TOYO OPEN COUNTRY TIRES Complaints

TOYO A20 OPEN COUNTRY TIRES IN 245/55R19 SIZE WEAR PREMATURELY WITH POTENTIAL LOSS OF TRACTION AND CONTROL. DRIVERS UNAWARE OF THE FACT THESE TIRES WEAR OUT IN LESS THAN 20,000 MILES MAY FAIL TO CHECK THEM FOR WEAR SOON ENOUGH. THESE TIRES ARE THE OEM TIRES USED ON THE 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER SPORT MODEL AND PROBABLY SOME OTHER TOYOTA MODELS AND MODEL YEARS AS WELL. THE 2008 VEHICLE OWNERS WILL BE THE FIRST TO REPORT PROBLEMS. THIS BLOG ON CONSUMER REPORTS DETAILS THE PROBLEMS. HTTP://BLOGS.CONSUMERREPORTS.ORG/CARS/2009/04/TOYOTA-HIGHLANDER-HOW-TO-CHOOSE-THE-BEST-REPLACEMENT-TIRE-.HTML TOYOTA DEALERS ARE OFFERING NO COMPENSATION OR REPLACEMENT ASSISTANCE AND THIS SIZE TIRE IS UNIQUE SO THAT ONLY TWO FIRMS OFFER REPLACEMENTS - TOYO AND BRIDGESTONE. THE BRIDGESTONE OEM TIRES IN THIS SIZE MAY HAVE THE SAME WEAR AND TRACTION PROBLEMS. *CN

I OWN A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LIMITED. AFTER DRIVING 25K MILES, I NOTICED A VIBRATION IN MY STEERING. I THEN NOTICED MY TIRES TREAD ON ALL 4 TIRES WORN DOWN TO ALMOST 2/32" OF TREAD DEPTH REMAINING. I HAVE ORIGINAL TIRES: OPEN COUNTRY A20 P 245/55R19 103S. I CALLED TOYO TIRE CONSUMER RELATIONS DEPT. AND THEY SAID THERE IS NO MILEAGE WARRANTY ON THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT. THEY OFFER 30% DISCOUNT ON NEW SET OF TIRES INSTALLED AT TIRE DEALER CENTER. NEW TIRES, AFTER DISCOUNT WILL COST ABOUT $900, BUT THEY ON THE BACK ORDER AND BECOME AVAILABLE ONLY BY THE END OF DECEMBER 2009. I FORCED TO KEEP DRIVING MY CAR WITH BAD TIRES.THEY DON'T OFFER ANY REPLACEMENT TIRES FOR THIS ODD SIZE, MANUFACTURED ONLY FOR THIS CAR. THESE TIRES CREATE A HAZARD TO ME, MY FAMILY AND PUBLIC SAFETY, ESPECIALLY DRIVING IN THE NORTH-EAST AREAS. I HAVE NEVER HAD A NEW VEHICLE THAT NEED NEW TIRES WHEN IT IS BARELY TWO YEARS OLD. I TRY TO REPLACE THIS TIRES BEFORE I HAVE AN INCIDENT. I HAVE NOTICED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THESE TIRES ON VARIOUS WEB SITES. ALL TOYOTA HIGHLANDER OWNERS VERY DISAPPOINTED AND LOST. MANY TRY TO CHANGE TIRE SIZE TO MORE COMMON USED, WHICH WILL VOID POWER-TRAIN WARRANTY AND COULD CREATE MORE OF SAFETY PROBLEMS. I HOPE YOU FIND THIS SITUATION VERY DISTURBING AND POTENTIALLY SAFETY HAZARDOUS AND WILL LEAD TO YOUR INVESTIGATION AND CORRECTION. *TR

