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Highlander Hybrid Tire/Wheel Questions

135

Comments

  • monte8monte8 Member Posts: 75
    ". . . I am mistified by the whining about the tires on Highlander Hybrids . . ."

    The problem is that 2008 and later HH's come equiped with 19" rims and 245 55 19 tires. 17" rims are "standard" on the 2008 HH, but in fact Toyota only shipped them with option packages that included the "upgrade" to 19" wheels. I have only been able to find a very limited selection of tires in this size (the OEM Toyos, Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires). Michelin does not make any tire in this size (I agree that they are very good tires).

    Finding 17" rims and tires to fit these cars may be the only solution, but would also be very expensive. This is why we whine. :cry:
  • brioboybrioboy Member Posts: 24
    Sorry, monte8, now I understand. I don't understand why Toyota did not have it all worked out with the best tire suppliers - everything else they do is first class, so why install inferior tires? I am sticking with my 06HH, which is a great vehicle.
    I am still wondering what experience HH owners have had with Nokian winter tires?
  • cdptrapcdptrap Member Posts: 485
    I posted our experience with Nokian earlier this year; either here or another thread in Edmund. We have the '06 equipped with SUV WR.

    Nokian winter performance cannot be beat, at least when compared against Goodyear TripleTred with the "Severe Service Emblem". We run them both in the Sierras during the winter and have encountered everything (on paved roads) including clear ice I mistook for water.

    The TripleTred has superior handling characteristics in dry to wet climate. In snow and ice, it does its job, but the ABS activated more frequently on ice when braking. Stopping was good, no sense of impending skid. No steering issues at all and at reasonable speed, no threat of break-away. VDIM also helps but we never noticed it in the steering. It tracked straight and true.

    The Nokian performs well in dry to wet climate though not as nimble. In snow and ice, it is simply rock solid when compared to the TripleTred. The ABS activates less often, VDIM came on less often and stops are quite decent and confident, so are turns at reasonable safe speed. It edges out the TripleTred in snow and ice.

    If you value top-notch flexible winter capabilities, Nokian is the way to go. If you prefer superior handling in dry to wet weather and good snow and ice capabilities, something that at least matches or beats the GY TripleTred will do fine.

    I like the GY's handling, it makes the '06 HH feel "nimble". We use the GY when we do not expect heavy snowfall or large storms. I love the Nokian's peace-of-mind winter capabilities when we expect heavy storms in the mountains.

    Hope you can find something that works for you.
  • sceiscei Member Posts: 3
    my SUV has 19inch rims and I am getting ready to order the Michelin latitude tour 255/60/19R tires as i do not want to buy the poor quality toyo or bridgestone tires. I am getting a good deal at Discount tire for $190 per tire with a rebate from michelin.
    I would like to know if anyone has had problems with slightly off size tires on the toyota HH 2008.
    Thx
  • drummer61drummer61 Member Posts: 3
    I was told by a Toyota service manager that the outside diameters have to match since the electronic sensors key off of that. I would consult with someone with some expertise before I made the purchase.
  • sceiscei Member Posts: 3
    I am planning to change to 17 inch rims so I have more options for replacement tires.
    Has anybody considered this and do you know of any glitches if the rims are replaced.
    Any suggestions re rims would be welcomed. There is a variety available at Tire rack. Looking to spend less than 100 dollars per rim but cant find any reviews re the quality of these rims.
    Thx
    SCEI
  • monte8monte8 Member Posts: 75
    "I am planning to change to 17 inch rims so I have more options for replacement tires.
    Has anybody considered this and do you know of any glitches if the rims are replaced."

