DUNLOP TIRES Complaints

MY 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA LE AWD HAS JUST 7,000 MILES ON IT. RECENTLY TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A REGULAR SERVICE AND REQUESTED THAT THEY LOOK AT THE TIRES AS I WAS EXPERIENCING VIBRATION WHEN DRIVING. DEALERSHIP SAID THAT ALL FOUR TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AS THERE WAS CUPPING AND UNEVEN WEAR. THEY SUGGESTED THAT I CAUSED THIS PROBLEM BY DRIVING ON THE TIRES UNDER-INFLATED OR BY SOMEHOW NOT MAINTAINING THEM. HOWEVER, I AM METICULOUS ABOUT MAINTAINING MY VEHICLE AND I HAVE NOT NOTICED AT ANY TIME THAT THE PRESSURE WAS TOO LOW, AND NEVER AT ANY TIME DID THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING GO OFF. STILL HAGGLING WITH DEALERSHIP TO DETERMINE WHETHER THEY WILL PAY TO REPLACE THEM, THOUGH I'M NOT SURE REPLACING THEM WILL DO MUCH GOOD IN ANOTHER 7,000 MILES. NO FAILURES, INJURIES, OR DEATHS TO REPORT,... YET. WITH THESE POORLY MADE, DEFECTIVE TIRES, IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME. *JB

I LIVE IN VT. PURCHASED 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA AWD LE FROM COURTESY MOTORS FROM COURTESY TOYOTA, 267 FISHER RD, BERLIN, VT 05602. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE CAR WAS SOLD WITH RUNFLAT TIRES AND THAT I COULD NOT GET THE CAR WITH REGULAR TIRES. I AGREED. I WAS NOT TOLD THAT THESE RUNFLAT TIRES WOULD WEAR OUT IN 6,000 MILES. I WAS NOT TOLD THAT A TREAD PUNCTURE COULD NOT BE FIXED BY PLUGGING (WHICH A BURLINGTON, VT, TOYOTA DEALER LATER TOLD ME AFTER WE RAN OVER A BOLT (DLR SAID WE HAD TO BUY A NEW TIRE, OF COURSE) - HOWEVER, WHEN WE WENT TO A TIRE CO. THEY WERE ABLE TO FIX IT). I WAS NOT TOLD THAT RUNFLAT TIRES COST NEAR $300/EACH. IF I HAD BEEN TOLD THAT, I WOULD NEVER EVER HAVE BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE WITH RUNFLATS. I'M NOW TOLD BY TOYOTA DEALER THAT I CANNOT PUT REGULAR TIRES ON THE RUNFLAT RIMS. HOWEVER, I'M TOLD BY TIRE WAREHOUSE THAT THEY CAN PUT REGULAR TIRES ON THESE RIMS. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT TOYOTA AND THE DEALER DELIBERATELY MISLEAD ME INTO PURCHASING A CAR WITH RUNFLATS WHILE NEGLECTING TO INFORM ME OF INFO THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF A SALE FOR THEM. IT IS RIDICULOUS THAT I'VE SPENT $30,000 ON A NEW CAR THAT HAS TIRES THAT, AT THE CURRENT 11K MILES, I AM TOLD BY SEVERAL TIRE SERVICE COMPANIES IN BURLINGTON, VT, ARE UNSAFE TO BE DRIVEN ON. I DO NOT HAVE $1200 TO REPLACE THESE TIRES. IT IS RIDICULOUS TO THINK ANY CONSUMER WOULD PAY SO MUCH FOR TIRES. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO TOYOTA CUST SVC TWICE. I WANT 4 NEW REPLACEMENT RIMS WITH 4 NEW TIRES ON THEM, OR THE $ TO BUY THEM. THERE ARE CLASS-ACTION SUITS IN MORE THAN ONE STATE RIGHT NOW, I BELIEVE. I WAS REFERRED TO THIS SITE BY WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG. *NM

WAS GETTING A FRONT END ALIGNMENT ON MY VEHICLE. COULD NOT BE COMPLETED. GARAGE REPORTED 2 TIRES WERE SEPARATING AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. PREVIOUSLY HAD A BLOW-OUT 2 MONTHS AGO ON THE SAME VEHICLE. VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 30K MILES AND IS A 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. *NM

THE PROBLEM OCCURRED WITH A 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA THAT I HAVE OWNED FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR. AT 24,000 MILES ON THE CAR (MOSTLY HIGHWAY DRIVING) THE FRONT 2 TIRES WERE COMPLETELY BALD AND THE REAR TIRES HAD ALMOST NO TREAD LEFT ON THEM. THE COST FOR REPLACEMENT TIRES WAS APPROXIMATELY $900 WHICH INCLUDED A $100 CREDIT PER TIRE FROM DUNLOP. I REFUSED TO PUT THOSE TIRES ON MY CAR AGAIN SINCE I HAVE THREE SMALL CHILDREN AND CAN NEITHER AFFORD THE COST OR THE RISK TO THEIR SAFETY WITH INADEQUATE TIRES. DUNLOP WILL ALSO NOT PROVIDE ANY SORT OF WARRANTY ON THEIR NEW TIRES. THE COST OF NEW TIRES (NON-RUNFLAT) WAS APPROXIMATELY $450. IN ADDITION TO THE FOUR NEW TIRES WE ALSO HAD TO OBTAIN A SPARE TIRE AND WHEEL AND PURCHASE A NEW JACK. THERE IS NOW A LOOSE TIRE SITTING IN THE BACK OF OUR VAN THAT CAN BE A SAFETY HAZARD IF WE ARE EVER UNFORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE IN A SEVERE ACCIDENT. *JB

