2001 Toyota Prius Tires & Wheels Problems

PRIUS, 2001 BOTH REAR AXLE HUB ASSEMBLIES REPLACED AFTER BEARING FAILURES WITH UNDER 90K MILES ON MY CAR, OWNED NEW SINCE JUNE 2001. THERE ARE NOT OPTIONS TO REPLACE THE FAILED BEARINGS, JUST THE COMPLETE REAR HUB ASSEMBLY THAT INCLUDES THE ATTACHED ABS SENSOR. FAILED ASSEMBLIES HAVE BEEN RETAINED AND ARE AVAILABLE. I AM NOW CONCERNED ABOUT MY 2002 PRIUS, AS WELL. *TR

MY 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS CONSISTENTLY WORE OUT THE FRONT TIRES ON THE INSIDE PART OF THE TREAD, NOT EASILY VISIBLE FROM THE STREET. THE TIRES WORE DOWN TO THE CORDS IN LESS THAN 10,000 MILES. MY WIFE HAD AN ACCIDENT WHERE SHE COULD NOT STOP THE CAR IN TIME TO AVOID IT. MY YOUNG DAUGHTER WAS IN THE CAR AT THE TIME. THESE CARS ARE STILL ON THE ROAD. I COMPLAINED TO TOYOTA BUT THE COMPLAINT FELL ON DEAF EARS. *TR

ON TWO OCCASIONS, ONE WHEN MY CAR (2001 TOYOTA PRIUS) HAD 71,000 MILES AND ONE AT 80,000, A SPOKE ON A WHEEL CRACKED, REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF THE WHEEL. ON BOTH OCCASIONS, AN INDEPENDENT TIRE DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A DEFECT IN THE WHEEL. BOTH SAID THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THAT TOYOTA SHOULD REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE WHEELS. THE TOYOTA OFFICE THAT HANDLES THESE MATTERS CONTENDS THAT THE WHEEL WAS DAMAGED WHILE DRIVING (BASED ON THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS ASSESSMENT) ON BOTH OCCASIONS. HOWEVER, THE TIRE DEALERSHIPS SAID THERE IS NO DAMAGE THAT CAN WARRANT SUCH AN ASSESSMENT. FOR MYSELF AND OTHER PRIUS OWNERS, I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS PROBLEM WILL RESULT IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AS OTHER WHEELS BEGIN TO CRACK.

CONSUMER INSPECTED THE TIRES AND THE BELTS WORE INTO THE STEEL. TIRES WERE REPLACED ON THE FRONT FOUR TIMES. VEHICLE WAS ALIGNED SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE TIRES CONTINUED TO WEAR. THEY WERE REPLACED WITH THE SAME MAKE/MODEL TIRE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 35MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE BLEW OUT. (SIZE # P175/65R14) (DOT # UNKNOWN.) THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *PH TIRES WERE ROTATED WHEN THE OIL WAS CHANGED. DEALER STATED TIRES FAILED DUE TO LACK OF ROTATION. ON ONE OCCASION, CONSUMER THOROUGHLY CHECKED THE TIRE BEFORE DRIVING. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY FOUND A WORM NAIL AFTER LOOKING FOR OVER AN HOUR. CONSUMER HAS THE TIRES. AFTER THE FIRST FAILURE, THE CONSUMER CONTACTED WENT TO FIRESTONE FOR REPLACEMENT TIRES. FIRESTONE STATED THEY COULD ANOTHER TIRE AND GET THE SAME EFFECT SINCE THEY DIDN'T HAVE IT IN STOCK. TOYOTA STATED DIFFERENTLY AND NOR DID THEY HAVE THE TIRE IN STOCK. AFTER DAYS OF THREATS, TOYOTA HAD THE SAME EXACT TIRE AVAILABLE FOR THE CONSUMER. *PH

