YOKOHAMA AVID TIRES Complaints

FIVE MONTHS (3000 MI) AFTER I PURCHASED A YOKOHAMA ENVIGOR TIRE FOR MY 1999 ACURA I HAD A FLAT TIRE. UPON INSPECTION I NOTICED A 1/4 INCH RUBBER SEPARATION ON THE INSIDE WHEEL WELL. IT DID NOT GO THROUGH THE TIRE WALL AND WAS NOT A SLASH MARK AS IT WAS IRREGULAR AND JAGGED. IT ALSO DID NOT PIERCE THE INTERIOR MESH LINING . THE CAR HAD NOT HIT ANYTHING (I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR OVER 45 YEARS). THE TIRE WENT FLAT (FORTUNATELY IT DID NOT HAPPEN THE DAY BEFORE WHILE DRIVING 65MPH ON A FREEWAY. DESPITE THE OBVIOUSLY FAULTY TIRE CONSTRUCTION I WAS TOLD IT WAS CAUSED BY A ROAD HAZARD BY A YOKOHAMA REPRESENTATIVE. WHEN I POINTED OUT THAT THERE WERE ABSOLUTELY NO ABRASIONS NEARBY ON THE TIRE AND THAT THE OPENING WAS IRREGULAR UNLIKE ANY METAL ROAD MATERIAL MIGHT CAUSE THE REPRESENTATIVE SAID ONLY TREAD BOTTOM IRREGULARITIES WERE CONSIDERED IMPERFECTIONS. THE DOT SHOULD MAKE MANUFACTURERS INCLUDE NON REPAIRABLE SIDEWALL DEFECTS AS IMPERFECTIONS AND HAVE AN IMPARTIAL REPRESENTATIVE ENTITY ABLE TO EXAMINE EVIDENCE IN SUCH CASES NOT JUST THE HIGHLY PARTIAL MANUFACTURERS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH YOKOHAMA TIRES 8VID IN VIGOR 205/55/16. THE DOT NUMBER WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR TIRE POPPED AND HE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CALLED AAA FOR ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE TIRE SHOP WHERE THE TIRE WAS PURCHASED AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THEY HAVEN'T SEEN ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE TIRE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 108,269.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 ACURA TL WITH YOKOHAMA AVID TIRES, SIZE: 205/60/R16. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, SHE NOTICED A VIBRATION FROM THE CAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE IT WAS STATED THAT MANUFACTURING DEFECT LEAD TO A KNOT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE. THE TIRE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 247,000 AND THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 400.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH YOKOHAMA AVID TIRES , LINE SIZE: 195/65/R15. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT AND REAR DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIRE TIRES WERE BALD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE OF THE TIRES WAS 14,500. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,500. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS EQUIPPED WITH YOKOHAMA AVID TIRES, SIZE: 185/65R/15. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE BLEW DUE TO A ROAD HAZARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS ADVISED TO THE CONTACT THAT THE TIRE TREAD WAS CRACKED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000. *TR

IN JUNE AND JULY OF 2011 I PURCHASED 4 YOKOHAMA 215/70R15 98S AVID TOURING S TIRES FOR MY 2005 KIA SEDONA VAN. WITHIN THE LAST 6 MONTHS I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 3 TIRES DUE TO SEPARATION. DRIVING IS BOTH HIGHWAY AND CITY WITH AT LEAST 80 MILES HIGHWAY 5 DAYS EVER OTHER WEEK. SINCE PURCHASING THE TIRES I HAVE DRIVEN 46,000 MILES. THE FIRST SEPARATION OCCURRED AUGUST 1, 2012 WITH MILLAGE AT 157,000. THE SECOND ON NOVEMBER 21, 2012 AT 164,000 MILES. THE THIRD SEPARATION OCCURRED FEBRUARY 1, 2013 AT 176,000 MILES. THE SYMPTONS INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE TIRES ARE; A. WOBBLING OF THE VEHICLE AT VERY LOW SPEED, B. PULLING TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT, C. INTENSE VIBRATION AT HIGHWAY SPEED (>55). WE ARE LUCKY THERE HAVE BEEN NO ACCIDENTS RELATING TO THESE DEFECTIVE TIRES. THE FIRST TWO TIRES WERE REPLACED UNDER THE TIRE DEALERS WARRANTY PROGRAM. I LOST CONFIDENCE IN THE MANUFACTURER AND MODEL AFTER THE THIRD SEPARATION AND WITH CREDIT FROM YOKOHAMA PURCHASED FOUR NEW TIRES; DIFFERENT MAKE AND MODEL. ALL THE TIRES WERE RETAINED BY THE DEALER. THE LAST TIRE HAD A MANFACTURE DATE OF 81S0610. *TR

