DUNLOP TIRES Complaints

TREAD SEPARATION OCCURRED FOR REAR-PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WHILE TRAVELING AT 65 MPH. (DUNLOP GRANDTREK 265/70/R15) THE TIRE CAME AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT WITH THE SUV, IT WAS THE (FULL-SIZE) SPARE. THIS TIRE WAS MOUNTED ON THE REAR WHEEL A YEAR OR ABOUT 10,000 MILES AGO. THE VEHICLE SPUN OUT OF CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO THE CONCRETE BARRIER. *JB

I HAVE A 2005 SIENNA XLE AWD, AND THE TIRES FAILED AT 20,016 MILES (THE TREAD WAS COMPLETELY GONE ON THE INTERIOR SIDE OF THE TWO FRONT TIRES). I HAD THE TIRES ROTATED AT 4,472 MILES AND 11,048. HOWEVER, ALL 4 TIRES SHOW EXCESSIVE WEAR FOR THIS AMOUNT OF MILEAGE! THE TIRES ARE FACTORY-ISSUED DUNLOP RUN-FLATS. *JB

REGARDING NHTSA ACTION NO. PE06010, I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA XLE LIMITED WITH AWD WITH THE TIRE PRESSURE WARNING SYSTEM (TPWS) FOR MY DUNLOP RUN FLAT TIRES (SP 4000). I HAVE EXPERIENCED PUNCTURES IN TWO OF MY TIRES ON SEPARATE OCCASIONS. BOTH TIMES THE TPWS ONLY ACTIVATED WHEN THE PSI WAS ABOUT 5- TO 15. THE DEALER INDICATED TO ME THAT THE MAGNETIC SYSTEM WILL ONLY ACTIVATE ONCE A TIRE'S HEIGHT BECOMES LOWER DUE TO AIR LOSS, AND THE MAGNETIC FIELD IS "TRIPPED". THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE RUN FLAT TIRES DO NOT LOSE THEIR HEIGHT DUE TO AIR LOSS UNTIL THE TIRE IS NEARLY DEPLETED. SO, THE TPWS ESSENTIALLY CANNOT PROPERLY FUNCTION AS INTENDED, AT LEAST WHEN RUN FLAT TIRES ARE INSTALLED. AS TO THE DUNLOP RUN FLATS, THEY HAD TO BE REPLACED AFTER ONLY 19,700 MILES. I KNOW NUMEROUS OTHER CONSUMERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR EXPERIENCES. TOYOTA ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM AND RELPACED MY TIRES WITH A NEW SET OF 4 RUN FLATS AT NO CHARGE (OTHER THAN INSTALLATION). TYPICAL PRICE IS $250 PER TIRE. CREDIT TO TOYATA, BUT NOT SURE WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN THE NEW SET FAILS. *NM

AT 1:30 PM PST ON 17 FEBRUARY 2006, I WAS DRIVING AT APPROX. 70 MPH ON CALIFORNIA STATE ROUTE 73 NORTHBOUND, A FREEWAY. THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE AND OPERATING NORMALLY. I USED THE RIGHT TURN SIGNAL TO CHANGE LANES, BUT AS I PUSHED THE LEVER, ANOTHER CAR ALREADY IN THE LANE HONKED AT ME AND I WAS UPSET. THEN SUDDENLY, WITHOUT THE KEY MOVING, THE CAR SPONTANEOUSLY SHUT ITSELF COMPLETELY OFF. THE CONSOLE WENT DARK, AND THEN ENGINE FIRST WENT FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL, AND THEN GROUND TO A HALT, SPONTANEOUSLY. THE KEY DIDN'T MOVE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH THE VEHICLE SHAKES AND MAKES A RATTLING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. UPON INSPECTION, THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES, WHICH DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED; HOWEVER NO ADDITIONAL REPAIRS WERE MADE. MERCEDES REPRESENTATIVE GREED TO PAY FOR 2 TIRES, 4 MOUNTINGS AND ALIGNMENT. THEY REFUSED ANY PAYMENT AFTER REMOVING TIRES FROM THE RIMS. ADVISED THE CONTACT THEY WOULD PUT OLD TIRES BACK ON. THE CONTACT SPENT 5 HOURS SITTIING AND WAITING. THEY INSTALLED THE NEW TIRES, BUT CONTACT PAID FRO ALL $1,035. *AK