1. RUN-FLAT TIRES GET FLAT SIGNIFICANTLY MORE OFTEN THAN REGULAR TIRES. 2. THE LOW PRESSURE LIGHT DOES NOT ALWAYS GO ON WHEN THE TIRE IS FLAT AND OFF WHEN THE TIRE IS NOT FLAT. 3. THE TIRES GET WORN OUT AFTER AROUND 12K HIGHWAY MILES AND ARE EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE. 4. MOST OF THE SHOPS DO NOT HAVE THE EQUIPMENT TO HANDLE THE TIRES. SPECIALIZED PLACES HAVE TO WAIT LONG TO ORDER THE TIRES. *NM

DT: CONTACT STATES: HE HAS PUT TWO NEW SETS OF TIRES ON HIS VEHICLE SINCE PURCHASING IT. THE ALIGNMENT ON THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN CHECKED. THE ORIGINAL TIRES ON THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 16,463 MILES. THE SECOND SET HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 15,337 MILES. THE TIRE DEALER TOLD HIM THE TREAD WAS WEARING OUT AND EXPERIENCING PREMATURE TIRE FAILURE. *JB

MY WIFE AND I PURCHASED A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA LIMITED AWD WITH DUNLOP RUNFLAT TIRES AS FACTORY EQUIPMENT. WE CURRENTLY HAVE 19,700 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND HAVE BEEN ADVISED BY OUR DEALERSHIP THAT THE TIRES ARE WORN TO THE POINT THAT THEY ALL NEED TO BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY. WE HAVE CONTACTED BOTH TOYOTA AND DUNLOP WITH NO ASSISTANCE FROM EITHER SOURCE TO DATE. IT IS A WELL KNOWN FACT, STATED ALL OVER THE INTERNET, THAT THERE ARE SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THESE TIRES YET FOR SOME REASON NEITHER TOYOTA OR DUNLOP ARE BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE FAULTY AND DANGEROUS TIRES ON THESE VEHICLES. APPARENTLY THEY ARE WAITING FOR PEOPLE TO BE INJURED OR KILLED BEFORE STEPPING FORWARD AND TAKING RESPONSIBILITY! *JB

OUR 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA HAS RUN-FLAT DUNLOP TIRES THAT ARE WEARING PREMATURELY AT AROUND 13000 MILES. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP THAT SERVICES OUR CAR DOES NOT WANT TO ADMIT THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THESE TIRES. THIS HAS PROLONGED OUR REPLACEMENT OF THE TIRES WHICH HAS PUT OUR FAMILY AT RISK FOR PERSONAL INJURY SHOULD THE TIRES FAIL SUDDENLY. WE SHOULD HAVE REPLACED THE TIRES 1000 MILES AGO BUT DID NOT BECAUSE THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT TELL US THAT THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AFTER 3 SERVICE VISITS FOR ISSUES RELATED TO THE TIRES(MOST LIKELY BECAUSE OF A FEAR THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO REPLACE THEM AT SUCH AN EARLY TIME). THIS IS A NATIONAL PROBLEM AND THESE TIRES NEED TO BE RECALLED BEFORE YOU START TO RECEIVE COMPLAINTS ASSOCIATED WITH PERSONAL INJURIES AND DEATHS. *JB

I PURCHASED A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA AWD XLE IN APRIL OF 2004 EQUIPPED WITH DUNLOP SP SPORT 4000 DSST RUN-FLAT TIRES. AFTER ONLY 8900 MILES ON THE VEHICLE I DISCOVERED I HAD A FLAT TIRE. I WAS TOLD BY TWO TIRE DEALERS THAT ALL FOUR TIRES NEED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO TREAD WEAR. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS TIRE MODEL ON THE 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA AWD XLE. TOYOTA'S RESPONSE HAS BEEN THAT THE TIRES ARE WARRANTED THROUGH THE MANUFACTURER AND THAT I NEED TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER. THE LOCAL AUTHORIZED DUNLOP DEALER HAS OFFERED TO REPLACE THE TIRES AT $60/EA PLUS $15 INSTALLATION/EA. HOWEVER, I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING ON THESE TIRES AFTER READING ALL THE INCIDENCES OF TIRE FAILURE. TOYOTA IS SUGGESTING AS AN OPTION THAT I CONVERT TO REGULAR/CONVENTIONAL TIRES, WHICH WOULD ALSO MEAN CONVERTING THE VEHICLE TO CARRY A SPARE AND LOSE THE SPACE FOR THE SEVENTH PASSENGER (THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY NOT SET UP TO CARRY A SPARE). I DON'T KNOW YET HOW MUCH THIS IS GOING TO COST ME OR IF TOYOTA WILL COVER ALL OR SOME OF THE COST. THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION SHOULD INVESTIGATE AND DETERMINE WHETHER THE DUNLOP SP SPORT 4000 DSST TIRES ARE SAFE OR WHETHER THEY SHOULD BE RECALLED. *JB

1. LEFT FRONT TIRE HIT A POT HOLE AT 50 MPH IN EASTBOUND #1 LANE RAMONA EXPY, PERRIS CA. 2.TIRE COMPRESSION CAUSED THE RIM EDGE TO SLICE OPEN THE HIGH PLY TURN-UP AND STEEL SIDEWALL STABILIZER. THIS HIGH PLY TURN-UP COMES OFF THE RIM BEAD AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE. IF THE TIRE IS COMPRESSED PAST A CRETIN POINT THE RIM HAS NO PLACE TO GO BUT INTO THIS 45 DEGREE DEFLECTION AND SLICES INTO THE TIRE CAUSING SUDDEN AIR LOSS. 3. I CALLED DUNLOP CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS TALK DOWN TO IN A CONDESCENDING MANOR, HIT A DEAD END THERE! *NM