY SHORTLY AFTER I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. WHENEVER I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER, THEY INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS JUST A BURNED OUT LAMP WHICH WAS NOT COVERED BY MY WARRANTY. THIS HAS CONTINUED TO OCCUR AND NOW I DON'T EVEN BOTHER WITH THE DEALER. I HAVE NOTED NUMEROUS 4RUNNERS ON THE ROAD WITH THE SAME PROBLEM WHICH IS WHAT PROMPTED ME TO CHECK YOUR WEB SITE. AT ONE POINT THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP MENTIONED HIS SUPRISE THAT "THE WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT DID NOT COME ON" WHEN THE LAMP WENT OUT. APPARENTLY THERE IS AN INDICATOR LIGHT THAT SHOULD ALERT THE DRIVER TO A BLOWN BULB...I'VE NEVER SEEN ONE AND MINE HAS GONE OUT 3 TIMES. NOW IT IS HABIT FOR ME TO CHECK MY TAIL LIGHTS WHENEVER I DRIVE AT NIGHT. BRAKES: ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS, I HAVE EXPERIENCED A SEVERE "SHUDDERING" OF THE CAR AND A LOUD "CLANKING" NOISE WHEN GOING FROM HIGH SPEED TO LOWER SPEED (NOT SUDDEN BRAKING) AS IN EXITING THE HIGHWAY . ONE TIME, THE CAR WAS SHUDDERING SO VIOLENTLY THAT IT JERKED INTO ANOTHER LANE. THE DEALER BASICALLY TOLD ME I WAS IMAGINING THINGS. THIS SHUDDERING HAS OCCURRED ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS AND EACH TIME I RETURNED THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. ONE TIME, THEY AGREED TO MANUALLY CHECK ALL 4 BRAKES - AT MY COST AND DECLARED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. I HESITATE TO DRIVE IN SLIPPERY CONDITIONS. TS

NHTSA ID

770752

ON 2 OCCASIONS THE TIRES EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, THE SECOND SEPARATION CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE, HOWEVER THE TIRE REMAINED INFLATED.*JB

NHTSA ID

8021209

Incident

Aug 19, 1999

TIRE EXPLODED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH ALONG STRAIGHT HIGHWAY, 10:30 AM, OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE 85 F, TREAD SEPARATED, TIRE DISINTEGRATED QUICKLY.*AK

NHTSA ID

763976

Incident

Jul 8, 2002

SB ON I-24 N. OF CHATANOOGA, LEFT REAR TIRE "BLEW." EXAM SHOWED TREAD HAD SEPARATED FROM OUTSIDE TIRE WALL. OUTSIDE TIRE WALL HAD A DOZEN OR MORE SLICES LIKE A SLICED PIE. TIRE NOT UNUSUALLY HOT; LOAD NOT UNUSUALLY HEAVY (ONLY DRIVER WAS IN CAR); TIRE PRESSURE WAS NORMAL (33PSI). NEED TO KNOW HOW TO PREVENT OTHER 4 TIRES FROM DOING THE SAME THING!*AK (TIRESIZE: P265/70R16)

NHTSA ID

751462

Incident

Aug 27, 2001

WHILE DRIVING A 65MPH, SUDDENLY HEARD AN EXPLOSION. PRESS THE BRAKE TO SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN, NOTICE THE OUTER SIDE OF THE TIRE IS TORN OUT OF THE MAIN TIRE BODY.

NHTSA ID

9003473

Incident

Jul 13, 2001

EXPERIENCING VIBRATION WHEN DRIVING AT SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 65MPH,AND THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO VEER TO THE LEFT, VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE FOR AN ALIGNMENT THAT DID NOT ALLEVIATE PROBLEM, CONSUMER RETURNED AND THEN WAS ADVISED A CROSS ROTATION OF THE FRONT TIRES WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM, CONSUMER WAS ADVISED THAT TIRES WERE CHOPPED BUT NOT TO THE POINT OF REPLACEMENT, WITH THE VIBRATION STILL OCCURING THE VEHICLE IS NOW VEERING TO THE RIGHT, MECHANIC ADVISED CONSUMER THAT EVEN THOUGH TIRES WERE CHOPPED REPLACING THEM WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER CONSUMER WAS ADVISED BY A MECHANIC AT FIRESTONE THAT IT WOULD NOT BE NECCESARY TO REPLACE TIRES, AND THAT OTHER VEHICLES HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM, MECHANIC BELIEVED IT TO BE THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE. *JB

