2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Tires & wheels Problems

I HAD A TIRE BLOWOUT ON INTRASTATE HIGHWAY DAMAGING WHEEL. THAT HIGHWAY IS RECENTLY REPAIRED AND THERE WERE NO ROAD HAZARDS IN SIGHT AT THE TIME OF THE BLOWOUT. TIRE HAD ONLY 15,000 MILES OF WEAR AND IS FILLED WITH NITROGEN. I PERSONALLY INSPECTED THIS TIRE AND THERE IS NO DAMAGE TO THE THREAD. THE TIRES HAVE BEEN ROTATED TWICE CONSISTENT ON AVERAGE WITH TIRE MANUFACTURE RECOMMENDATION OF EVERY 7500 MILES. ALSO AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT THE WEATHER 50 DEGREES AND THE ROADWAY WAS CLEAN AND DRY. THE TIRE LINE IS OPEN COUNTRY A20 AND CANNOT BE ENTERED BECAUSE ITS NOT ON THE DROP DOWN LIST. A BRAND NEW TIRE AND WHEEL MUST BE PURCHASED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10365368

Incident

Nov 9, 2010

Mileage

15,000 mi

TOYO OPEN COUNTRY A20 TIRES 245/55/19 WHICH CAME AS STANDARD EQUIPMENT ON 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID WORE SIGNIFICANTLY AND PREMATURELY. AT 18000 MILES THESE TIRES WERE WORN NEARLY TO THE WEAR BARS RESULTING IN EXTREMELY POOR WET AND SNOW TRACTION LEADING TO SLIDING AND HYDROPLANING. THE TREAD ALSO BEGAN TO PEEL ON ONE TIRE. I DID NOT NOTICE THE WEAR UNTIL IT WAS POINTED OUT BY A MECHANIC AS THEY LOOKED GOOD FROM A DISTANCE AND I DIDN'T THINK TO CHECK THE TREAD ON A 60,000 MILE WARRANTY TIRE AT ONLY 18000 MILES. TOYOTA STATES THAT THIS IS NORMAL WEAR AND TOYO DOES NOT HONOR A MILEAGE WARRANTY ON OEM TIRES. THESE ARE DANGEROUS TIRE AS THEY WERE SOLD ON ONE OF THE BEST SELLING FAMILY VEHICLES IN THE INDUSTRY AND COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT ESPECIALLY COMING INTO THE WINTER MONTHS AS OWNERS OF LOW MILEAGE VEHICLES MAY NOT REALIZE THAT THE TIRES ARE ACTUALLY COMPLETE WORN OUT ALREADY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10364241

Incident

Apr 1, 2010

Mileage

18,000 mi

WHEN I BRAKE IT FEELS LIKE THE VEHICLE ACTUALLY ACCELERATES A LITTLE BEFORE THE BRAKE KICKS IN. ALMOST AS IF I WERE STEPPING ON THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE AT THE SAME TIME. DOES NOT HAPPEN OFTEN BUT OFTEN ENOUGH THAT I NOTICE IT. ALSO REAR BRAKE PADS WORN DOWN TO METAL AFTER ABOUT 36,000 MI. ALSO PRE- MATURE TIRE WEAR OUT. HAD TO GET NEW TIRES AT 20K. *TR

NHTSA ID

10357848

Incident

Sep 25, 2010

Mileage

36,432 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID EQUIPPED WITH TOYO OPEN COUNTRY A20 TIRES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE NOTICED THAT THREE OF THE ORIGINAL TIRES (EXCLUDING THE FRONT PASSENGER BY ANOTHER TIRE MANUFACTURER) ON THE VEHICLE WERE BEGINNING TO SHRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT SEEMED AS IF SOMEONE TOOK A "CHEESE GRATER" TO THE TIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE OR THE TIRES; THEY DID STATE THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE TWO OF THE TIRES. THE CONTACT HAD NOT SPOKEN WITH THE MANUFACTURER AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 22,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 21,000.