CRACK IN TIRE SIDEWALL. NO EXTERIOR DAMAGE. TIRE GUY SAID PROBLEM IN MANUFACTURE. *TR

NEW CAR, MAZDA M3, PURCHASED IN APRIL 2010. YOKOHAMA TIRES WERE ON THE CAR. CAR CURRENTLY HAS APPROXIMATELY 18,000 MILES AND TIRES HAVE BEEN ROTATED. LAST NIGHT WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 40MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE WENT FLAT. UPON REMOVING THE TIRE TO FIX THE FLAT, THE SIDEWALL HAD SPLIT FROM THE TREAD. THIS HAPPENED ON THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE MEANING THE SIDE OF THE TIRE AGAINST THE CAR SO IT WAS NOT VISIBLE FROM JUST LOOKING AT THE OUTSIDE OF THE TIRE. THE SPLIT IS 15 INCHES IN LENGTH AND I CAN SEE THAT THERE ARE OTHER AREAS THAT LOOK LIKE THEY ARE ABOUT TO SPLIT AS WELL. I FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12T025000 TALKING ABOUT RECALL OF A YOKOHAMA TIRE THAT SEEMS TO MATCH WHAT I HAVE HAD. I HAVE CONTACTED MY CAR DEALER AS THE RECALL SAYS THE DEALER WILL REPLACE FREE OF CHARGE, BUT THEY AREN'T AWARE OF ANY RECALL. I'VE BEEN ON HOLD FOR YOKOHAMA FOR 30+ MINUTES WITH NO LUCK IN SPEAKING TO A LIVE PERSON. I CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO HAVE A CAR AND BASED ON ALL I'VE READ ABOUT THESE TIRES, I CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE MY CHILDREN RIDE ON TIRES THAT PERFORM LIKE THIS. I CAN'T AFFORD TO WAIT ON A PROCESS TO DETERMINE IF YOKOHAMA WILL MAKE GOOD ON THEIR WARRANTY CLAIMS. I HAVE TO PURCHASE NEW TIRES AND WILL BE PURCHASING 4 NEW TIRES AND NOT YOKOHAMA. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER EQUIPPED WITH YOKOHAMA ADVID TOURING S TIRES, TIRE SIZE 245/70/16. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT BOTH FRONT TIRES AND THE REAR DRIVER'S TIRE SIDEWALL WERE SEVERELY CRACKED. THE THREE DEFECTIVE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED. THERE WAS A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 12T025000 (TIRES:SIDEWALL); HOWEVER THE TIRE WERE INELIGIBLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000. THE DOT NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE.

I DRIVE A 2007 TOYOTA COROLLA AND PURCHASED MY TIRES FROM AMERICA'S TIRE (DISCOUNT TIRE) IN 2009. STRANGELY, THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT DOT NUMBERS FOR THESE FOUR TIRES (TWO OF THE FOUR HAVE THE SAME NUMBER). THE NUMBERS ARE AS FOLLOWS: CC9N 81P4509, 81P3109, AND 81P2809. THESE YOKOHAMA AVID TOURING TIRES ARE DEVELOPING DISCOLORATION AND CONCENTRIC CRACKING AROUND THE OUTER AND INNER SIDE WALLS. THE CRACKING APPEARS TO BE SIMILAR TO DRY ROT. THIS SEEMS TO HAVE OCCURRED AT 45,000 MILES OF WEAR. THESE TIRES ARE RATED TO LAST 65,000 MILES. THIS PREMATURE FAILURE IS BOTH DISAPPOINTING AND DANGEROUS. THE CRACKS ARE DEEP AND I FEAR TREAD SEPARATION OR BLOWOUT. I WILL BE GETTING THESE TIRES REPLACED TO AVOID ANY POSSIBLE INJURIES OR ACCIDENTS. I HAVE ROTATED MY TIRES FREQUENTLY AND THE TREAD HAS OTHERWISE WORN EVENLY WITH ONLY MINIMAL TREAD WEAR. THIS FAILURE IS NOT A RESULT OF ANY MISTREATMENT, NEGLECT OR BAD DRIVING HABITS. *TR