NHTSA ID

560786

Incident

Feb 8, 2001

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 70MPH ON HIGHWAY AND FELT VIBRATION. HE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO SHOULDERS, AND NOTICED DRIVER'S SIDE REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED.*AK

NHTSA ID

880866

Incident

Feb 20, 2001

TWO BLOWOUTS ON FRONT TIRES, REPLACED WITH GOODYEAR TIRES, I WOULD LIKE FOR THESE WILDERNESS AT II TIRES INVESTIGATED FOR POSSIBLE RECALL*AK( DOT NUMBER: )

NHTSA ID

739234

I HAD BEEN TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS FOR FIVE HOURS WHEN THE SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE BLEW OUT. GOODYEAR HAS EXAMINED THE TIRE AND FOUND NO EXTERNAL CAUSE FOR THE BLOWOUT. I HAVE PHOTOS OF THE DEFECTIVE TIRE AND CAN E-MAIL THEM TO YOU IF YOU WANT. [email protected].*AK (DOT NUMBER: MK72 TIRESIZE: 265/70R16)

NHTSA ID

736393

Incident

Oct 10, 2000

THERE WAS A SPLIT DOWN THE TREAD ABOUT 12" LONG.*AK (TIRESIZE: P225/75R15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P225/75R15 )

NHTSA ID

735652

Incident

Nov 1, 2000

THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT 225/70R15 TIRES HAVE EXPERIENCED CRACKS IN THE AREA BETWEEN THE SIDEWALL AND TREAD. *MJS

NHTSA ID

554393

Incident

Aug 1, 2000

THE ORIGINAL BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE EXPERIENCED A BLOWOUT WHILE DRIVING (225/75R15 DOT W2HH AWB). NLM

NHTSA ID

554376

Incident

Jun 10, 2000

THESE TIRES HAVE NEVER HELD AIR THEY ALWAYS NEED TO BE REINFLATED. AFTER A 3 HOUR TRIP (WE MAKE THIS TRIP OFTEN) ACCROSS THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE WE ALWAYS HAVE TO PUT AIR BACK INTO THE TIRES. GIVEN THE RESENT PROBLEMS WITH THESE TIRES FAILURE TO HOLE AIR WITH OURS SEEMS LIKE A "BIGGER" DEAL THAN WE HAVE THOUGHT. WHEN WE WENT TO THE DEALER THEY SAID OUR TIRES WERE NOT THE ONES ON THE RECALL. IF THE TIRES ARE SAFE THEN WE BELIEVE THEY SHOULD NOT BE REPLACED BUT.WE CANT GET ANYONE TO SAY THEY ARE SAFE? THE ONLY THING WE HAVE NOTICED IT THE AIR PRESSURE PROBLEM ON ALL FOUR TIRES/ AND THE TRUCK FEELING LIKE IT IS SCRAPING AROUND THE LEFT SIDE WITHOUT REGUARD TO TIRE ROTATION. I HAVE CHILDREN I JUST WANT SOMEONE TO TELL ME THAT THESE TIRES ARE INDEED SAFE AND WHY THEY WILL NOT HOLD AIR PROPERLY.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P225/75R15 )