NHTSA ID

10353308

Incident

Jul 17, 2010

Mileage

21,000 mi

MY 2008 HIGHLANDER HYBRID LIMITED HAS ABOUT 16K MILES ON IT. I JUST HAD MY TIRES INSPECTED BY A SHOP THAT CHANGES MY OIL. MY TIRES ARE ALMOST WORN DOWN TO 2/32'S! THEY MENTIONED THAT THIS WAS VERY ABNORMAL AND THESE TIRES WERE NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE ON. *TR

NHTSA ID

10341083

Incident

Jun 20, 2008

Mileage

16,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID(NA). HE EXPERIENCED PREMATURE TREAD WEAR ON THE TIRES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, AND HE WAS ADVISED TO REPLACE HIS SET OF TIRES. HOWEVER HE SPECULATES THAT THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE WAS CAUSING THE TIRES TO FAIL. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 14,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000

NHTSA ID

10293567

Incident

Jun 30, 2009

Mileage

10,000 mi

I PURCHASED A 2008 HIGHLANDER BY TOYOTA. AFTER DRIVING 20K MILES , I NOTICED A VIBRATION IN MY STEERING. I THEN NOTICED MY TIRES BELTS WERE SEPARATING AND THE TREAD ON ALL WAS WORN DOWN TO ALMOST ZERO. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED AND THEY SAID THERE IS NO MILEAGE WARRANTY. YET MY UNDERSTANDING WAS 60 MONTHS. WHEN I READ IT AGAIN IT SAID 60 MONTHS OR THE AMOUNT OF TREAD LEFT. NEW TIRES $900. THESE TIRES ARE A HAZARD TO PUBLIC SAFETY. I HAVE NEVER HAD A NEW VEHICLE NEED NEW TIRES WHEN IT IS BARELY ONE YEAR OLD. THE TIRES WERE REMOVED BEFORE I HAD AN INCIDENT. I HAVE NOTICED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THESE TIRES ON VARIOUS WEB SITES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10283751

Incident

Jun 5, 2009

Mileage

21,000 mi

MY CAR, TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID 2008, TIRE (245/55 19R) WARE OUT TO 2/32 ~ 3/32 AT 17500 MILES. WHEN IT WENT DON TO 4/32, GARAGE WARN ME ABOUT TIRE NEED TO CHANGE VERY SOON, I CONTACTED MY TOYOTA DEALER AND TOYO TIRE BUT NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN. ALMOST ALL OF HIGHLANDER OWNER COMPLAIN ONLINE AT CAR FORUM. WE DIDN'T GET ANY ACTION FROM BOTH CAR AND TIRE DEALER. ONLY ONE OWNER GET FREE REPLACEMENT BY DEALER FROM UPSTATE NEW YORK. TOYO 245/55 R19 TIRE IS NOT GOOD AT HANDLING ON SNOW AND ICE. WHEN THERE WAS SNOW, I HAVE TO DRIVE VERY CAREFULLY AND SLOWLY. EVEN THOUGH I DRIVE VERY CAREFULLY, I SLIP AND SKID TWO OR THREE TIMES. MOST OF THE OWNER OF 2008 AND 2009 HIGHLANDER WHICH COME WITH 245/55 R19 SIZE TIRE COMPLAINT ABOUT POOR HANDLING ON SNOW AND ICE EVEN ON WET SURFACE. THERE ARE ONLY TWO CHOICES FOR THAT KIND OF SIZE TIRE AND BOTH DO NOT HAVE GOOD RESULT OF HANDLING ON WET OR ICE. I HOPE THIS REPORT CAN GIVE SOME HELP TO OTHER OWNERS OF THE CAR WHICH COME WITH 245/55 R19. THANKS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10270250

Incident

Feb 11, 2009

Mileage

13,500 mi

I OWN A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER VEHICLE AND THE FRONT TIRES HAVE ALMOST ALL TREADS WORN DOWN ALREADY AFTER JUST 10,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE WHICH INDICATES THIS VEHICLE IS JUST CHEWING TIRES RIGHT UP SO I AM WORRIED ABOUT EARLY TIRE FAILURE. OTHER OWNERS MUST HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. CAN NHTSA CHECK THIS OUT FOR ALL OWNERS? *TR

NHTSA ID

10269827

Incident

May 23, 2009

Mileage

10,000 mi