AFTER ONLY 19,000 MILES OF USE, THE RUN-FLAT TIRES ON MY TOYOTA SIENNA HAVE BEEN WORN AWAY SIGNIFICANTLY TO A DANGEROUS LEVEL. THE DEALER HAS RECOMMENDED ONLY REPLACEMENT WITH THE SAME EXACT TIRE MODEL, AS NO OTHER TIRE BRAND OR MODEL MAY BE USED WITH THIS VEHICLE. AT ONLY 6,000 MILES ONE TIRE HAD FAILED SPONTANEOUSLY WITHOUT TRIGGERING THE LOW-PRESSURE WARNING SYSTEM. I HAD BEEN TOLD BY DEALER THE NON-VISIBLE EDGE OF TIRE (SIDE FACING TOWARD THE VEHICLE) HAD WORN THROUGH THE TREAD COMPLETELY. THAT TIRE WAS REPLACED AT MY COST, ASSUMING IT WAS A UNIQUE AND ISOLATED INCIDENT. I SEE NOW THAT THESE TIRES ARE INADEQUATE. *JB

EXTREMELY RAPID TIRE WEAR ON DUNLOP RUN FLAT TIRES THAT WERE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA AWD VAN. THE TIRES HAVE BEEN ROTATED SEVERAL TIMES. AT LESS THAN 17,000 MILES AT LEAST ONE IS DOWN TO THE WEAR MARKERS. THE OTHERS ARE NOT FAR BEHIND. I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS ONGOING ISSUE FOR NEARLY ALL OWNERS OF THESE AWD VANS. THESE ARE VERY EXPENSIVE TOP OF THE LINE TIRES. NOW A DAYS 40,000 + MILES IS THE NORM! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT A $33,000+ VEHICLE IS SOLD LEGALLY WITH SUCH INFERIOR EQUIPMENT TIRES!. *JB

MY 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA MINIVAN WITH ALL WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) HAS TIRES THAT HAVE WORN OUT VERY QUICKLY (LESS THAN 20,000 MILES) LEAVING MY MINIVAN WITH VERY DANGEROUS (BALD) TIRES. ALL TIRES MUST BE REPLACED AND IT WILL COST OVER $1,300. IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET REPLACEMENT TIRES AND A DEALER WITH EQUIPMENT TO CHANGE THE TIRES, FORCING OWNERS TO DRIVE ON BALD TIRES. THEY ARE TOO EXPENSIVE, TOO DIFFICULT TO REPLACE, AND I WAS NOT TOLD OF THIS WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR. *JB

TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID 1. TIRE BLOW OUT WITH THE RIGHT PSI AND CLEAR BEAUTIFUL DAY. DEALER WILL NOT WARRANTY OR CHANGE TIRE. 2. THE CAR STOP AND STARTED RUNNING ONLY ON ELECTRICAL SERVICE. CALL TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY ASK ME TO START THE CAR THREE TIMES AND IT WILL GO AWAY. I DID IT AND DROVE TO THE DEALER THEY EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THE HUMIDITY WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. THIS HAD HAPPEN ABOUT FOUR TIMES AND EVERY TIME THE HUMIDITY WAS HIGH BUT THIS IS AND INCONVENIENCE NOT JUST TO ME BUT MY WIFE. ONE OF THIS DAYS THE EASY FIXING WILL NOT WORK THEM WHAT? *JB

NO EVENT LEAD TO TIRE FAILURE. GOODYEAR ALLEGRA 185/65R15 WITH 23K MILES ON THEM. FOUND CRACK ON TIRE ON 12/21/05. PURCHASE AT SAM'S CLUB ON 03/09/03, SAM'S REPLACED TIRE. ON 12/30/05 FOUND FLAT ON DIFFERENT TIRE, NO VISIBLE DAMAGE. INFLATED TIRE AND CHECKED WITH SOAP. LEAKING ON SIDEWALL IN TWO PLACES NEAR RAISED LETTERING. CONTACTED GOODYEAR VIA E-MAIL TO COMPLAIN. TIRES APPEAR TO BE DEFECTIVE AND A HAZARD. *JB