    I would also like to do this. Please post what rims you find if you do. When I looked at tirerack.com, I could never find rims I was sure would fit.
  • brioboybrioboy Member Posts: 24
    Funny thing when you do get serious, you get more options. I was keen on Nokian winter tires and checked out prices across the border in Lynden/Bellingham, Washington, with the thought they might be cheaper in the US - well, not really. The exchange rate is still against us. Then I checked out Consumer Reports and Nokian rates no better than Michelin. So the short story is that my local Vancouver area Toyota dealer, who knows more about my 06 HH than some tire-guy in a tire shop, whether local or across the border, came up with a package of steel-wheels and Michelin winter tires - and I keep my original alloy wheels and Michelin A/S tires with lots of tread. And at a better price than just tires from any tire shop, which wanted to junk my original Michelins. The thing about the HH in our market is that there are very few wheels to fit and my service manager tells me, that there are no cheap - steel - wheels available to fit except 16 instead of my 17. So he is adjusting the tire size and I trust him more than some tire shop trying to sell me something he may not understand at my risk and expense. My order is in, so over and out.
  • wvgasguywvgasguy Member Posts: 1,405
    It appears Yokahoma has a 235 or a 255 snow tire in the 55 series 19" size. So it's either .4 inches shorter or taller, depending on which tire you would get. I can't inagine this being a big issue since most snow tire would probably wear this much over a couple of seasons. Has anyone used a Yokohama 19" dedicated snow tire yet on their HH?
  • toyotanomoretoyotanomore Member Posts: 1
    I purchased a highlander hybrid limited new in 06 as a commuting car. Had all maintenance done at dealer. The suv ran great until last week. While going to work on a major highway, I had a complete system failure. Engine power, breaks, power steering. Got the car towed back to the dealer, and the dealer informed me the inverter is done. The repair bill is $9,000. The car has 153,000 miles on it. For a toyota that is not alot. I have had other toyotas go 250,000. The dealer will do nothing for me. I contact toyota in CA. They will give me 1,500 towards the repair. Needless to say I am done with Toyota. When I purchased the car the hybrid upgrade was $4,200 so how can one part be 9,000? No one at Toyota has an answer for me. If you need a commuting car stay away from a hybrid. They can not go much past 150,000. Learn from my mistake. I have a 38,000 paperweight
  • jking3jking3 Member Posts: 8
    Here are some links that might help you out, toyotanomore...

    http://www.fixya.com/cars/t1516165-dealership_wants_charge_me_12_hours

    The tech claimed it was a 4 hour job and not difficult at all. Depends on what inverter we are talking about I suppose. More details would be useful.

    http://news.carjunky.com/alternative_fuel_vehicles/repairing-a-hybrid-cdh739.sht- ml

    Looks like the power inverter for a Prius is around $3700 from that link in August.
    My suggestion to you is go and find another Toyota dealer because that one is trying to rip you off. If you already had the repair done, I would contact Toyota Corporate and let them know about this dealer and how much it cost to repair it. Or, tell the dealer you are going to take this up to Toyota Corporate. If they are overbilling you they will not want Toyota Corporate investigating... service is what generates the most money for a dealer and if Toyota doesn't like what they see they could hurt the dealer real bad.

    You can also get an advocate on your side. Your local news stations probably have a consumer advocate on staff that does stories once in a while. They would love to pick up something like this given the current state of auto affairs.
  • devastated_debdevastated_deb Member Posts: 2
    I have been reading this discussion about the tires on Hybrid Highlander tires and personally I think "class action" should be taken. I have reported my problem with the tires (wore out with thread showing at 15,000 miles) to our attorney general, and have just copied all the paper work to mail out to him. I'm hoping to help make a difference in the "we got our money, so it's up to you to take care of the tire issue" attitude we all are receiving from Toyota. I have an '07 Limited, Hybrid Highlander, HAD TO replace tires at 18,000 miles, and am only averaging 25.6 miles to a gallon. Shame to spend 40,000 on a vehicle only to find out you don't get 28-30MPG, and also have defective tires that Toyota special orders to give a smooth ride when you try it out, then the consumer has to purchase new tires; in order to be safe, within a years time. Needless to say I'm a VERY DISAPPOINTED HH owner. :mad: :cry:
  • tranquiloontranquiloon Member Posts: 2
    Hey Monte having a similar problem with finding good winter tires for my 2006 HH
    what tire size did you go with and what dealership (service manger) in vancouver helped you out?
  • monte8monte8 Member Posts: 75
    "Hey Monte having a similar problem with finding good winter tires for my 2006 HH
    what tire size did you go with and what dealership (service manger) in vancouver helped you out? "