6/2001 PRIUS; MILEAGE ~20,000; BRIDGESTONE POTENZA 175/65/R14RX ORIGINAL TIRES; WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH ON SURFACE STREETS, REAR RIGHT PASSENGER TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE. DEALER RECOMMENDED GOING TO TIRE VENDOR FOR WARRANTEE REPLACEMENT. PLAN TO PURSUE ISSUE WITH TOYOTA.*AK

BRIDGESTONE POTENZA TIRES, P175/65R14- ON JULY 28, 2003 HAD TO REPLACE TIRES ON THE 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS. ONE TIRE WAS FLAT. I NOTICED THAT THE TIRE HAD A BIG CRACK AND THE CORDS WERE VISIBLE. I LOOKED AT IT CLOSER AND NOTICED THAT THERE WERE CRACKS HALFWAY AROUND THE TIRE. I LOOKED AT THE OTHER 3 TIRES AND NOTICED THAT THEY HAD CRACKS ALSO. THE TIRES LOOKED LIKED THEY WERE VERY OLD. *AK

THERE IS A TIRE SEPARATION PROBLEM WITH THE LATEST SET OF BRIDGESTONE TIRES THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE TOYOTA DEALER FOR OUR PRIUS. THE ORIGINAL TIRES WERE RECALLED DUE TO PREMATURE WEAR. THE REAR LEFT TIRE SEPARATED AND MY DAUGHTER LUCKILY WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE ON THE FREEWAY AT UNDER 55 MPH. SHE NOTICED THE PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY WHEN SHE GOT ON THE FREEWAY OR SHE MIGHT HAVE LOST CONTROL. FOR AN EXAMPLE OF THE SEPARATION, SEE: HTTP://WWW.FIRESTONE-TIRE-RECALL.COM/PAGES/ADVOCATE/11-13.HTML WE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE LEFT REAR AND SAME NEW CONDITION AS LINK ABOVE.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 70MPH ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE TIRE BRIDGESTONE POTENXA RE92 175/65R14. DEALER IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. THIS IS THE CORRECT TIRE 175/65R14 XL845. *AK

PREMATURE TIRE WEAR ON TOYOTA PRIUS. *AK

THIS IS THE 3RD SET OF TIRES I HAVE HAD TO PUT ON THE CAR DUE TO UNEVEN WEAR. I ONLY HAVE 48000 MILES ON THE CAR. THE TIRES WEAR AS THOUGH THEY ARE UNDER INFLATED, BUT I AM CAREFUL TO BE SURE THAT I AM FOLLOWING THE MANUFACTURERS RECOMMENDATION FOR TIRE INFLATION. SINCE THIS IS THE ONLY TIRE USEABLE ON THIS CAR, I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN TOYOTA'S RESPONSE TO THE PROBLEM. SINCE TOYOTA PROBABLY GAVE THE SPECS TO BRIDGESTONE TO MANUFACTURE THE TIRE, IT IS TOYOTA'S RESPONSIBILITY TO ASSURE THAT THE TIRE WAS DESIGNED TO BE TO HAVE A NORMAL TREAD LIFE AS WELL AS HELP THE CAR FUNCTION EFFICIENTLY. IT IS REALLY TOUGH TO HAVE TO PAY $80.00 A TIRE AND HAVE IT ONLY LAST 25000 MILES. YES I HAVE HAD THE DEALER SERVICING THE CAR AND ROTATING THE TIRES AND THE ALIGNMENT IS FINE. THE PROBLEM IS THE TIRE THAT TOYOTA REQUIRES TO BE USED ON THE PRIUS.