MY FORD F-350 HAS SEVERE VIBRATION AND STEERING ISSUES. I RECEIVED THE LETTER ABOUT THESE ISSUES APRIL 2009. SHORTLY THERE AFTER WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65MPH THE TRUCK STARTED VIBRATING UNCONTROLLABLE. ABOUT THE TIME I GOT IT SLOWED DOWN I HEARD A LOUD POP IN THE PASSENGERS SIDE FRONT END. THIS WAS ABOUT APRIL 25 2009. ON MAY 14 2009 I WENT TO FORD FOR MY OIL CHANGE. THEY DISCOVERED THE FRONT PASSENGERS UNIVERSAL JOINT IS BROKEN. I WAS NOT IN FOUR WHEEL DRIVE WHEN THIS LOUD POP OCCURRED. BUT I DID ALMOST LOSE CONTROL PRIOR TO HEARING IT POP, MY SPEED AT THE TIME OF POP WAS ABOUT 35MPH. I KEEP THE TIRE PRESSURE UP, BY CHECKING IT ALMOST EVERY TIME I ADD FUEL. AND THE TIRES ARE CHECKED AT EACH OIL CHANGE, EVERY 3,000 MILES. THE LETTER I RECEIVED FROM FORD, SAYS TO CHECK TIRE PRESSURE. THE TIRE PRESSURE WAS GOOD WHEN I CHECKED IT SHORTLY AFTER HEARING THE UNIVERSAL JOINT POP. THE SIZE OF TIRE IS THE SAME AS THE ONES INSTALLED AT THE FACTORY. I DO NOT HAVE ANY SUSPENSION MODIFICATIONS. AFTER THE FORD DEALER TOLD ME I NEED A NEW UNIVERSAL JOINT, I TOOK THE TRUCK TO ANOTHER ALIGNMENT SHOP. HE HAD A F250 HE WAS WORKING ON THAT HAD ABOUT THE SAME THING HAPPEN. AND TOLD ME THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING ALOT. AFTER WHICH I CALLED FORD, THEY WILL NOT WARRANTY THE ISSUE, ALTHOUGH IT SOUNDED TO ME THAT THE OPERATORS WERE WELL AWARE THESE TRUCKS SHIMMY AND THEN POP THERE UNIVERSAL JOINTS. I AM FEARFUL TO DRIVE THE TRUCK, AS I THINK NEXT TIME I MAY LOSE ALL CONTROL. FORD WILL NOT WARRANTY THE ISSUE BECAUSE THE WARRANTY IS EXPIRED, BUT THE OPERATORS TOLD ME I SHOULD SELL IT, AS THEY HAVE LOTS OF COMPLAINTS LIKE THIS. I WOULD NOT WANT TO HURT SOMEBODY ELSE BY PASSING THIS PROBLEM TRUCK ON, BUT I DO NOT HAVE FINANCES TO SCRAP IT ETHER. PLEASE HELP ME. THANK YOU *TR

THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN BROUGHT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP MANY MANY TIMES SINCE IT WAS FIRST PURCHASED (5 TIMES I BELIEVE FOR STEERING RELATED PROBLEMS AND OTHER TIMES FOR A BRAKE BOOT PROBLEM AND A VARIETY OF OTHER ISSUES). THE OTHER PROBLEM THE VEHICLE HAS HAD IS WHAT FORD IS CALLING A "SHIMMY". THEY ORIGINALLY TOLD US WE NEEDED NEW SHOCKS BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM WHICH WE DISPUTED AND TOOK IT TO A SPECIALIST IN SHOCK REPLACEMENT WHO TOLD US THIS WAS NOT THE PROBLEM. THEN THEY TOLD US IT WAS THE TIRES (WHICH THEY ARE CONTENDING IN THE FORM LETTER THEY SENT US-THAT STATES WE MUST MAINTAIN PROPER PRESSURE TO CONTROL THIS PROBLEM). UNFORTUNATELY, PROPER TIRE PRESSURE SEEMINGLY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS PROBLEM AND WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THE PROBLEM TO WHICH FORD'S ANSWER TO US IS "GET NEW TIRES" (THE TIRES HAVE ONLY 22,000 MILES ON THEM, THEY ARE THE TIRES FORD PUT ON THE VEHICLE WHEN WE BOUGHT IT AND THEY, OF COURSE, ARE NOT A WARRANTY ITEM). ALL IN ALL, THE TRUCK HAS HAD MANY ISSUES, SOME OF WHICH HAVE BEEN FIXED REPEATEDLY ONLY TO APPEAR AGAIN IN THE SAME OR SIMILAR WAY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. THE VEHICLE HAS TOYO OPEN COUNTRY AT TIRES, SIZE P22570R15 (NA). THE TIRES WERE PURCHASED BRAND NEW IN MAY OF 2007 FROM JENSEN TIRE COMPANY WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH. AT 36,000 MILES, THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE BLEW OUT IN JUNE OF 2008. THE REPAIR SHOP STATED THAT THE TIRE WAS WORN DOWN TO THE STEEL. THE TIRE COMPANY FROM WHERE THE TIRE WAS PURCHASED IS PROVIDING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE FAILED TIRE. THE REMAINING TIRES WERE INSPECTED BY OTHER SHOPS AND EACH SHOP RECOMMENDED THAT THE REST OF THE TIRES BE REPLACED. TOYO STATED THAT THE TIRES NEEDED AN ALIGNMENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AN ALIGNMENT HAD JUST BEEN PERFORMED; HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED HER TO HAVE ANOTHER ONE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE SHOP, THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE BALL JOINTS WERE DEFECTIVE DUE TO THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE TIRES AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE BALL JOINTS HAVE NOT BEEN REPLACED AND THE MANUFACTURER IS REFUSING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,200 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 123,402.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD F-150. THE VEHICLE HAS TOYO OPEN COUNTRY AT TIRES, SIZE P235/70/R16. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE SIDEWALLS OF THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE, FRONT PASSENGER SIDE, AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRES WERE CRACKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND ALL FOUR TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 116,000. UPDATED 12-01-08 *BF UPDATED 12/02/08. *JB