    I have not replaced the tires yet. Bought a 2008 HH in Nov., 2007, I only have just over 12,000 miles (I ride my bicycle alot :shades:, really improves gas milage and makes the tires last longer) . The original tires are still doing OK.

    BTW, the last time I put gas in was on August 29, 2009. I may have to fill it up tomorrow.
  • hihyphihyp Member Posts: 4
    I am interested in the class action idea. After having to replace all four tires on my 2008 HiHy in less than a year (barely 15,000 miles), I feel taken advantage of. A large part of my rationale for spending all the extra money for a Hybrid was that I wanted to decrease my footprint. Well, four tires is a big footprint! Perhaps if Toyota returned to making a front wheel drive HiHy instead of all wheel only, tires might last longer.
  • brioboybrioboy Member Posts: 24
    Tranquiloon - Just back from a trip and it looks like you were addressing me, rather than monte8. My service manager is David Pearce at Open Road Toyota in Port Moody and he phoned me this morning to let me know the Michelins are not expected in for about 2 -3 weeks - I have forgotten the size but he has adjusted it to the smaller wheel to replace my 17inch regular wheels. In my experience, Pearce has provided first-class service.
  • jking3jking3 Member Posts: 8
    We also get about 25 MPG city, but I feel that is pretty good for this heavy vehicle. The only thing you should have a class action about is the fact that tires have to be replaced so often that it negates the whole purpose of going green. Nobody tells you that the tires will only last 15k miles when you buy it. I had the same experience with the original Goodyear Integrity tires with a treadwear rating of 460 which is a complete lie. Those tires were just awful - noisy and had to be replaced around 18k miles. So the tire issue is the only major thing I think that needs addressing here. Lots of people have experienced it. If there is a class action suit on the tire issue, I want it. I feel I had to spend extra money unnecessarily to maintain this vehicle. Someone at Toyota and/or Goodyear was not doing their job right.

    My only other complaint is the lack of bluetooth or aux inputs on the radio which obviously cannot be modified easily due to the tight integration with the rest of the system. Maybe it's just my vintage. :>
  • tranquiloontranquiloon Member Posts: 2
    Thanks Brioboy, will give David Pearce a call.
  • kccarlkccarl Member Posts: 1
    Did the suit move forward? I bought a 2008 HH and the tires are showing the belt at 18,000 miles. New tires are going to cost 1200 dollars, minimum. We went through the 18k miles in just over one year.

