| Issue ID | 552259 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 10129736 |
| Manufacurer | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION |
| Brand | TOYOTA |
| Model | SIENNA |
| Model Year | 2004 |
| File date | 22/07/05 |
| Component | TIRES:TREAD/BELT |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | Toyota sienna (2004+) awd models use run-flat tires since no spare tire is provided by toyota. These run-flat tires are defective in that they wear out exceedingly fast. Mine are nearly worn out at 17k miles on my 2004 sienna. At a equipment and labor replacement cost of ~ $1600 for all 4 tires, this is unacceptable. If you search the internet, this is a well known problem with the siennas using run-flats. Tires should not cost me $100 per 1000 miles driven. Secondary issue with the tires is the safety. I have not experieced this problem, but other owners are stating that if the tire is cut, that it needs to be replaced immediately. Because run flats are new, there are hardly any places in the u. S. That stock these tires, let alone having the special equipment to install them. You'll see many owners have resorted to buying regular tires for their siennas, then purchasing a spare tire and throwing it into the back of their van. This takes away from the utility of the van a great deal, since storage is a primary selling point of minivans. Please investigate this issue. Tires should last ~40k miles, and since these run flats are so expensive, replacing every 15k miles puts a huge cost on the owner that toyota never warned new owners. I would expect toyota to cover replacement cost of these tires until a suitable replacement is developed, or find a way to use regular tires and store the spare somewhere on the vehicle without taking up the advertised passenger storage space. Thank you for your support and assistance, -brian armer |
| Vehicle Mileage at Failure | 17000 |
| Number of Occurences | 1 |
| Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
| City and State | SUNNYVALE, CA |
| VIN pattern | 5TDBA22C44SXXXXXX |
| Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | N |
| Was vehicle involved in a fire? | N |
| Was incedent reported to police? | N |
| Was medical attention required? | |
| Was part original equipment? | |
| No. of injured persons | 0 |
| No. of fatalities | 0 |
| Date of purchase | 01/06/04 |
| Was original owner? | Y |
| Anti-lock brakes | Y |
| Cruise control | Y |
| Number of cylinders | 6 |
| Drive train type | |
| Transmission type | AUTO |
| Vehicle speed | |
| DoT tire identifier | |
| Tire size | |
| Location of tire code | |
| Type of tire failure code | |
| Was defective tire repaired? | |
| Date of manufacture | |
| Type of child seat code | |
| Type of restraint | |
| Dealer's name | TOYOTA SUNNVALE |
| Dealer's telephone number | |
| Dealer's city | SUNNYVALE |
| Dealer's state code | CA |
| Dealer's ZIP code | 94087 |