NHTSA ID

729021

Incident

Aug 22, 1999

THESE TIRES HAD BEEN A PROBLEM WITH CRACKED SIDEWALLS, WHICH I HAD TO FIGHT WITH FIRESTONE TO REPLACE ON ONE TIRE AND THE SPARE. FINALLY IN MARCH A FREEWY BLOWOUT FORCED ME TO REPLACE THE TIRES. ALL 5 INCLUDING THE SPARE. THE BLOWOUT HAD THE TREAD SEPERATE FROM THE CASING JUST LIKE THE FORD PROBLEM. AFTER SEEING ALL THAT'S GOING ON I CONTACTED TOYOTA WHO CONTINUE TO ADVISE ME THAT THESE ARE NOT THE SAME TIRES CALL FIRESTONE. I REEATED ME DIALOGUE WITH TOYOTA AS A LONG TIME CUSTOMER THAT I DIDN'T BY THE TIRES FROM FIRESTONE I BOUGHT A TRUCK FROM TOYOTA. THEY ATE NOT PHASED AT ALL. THEY JUST CONTINUE TO SAY CALL FIRSTONE. WELL THEY HAVE LOST A CUSTOMER WITH THIS CAVALIER ATTITUDE. I BELIEVE THE FIRSTONE'S PROBLEM IS GREATED THAN JUST THE FORD EXPLORER. THE NHTSA SHOULD EXPAND IMMEDIATLEY THIS PROBE TO OTHER MAKES AND MODELS.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 15 )

NHTSA ID

729006

Incident

Mar 15, 2000

WHILE DRIVING, FRONT PASSENGER FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRE P225/75R15 EXPERIENCED BLOWOUT, CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON THE RIM. *SLC

NHTSA ID

868015

Incident

Jun 10, 2000

HIGH SPEED BLOWOUT OCCURRED APRIL 14, 2000 ON I-5 ONE & A HALF HOURS NORTH OF BAKERSFIELD. THE DRIVERS-SIDE REAR TIRE COMPLETELY SEPERATED AT THE SEAM. NOWWITH THE RECENT RECALL OF THE OTHER FIRESTONE TIRES I SUSPECT THAT MY TIRES ARE ALSO DEFECTIVE. I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED ONE, AND NOW AM DRIVING ON FOUR THAT ARE POSSIBLE DEATH-TRAPS. PLEASE ADVISE.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P225/75R15 )

NHTSA ID

728273

Incident

Apr 14, 2000

FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRE P225 75 R15 EXPERIENCED SIDEWALL AND TREAD SEPARATION, CONSUMER WANTS DEALER TO REPLACE ALL 5 TIRES. *SLC

NHTSA ID

553656

CRACKS - BLOWOUTS... I REPLACED TIRES AT MY EXPENSE. TOYOTA REFERS ME TO FIRESTONE. I DIDN'T BUY TIRES FROM FIRESTONE , TOYOTA DID. *AK( DOT NUMBER: ? TIRE SIZE: 15 )

NHTSA ID

727952

Incident

Mar 1, 2000

AT 72 MPH LEFT REAR SIDEWALL SEPARATED FROM TIRE. TIRE SIZE P225/75R15 ON A 99 4 RUNNER. *AK FIRESTONE SHOULD REPLACE ALL FIVE DEFECTIVE TIRES. *YH

NHTSA ID

867519

Incident

May 27, 2000

AFTER DRIVING OUT OF TOWN HEARD NOISE COMING FROM TIRES, AND FOUND OUT THAT THE LEFT REAR TIRE WAS FLAT WITHOUT A REASON. THEN, AT SECOND TIME RIGHT REAR TIRE WAS FLAT WITHOUT A NAIL. *AK

NHTSA ID

867201

Incident

May 20, 2000

WHILE TRAVELING AT 55-60 MPH NOTICED A LOUD NOISE. PULLED VEHICLE AND TIRES HAD A BLOWOUT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION . *AK FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT P225/75/R15 *MW

NHTSA ID

866925

Incident

Oct 1, 1999

WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION INTO THE INVESTIGATION OF FIRESTONE WILDERNESS TIRES PEELING OFF THEIR CASINGS. I THINK THAT 21 DEATHS AND 193 PROBLEMS SHOULD WARRANT A CALL BACK IMMEDIATELY. I'AM AFRAID TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE WHEN A PROBLEM OF THIS NATURE INVOLVES DEATHS. *AK

NHTSA ID

726787

TIRES EXPLORED WITH NOTHING LEFT ONLY THE RIM. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: ? )

NHTSA ID

726714

Incident

Oct 15, 1999