    This is just not right. I understand let the buyer beware, but this is ridiculous.
    kccarl
  • stevegoldstevegold Member Posts: 185
    We live Aspen, CO at 8,000' with plenty of snow.
    Our other car is a Prius (FWD not 4WD) so we need good traction in addition to good wear..
  • brioboybrioboy Member Posts: 24
    Stevegold - check my messages #105 and #113. We are likely to get more wet show here in Whistler at the valley level but with the winter Olympics on in February, I am getting my new winter tires and wheels tomorrow - the snow is starting to fly. You might want to check out Nokian vs. Michelin in your area.
    Have a great ski season!
  • rgeismarrgeismar Member Posts: 5
    For what it is worth. I have an 06HH 4 WD (haha). The original goodyears wore very thin in about 25,000 miles. Looked on Tire Rack and found a Kuhmo APT Road Ventures KL51 all weather tire. Got a very good rating on the website. When i went to pick them up i asked the owner why my tires wore so quickly. He said they are car tires and can't take the weight of a light truck (SUV) which is heavier. The new Kuhmo's are much more steady in rain and on dry road. They are quiet as well. No all weather tire will perform like a snow tire so don't expect them to. They are by nature a compromise. I am very happy with the Kuhmo's so far and will post again when i use them in the snow ( if we get any this year in NYC)
  • brioboybrioboy Member Posts: 24
    Tranquiloon and Stevegold - sorry for a bit of a bum steer. 16 inch wheels don't fit my HH - they fit on a regular Highlander so that threw my service manager off. It has to do with the different braking system - why he didn't know that, I don't know. It seems I am the first to order winter tires in this dealership for a HH as normally A/S works around here just fine. The upshot is that I am getting the tires on my original rims and we will look around for new rims in the spring.
  • tnt5197tnt5197 Member Posts: 4
    Hi,
    I've owned my '09 HH Limited for just a year now. I love it. The only problem I've encountered (besides the gas mileage not being that great) is when its "cold" here in S. Florida all the tire pressures need to be adjusted. Is this normal? Fortunately it doesn't get that cold here often. I'm talking the mid 50's. Its happened twice now. Putting air in the space is a pain. Appreciate any thoughts you have.
  • brioboybrioboy Member Posts: 24
    At the risk of sounding like a shill for Michelin, just back from a round trip from West Vancouver to Whistler on the Sea-to-Sky highway with rain and temperatures between 2 to 6 C, about 35 - 45 F, my new Latitude Alpins perform so well, it seems like a different car. They track beautifully, stick on the curves and are unbelievably quiet.
    Oddly enough, I landed in Fort Lauderdale on the 18th, just when it got "cold" - tnt doesn't really know what cold is - he doesn't say which way he has to adjust the tire pressures - I wonder if it is the extreme drops in barometric pressures caused by hurricanes or storms that does it. One would think it would affect every car on the road. Maybe he is just a bit too fussy - I hardly ever check mine between servicing.
  • johnp28johnp28 Member Posts: 3
    The original tires on my 2008 Highlander Hybrid are P 245 55 R19 made by toyo. They have worn quick and after reading other people's experiences I'm not the only one. There are many more tire choices in P255 50 R19. Can I move up to this tire size and drive safely? Has anyone else done this? I was looking at the Continental Extreme contact DWS the have great feedback and high ratings.

    Any advice is greatly appreciated.
    Thanks,
    JP
  • drummer61drummer61 Member Posts: 3
    The service manager at my dealer told me that the Hybrid sensors key off the outside diameter of the tire. Your P245 55 R19 tires have an OD of 29 inches. The P 255 50 R19 tires have an OD of 29.6 inches. Check my facts by using this calculator http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html . According to what this guy says, you can change to an 18 inch rim as long as the OD stays the same otherwise your speedometer, odometer and other diagnistics will get screwed up.
  • brioboybrioboy Member Posts: 24
    The worst adverse effect is on the braking system which helps to charge the HH batteries. I helped to educate my service manager when he proposed changing the wheel and tire size on my 06HH for new winter tires. Best to stick with the same wheel and tires size - get after the tire manufacturers.
  • netdriver1netdriver1 Member Posts: 1
    According to this tire size finder thing, you should probably stick with P 245 55 R19.
  • kmraykmray Member Posts: 3
    So what is the best tire alternative for a 2008 HH limited? I just bought a used one and even with 12,0000 miles, the tires are shot. I don't want to get replacement TOYO ones, 245 55R19, certainly not at the Toyota dealer for $310/each ! Can I go down to 17 inches? What about other options? What is the best for inclement driving in snow and ice?
  • jking3jking3 Member Posts: 8
    If your Toyota dealer is charging $310 per tire for those, you should never, ever go there again. For decent tires expect to pay around or under $200 per tire installed. Tires for this car generally range between $100 and $140 each wheel. Mounting and balancing should not exceed $50 per wheel. Looks like you have a custom size though.. maybe low $200s per tire to replace. www.tirerack.com has the Blizzak DM-V1 at $166 per tire in that size for example.
  • 400e400e Member Posts: 41
    There is a thread about this in the Highlander (non-hybrid) forum-

    A number of alternatives have been proposed, including changing to 17" wheels.