THE TIRES ON OUR 2001 PRIUS CONTINUALLY FAIL AFTER ABOUT 15,000 MILES. WE HAVE HAD STATE INSPECTIONS FAIL BECAUSE OF TREAD WEAR, REFUSED SERVICE AT BRIDGESTONE DEALERS BECAUSE OF TREAD WEAR. WITH LESS THAN 50K MILES WE ARE WORKING ON THE THIRD SET OF TIRES. WE CHECK PRESSURE AND ROTATE OUR TIRES REGULARLY. SINCE TOYOTA CLAIMS THERE ARE NO REPLACEMENTS AND NO TREAD WEAR WARRANTIES, WE THINK THE CAR SHOULD NO LONGER BE ALLOWED ON THE US MARKET. *NLM

THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED A FLAT TIRE. THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE TIRE WAS WORN BADLY ON THE INSIDE. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED A SUPPLEMENTAL TIRE WARRANTY, IN WHICH THE CONSUMER DID QUALIFY, DUE TO THE FACT THE TIRES WEREN'T ROTATED. SCC

THE FRONT TIRES WORE OUT UNEVENLY. THE OUTSIDE OF THE TIRES WORE TO THE POINT THAT AIR WAS LEAKING OUT. CONSUMER TIRES WERE NOT APART OF A RECALL TOYOTA ISSUED ACCORDING TO THE VIN OF THE VEHICLE. THE TIRES ARE BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE 92, TUBELESS STEEL BELTED RADIAL M+S. P175/65 R14 84S. DOT # EL 9P T9902, JDH 2301 E92Z. CONSUMER REQUEST RECALL INFORMATION ON THESE TIRES STATED ABOVE. *JG

ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT HAD WORN DOWN TO THE TREAD. WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH IN A 2001 TOYOTA, PRIUS LEFT REAR TIRE HAD A BLOWOUT. REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT TIRE SIZE P175/65R14, DOT# EL9PJDH0102. BRIDGESTONE AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFED. *AK CONSUMER BELIEVES VEHICLE IS TOO HEAVY FOR TIRES. *TT

TIRES ON 2001, TOYOTA, PRIUS, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, TIRE SIZE P175/65R14, DOT# EL 9P CHA 2700 AND EL 9P CHA 2800 ARE WEARING UNUSUALLY. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK *YH

WITHIN 9 MONTHS OF VEHICLE PURCHASE I HAD THREE FLAT TIRES AND REPLACED THE BRIDGESTONE POTENZA TIRES WITH A DIFFERENT BRAND RATHER THAN RIST ADDITIONAL FAILURES. *AK

EXPERIENCED FOUR BLOWOUTS ON ORGINAL EQUIPMENT BRIDGESTONE TIRES, SIZE P17565R14. FRONT SIDE AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRES HAD TWO OF THE FOUR BLOWOUTS. THIRD BLOWOUT OCCURED WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING TEST DRIVEN AT DEALERSHIP. ALL BLOWOUTS HAVE OCCURRED AT LOW SPEEDS, EXCEPT FOR BLOWOUT AT THE DEALERSHIP. *AK *SLC

AT 30,000 MILE SERVICE I WAS TOLD MY CAR WAS "NOT SAFE TO DRIVE." THE TIRES WERE WORN TO THE CORDS. TOYOTA REPLACED THEM FOR FREE, BUT I WAS TOLD THAT THE PRIUS WAS KNOWN FOR HAVING "PROBLEMS" WITH THEIR TIRES. HAD I NOT BEEN TOLD ABOUT THE CONDITION OF MY TIRES, I MIGHT HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT. OTHER PRIUS OWNERS SHOULD BE NOTIFIED OF THIS.*AK (TIRESIZE: P175/65R14)

I WAS ADVISED DURING A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE THAT MY TIRES WERE UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON. I WAS ALSO ADVISED THAT TIYOTA KNOWS THAT THESE UNIQUE TORES FAIL AT ABOUT 10,000 MILES. TOYOTA SAYS THAT THESE TIRES ARE THE ONLY TYPE ACCEPTABLE FOR USE ON THIS VEHICLE AND TO USE ANOTHER MANUFACTURER WILL VOID THE WARRANTY. THERE ARE NO REPLACEMENT TIRES AVAILABLE AND THEY (THE DEALER) ESTIMATES AT LEAST ONE MONTH WAIT. *AK (TIRESIZE: P175/65R14)