    For what it's worth, several of us have bought Toyo H/T tires (very different from the awful A20s that came with the car) and are happy with them. Mine have 12/32s tread depth, ride and handle well, and look like they should do pretty well in the snow.
  • kmraykmray Member Posts: 3
    Yes, thanks, I saw the other notes. But, I don't think you can equate the non-Hybrid with the Hybrid, as the weight is significantly different as well as handling, from what I understand. My guy at Les Schwab also says the TOYO Open Country H/T are the best tires he has... I may try them and see how it goes.... where we live in the Northwest, we will probably also need chains.
    Thanks,
  • darloxdarlox Member Posts: 3
    So this seems to be a pretty common thread all over the Internet, and my '08 HH is in the same boat. The first serious snow of the season happened this week, and I might as well have strapped ice skates to the bottom of the darned thing, for all the traction those awful Toyo OEMs provided...

    Fortunately, I have a friend in the tire business, and he's in the process of replacing my tires as I type this. I did extensive research on this myself, and talked to two different Toyota dealers in my area, and here's what I've come up with, for anyone else in this situation:

    1) Switching to 255/55 R19's should not void your warranty or do anything else that Toyota would frown upon. The 245/55 R19's are the only "certified" tires that Toyota lists for the '08 HH, but that one step up in size won't create a problem that they're aware of. Neither dealer would take a stand on the matter, but both said that they'd never heard of a scenario where they've denied service or repair due to this. One acknowledged that he regularly sees the Hybrids come in with 3rd-party 255s on them.

    2) Toyota refuses to acknowledge that a problem with tire availability/option/quality even exists. One dealer played entirely dumb on the issue, but the second told me "Look, we aren't supposed to talk about it, and there's nothing I can do to help you except order in the Toyo HLs, but you can probably do better elsewhere." Apparently no other tire manufacturers have accepted any other bid request that Toyota has sent out for North America -- the volumes are too low to justify manufacturing this specialty size.

    3) The difference in stepping up to a 255/55 R19 is 1.5% in tire circumference. Which means that when your speedometer reads 60 mph, you'll actually be doing 60.9 mph. BUT! By all accounts, apparently the spedo on the HHs is about 3% high to begin with. So the 1.5% under-measure actually brings the vehicle closer to actual speed than the factory stock, at least on the 2008 model year.

    4) The in-car nav will have the same accuracy shift as the spedo, which translates into about an error of 79 feet per mile, in between GPS adjustments when running solely on motion data -- that ought to be insignificant for all practical purposes.

    5) The ABS system and hybrid regenerative braking system should not be affected. I'm told that there is about a 5% margin built in for various adjustments that might occur due to certain conditions and by region or vehicle trim, and so the 1.5% error introduced by the larger tires is well within what the system should be able to handle without any hiccups.

    The last two are based on feedback from my friend's shop (which is a location of a major tire retailer), and apparently they've gotten quite a lot of irate HH owners in for this same issue over the last 2 years. They've done all of their homework on this, and other than a few isolated anecdotes where people think that their mileage has suddenly decreased, or some other weird problem has cropped up, like uneven wear, the vast majority of customers have been happy with the switch to 255's.

    Take this with a grain of salt, your mileage may vary, etc etc etc... but the case was made convincingly enough for me. I'll report back if any unexpected consequences arise...

    For what it's worth, I've gone with the Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza 255/55 R19.
  • johnp28johnp28 Member Posts: 3
    thank you SO much! Your reply is extremely informative. Please let us know how it works out. I unfortunately have the same tires on my 08 HH again because I was told there was really no other options. Please Please keep us posted
  • cdptrapcdptrap Member Posts: 485
    When driving in snow, safety trumps everything else. If it takes one size up to be safe, I would strongly suggest buying tires one size up. Besides just the normal tire "size", you can look up the technical specifications of the OEM vs something else of interest to you. The technical spec will spell out a lot of detail information that you can match. If they all match, then the tire will work just fine on the HH.

    Had we stayed with the original horribly cheap GY Integrity, we would have been in big trouble in snow and slush. That tire could not even drive over a thin layer of wet pine needles without the car losing traction forcing the AWD and VSC to intervene. This was just driving on our driveway!

    Regardless of how high tech a car is, it cannot produce more traction than where that patch of rubber meets the road. If that patch does not work well, nothing else matters.

    From an old and grizzled HH ('06) driver to fellow HH owners out there, please carefully consider you driving condition and adjust your tire type accordingly.

    Drive Safe!
  • dr_ddr_d Member Posts: 1
    I live in Michigan and the roads on the west side of the state are anything but flat! My 2007 came with Michelins and the first set lasted 41K and the second set 49K. I do not baby it too much and it rides great. I just had the third set of tires put on yesterday at just over 90K and they put on Goodyears. I called the dealership as I got home to change them back to what I had. Between reading the posts and the ride home, the tires wandered left to right and back, I had it right with the originals!
  • maryjoleblancmaryjoleblanc Member Posts: 2
    Can you be more specific on what kind of Michelin tires you put on your 2007 Highlander hybrid? I bought a 2008 a few months ago only to discover replacement tire options are extremely limited. You are driving a 2007 hybrid Highlander, right?
  • darloxdarlox Member Posts: 3
    Just an update for those who are interested in the use of 255/55 R19's on 2008+ HiHys.

    So far, the swap-out of the awful Toyo 245/55 R19's with the Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza 255/55 R19's has been a spectacular success. Because I had no other choice in the matter, those tires already have more than 900 miles of mostly-highway miles on them. But the weather in this area has been horrible for the past week, and so I can at least make a judgment on the improvement in snow handling.

    Here's some points to consider:

    1) Overall, it was a fantastic choice for my area, so far. The OEM Toyo Open Countrys were death-traps on even a tiny amount of snow. The Bridgestone Alenzas are gripping like champs now, and even on snow-covered Interstates, handled like a dream.

    2) According to two different GPS units, when I held the speedometer steady at 65 mph, the GPSes both thought I was doing between 63-64. So, the anecdotal evidence that the '08 Highlander's speedo is about 3% high seems to be borne out on my vehicle. The new tires should have added 1.5% to my measured speed, and the GPS-versus-speedometer readings I was seeing are pretty much spot-on with those values. So, I'm no longer at ALL concerned about the vehicle actually going faster than the gauges indicate.

    3) There were no issues with the tire pressure gauges after the swap-out. The ABS system is still working the same as before, and in particularly deep snow, the traction and braking systems work pretty much as I'd expect. And again, LOADS better than with the OEM Toyos on.

    4) Gas mileage: Ok, so here's one area where there _may_ have been an effect, but there's so many other confounding factors, it's hard to be sure. On this big trip, my average gas mileage dropped from 25.4 mpg prior to last week, to 22.6 mpg now. BUT, I'm not going to worry about this for right now, because:

    - This was the first major road trip I've taken using winter-formulated gas.
    - The average temperatures during my entire trip were less than 25 F, and were into the single-digits for a couple of days. So the heater and such were all running full-bore, along with the (initial) efficiency losses from extreme cold.
    - There was a lot of holiday traffic on the roads, so I was doing a lot more speed adjustments on the Interstates than would normally be called for in an average drive.

    With all of that, it's impossible for me to blame the mpg loss on the tires. But it's also impossible for me to say they weren't a factor, either. This is my first northern winter with the vehicle, so I have no idea what is "normal" at this point. I'd expect the larger tires to have slightly more rolling resistance, so some mpg loss might be expected -- but the larger tires also spin "faster" at the edges, so you go farther for the same amount of wheel rotation... would those balance out, I don't know. I'll keep tabs on this, and report back in the spring, if nothing else.

    Otherwise, the switch to 255/55 R19's has been smooth and flawless. At this point, I'd have no hesitation recommending the change to any '08+ HiHy owners. Save yourself the extortion-grade cost of those boutique 245/55 R19's, and get a lot more choices in tires appropriate for your own driving conditions!
  • montalvomontalvo Member Posts: 52
    I haven't read all the posts in this thread so apologies if this is redundant. But on another forum, a 2008 HL owner examined the relative economic benefits of 1) getting Toyo H/T's or Bridgestones, 2) upping the size to 255/55r19's or 3) buying Lexus RX 330/350 18" "replica" rims and Michelin Latitude Tour HP 245/60-R18 tires ($135/tire @ Costco). He makes a fairly compelling economic argument for the last alternative, given that the cost is comparable to the first two alternatives but future tire replacements will cost much less.

    I have a 2008 HL Limited with about 17K miles and will likely need to replace the tires within 5K miles. Absent some newly found customer sensibility from Toyota/Toyo on this issue, I leaning toward rim replacement.
  • brotherjaybrotherjay Member Posts: 5
    Does anyone else need tires for their HH w/ 19 inch rims?

    What a nightmare for all of us looking for replacement tires for our Highlander Hybrids. We'll post again and let everyone know how well they handle the snow & ice up here in Minnesota.

    We just bought Yokohama Parada P235 55r19 from tirerack.com. The customer service rep who assisted us (a fellow traveler), while recommending we use the OEM tire size, did admit that they were an acceptable tire size for the 2008 Highlander Hybrid, which we own as well. If you need his contact info, please email me.

    The difference according to an online calculator is that is less than one mph, well w/in the tolerance for the speedometer and related tire systems.

    They only cost $162 each and they have warehouses throughout the US. They even have recommended installers in your area, several w/ online discount coupons. Beware that many places charge up to $10 per tire for the automatic pressure sensors!

    Have a healthy, prosperous & happy 2010.

    Brother Jay
    Minneapolis, MN.
  • montalvomontalvo Member Posts: 52
    I called Toyota's customer service line (800-331-4331) this morning to determine whether there was any indication that the message on this tire concern was getting through to them. The rep told me that it was the first he had heard of it and that there had been no notification made to customer reps regarding potential problems. His "solution" was to offer to give me the names of Toyota dealers in my area as sources for replacement tires...period.

    I asked that my concern be documented and he stated that concerns are reviewed by personnel to look for trends and problems that may justify a recall. I'd recommend that all who have this problem take the time to register your concerns with a call to Toyota customer support. I plan to also send a note to the Consumer Reports writer who documented the problem here, asking how CR can continue to rate the HL as their top mid-sized SUV when such a problem goes unresolved.
  • kmraykmray Member Posts: 3
    I contributed to this thread earlier with problems on the tires of the 2008 HH I bought at 11,000 miles with nearly shredded tires. Afraid to change the tire size to 18 ", I ended up going to a Les Schwab dealer for the better TOYO tires...the difference between AT and HT. They were expensive at $275 each!

    Thanks for the Toyota customer service tel. I called and registered a complaint and asked a manager to review this discussion online to see the breadth and depth of discontent on such an expensive and supposedly green vehicle. If it were truly green, we should not have to replace so quickly tires that will end up in a landfill!!
  • cdptrapcdptrap Member Posts: 485
    Sadly, use of low quality OEM tires is not technically a defect or a "problem". This is a business decision made by Toyota. We can file all the complaints we wish but there is nothing the Feds can do and Toyota is certainly not going to do anything. The only thing to do is to check the tires and negotiate accordingly when buying the car. We have to be picky as heck when we buy our next car.

    It is simply stupid that a car that sells for around $40K can come with near totally useless tires. In 2006, it was the GY Integrity for CA-bound HH. This sort of cheat-on-tire trick is true of Ford, Chevy and Mercury too so it is not unique to Toyota.
  • montalvomontalvo Member Posts: 52
    Actually, the issue is NOT just that the car came with crappy tires. The far greater problem is that decent alternatives to replace the initial tires aren't available. And as for complaining to Toyota, I have to believe that they don't like to have organizations like Consumer Reports writing an article that documents an issue like this as a black mark against their otherwise impeccable ratings in CR reviews.

    As stated in my earlier post, I'm drafting an email to the CR tire expert who wrote that damning article, asking if CR will pull their "Recommended" rating on the Highlander. It might hurt my resale value a bit but right now, I'm after some revenge for being wronged!
  • cdptrapcdptrap Member Posts: 485
    I am with you! I am a CR member, will do the same.

    When our GY Integrity was slashed on a road trip, we were in a tiny town that had no GY dealer. None of the tire shop had the size so we drove on to the next town to find one. Yep, CR ought to focus on this problem and make a fuss!
  • db68db68 Member Posts: 3
    Crazy how many different concerns - My 08' HL came with OEM Toyo's 19". I find it strange how a high performance compound 300 treadwear would be a design for our SUV's (Toyota probably wanted us to feel the performance)- Shouldn't the design have been more for an SUV rather than a sportscar...I guess hit and miss with new models of vehicles - Im sure Toyota will get it right after this - Kind of like all "changes" they have to make after a new design (body style/hybrid) is introduced. I was always told not to buy the first year a new model comes out - Also seems odd that not only a performance tire was what Toyota ordered but, they chose to put the same tire on all HL's :) in all parts of the WORLD - Her in Cali seems that MOST HL owners are at least getting the normal 25/30k miles on OE tires (regardless of maker)- but for those of you in snowy states do not even get the opportunity to wear the tire out - seems more like a summer tire design - I guess we have to be aware of our own environments and possibly dig deeper before making that new car choice (but then again it is a car we are buying and tires as well as brakes are maintenance items) - or even smarter just understand that we will have to buy "replacement tires" in order to actually get what we want for our own lifestyle!!! I still vote for Toyo - Love the HT's her in Cali (and Big Bear a couple of weeks ago - great on normal/light snow). :)
  • rusty_corusty_co Member Posts: 1
    Does anyone have experience with using two sets of wheels and tires on a 08+ Highlander Hybrid?

    I would like keep the OEM Toyo A20 tires (completely unacceptable for snow/ice) on the 19 rims for summer and replace them when worn out. I would then pick up another set of Toyota 19 wheels (from all the people switching to 17 and 18 wheels) for better tire selection and mount winter tires on them. I'm even willing to buy 4 additional tire pressure sensors.

    However, my dealer and the Toyota customer care line told me that the vehicle can only handle 5 monitors so it would have to be re-programmed every time I make the swap. The other option is to swap tires on the same wheels and rebalance every season.

    So I see a few options that don't incur $$$ with every season change:

    Mount the winter set and live with the warning lights.
    Turn off the pressure monitoring system for the winter? I can live without this feature. This possible?
    Is there a way for the Highlander to handle two sets of wheels? My BMW can - I just need to reset after a swap because the slight circumference change does trigger a warning.
    Pull a fuse? Safe?
    Better idea?

    I'm hoping someone out there has figured out a way to swap wheels and share that knowledge.
  • staceybk62staceybk62 Member Posts: 1
    Recently went to dealer with 14000 miles on car, and all my tires had no tread left on them. Ridiculous, to have such cheap toyo tires on such an expensive car. Dealer only helped out with half the cost. I hope someone brings up a class action suit as I keep reading all these messages on the board with similar tire problems. :(
  • hihyphihyp Member Posts: 4
    Wow, at least your dealer kicked in something. I got nothing at 16,000 when I had to replace all 4 tires. Is anybody listening who knows enough to help get a class action started?
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