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Toyota Sienna Tires & Wheels

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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Fragile, no, not usually. Especially OE wheels.

    However, police cruisers use steel wheels for a reason. Alloys certainly are less tough, and cheaper cast ones can crack like that. It's just rare for OE because manufacturers tend to use sturdy ones.

    You can order a new set from Tire Rack or Discount Tire Direct. Talk to them on the phone and tell them durability/robustness is a priority for you.

    I bet the OE wheels are so expensive, that 2 will cost you about what you'd pay for 4 aftermarket ones.
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    mleonardomleonardo Member Posts: 45
    I think toyota is blowing smoke up your [non-permissible content removed]. They should have replaced that wheel at only 5000 miles. I would look for an aftermarket set also. They will be far less expensive than the OEM wheels and will probably look better.
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I'd forgotten those were runflats. The sidewalls are much stiffer, but still, cracked rims are a bit extreme.
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    s4f4ms4f4m Member Posts: 19
    EDIT FYI, You need to log-in at siennaclub.org in order to see the thread.

    Check out:
    http://www.siennaclub.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=10590

    Seems as though increasing tire pressure to 40psi (light load) and 45 psi (heavy load) might offer better treadwear for RFTs. The OP (and other posters) seem to think that Toyota's 35psi is too low for the gross unloaded weight of the Sienna - leading to quicker treadwear.

    Might be a consideration...maybe even up to 38 psi to have a balance of treadwear and ride comfort.
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    mnrep2mnrep2 Member Posts: 200
    I did manage to get 30K out of the B380 runflats that came with my 06 AWD, and went with the Yokohoma Avid TRZ tires. WOW it is like a new car. Much smoother driving and better handling than the Runflats. When I went back to the dealer to pick up my Donut spare, I couldn't help but notice STACKS of the exact tires I had just installed!! Come winter, we will see how good they are in the snow.
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    subewannabesubewannabe Member Posts: 403
    After 2 sets of run flats on my 05 XLE AWD ,at 48K I bought a reconditioned OEM wheel and Pirelli P4 all season radials . Nirvana.
    The full size spare is strapped down in back, the new tires are MUCH quieter, handle MUCH better and wear MUCH better.....
    and I pocketed the $600 difference from a new set of run-flats.
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Cool. :shades:
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    eadams1eadams1 Member Posts: 1
    I want to have reguler tires, but where i will keep the extra tire, can we fit extra tire same place as LE or CE models?
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    maciecmaciec Member Posts: 2
    It's funny that you say that because I am just getting ready to replace by Avid TRZ's. I cannot wait! The dealer said that there is a problem with the "cupping" in at least 1 of the tires and possibly a second, therefore I am getting a thumping sound, vibrating steering wheel, and very rough ride. I got abut 35k out of them.

    Now my question is, should I go with the same thinking that this was just a fluke or should I go with a different brand?

    Oh and by the way, I have never had a problem with the snow. In fact, I think they are great in the snow.
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    mnrep2mnrep2 Member Posts: 200
    I believe that the Sienna is really hard on tires ( especially the AWD version ). You need to keep tire pressures up around 38-40 PSI and rotate every 5K to get the most out of them. Finally, tire alignment would be important as well.

    The fact that I got 32K miles out of the Runflats attests to the above strategy for long tire life!!
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    ckirkckirk Member Posts: 18
    I too got about 30,000 on 1st set bridgestone rft's. The free 2nd set that the regional rep gave us because of premature wear lasted 25000. I used bridgestone snow rft's this past winter and now have yokohama avid without a spare as yet. No comment on Avid wear yet.
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    jen40jen40 Member Posts: 2
    Our tires suck. we are sick of the run around on the run flats. who else has heard cupping is normal? vibration is normal???? the noise is just in our heads??? Please post as we wonder who else has these problems?
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    kajnconantkajnconant Member Posts: 5
    We have the cupping problem on our second set of run flat tires... problem is one went flat in Yellowstone.

    Here's a BIG issue with run flats that's been mostly over looked.

    Nobody for 100's of miles around had the specialized equipment to work on them, i.e. I had to be towed out of Yellowstone and stay the night unplanned in Montana just to find out that my road side service wouldn't tow me somewhere they could work on run flats - they would only tow me to the closest tire shop. Long story short, it cost me $700 to get one run flat tire replaced and it's a different brand than the other 3 tires. When I called Toyota corporate they would not do a thing for me.

    $200 for an unplanned stay in a hotel in West Yellowstone City
    $300 to get towed there
    $200 to have special delivered and installed a run flat tire

    I'm getting rid of run flats and recommend you stay away from them too - unless you plan to always be near a place that has the specialty equipment to work on them.
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    kajnconantkajnconant Member Posts: 5
    Please be aware the cupping on my tires is mostly hidden on the inside shoulder of the tire. I can only see it if I crawl behind the tire or turn the front tires all the way as far as possible one way. Also, the vibrating preceeded the tire going flat.

    Go to this website to see pictures of our run flat tire problem:
    http://picasaweb.google.com/KAJNConant/DunlopRunFlat

    None of this is normal.
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    upsman69upsman69 Member Posts: 1
    I bought a new 2008 Sienna AWD with the Dunlop RFT's on it. One word describes these tires "TRASH". My van has 23K miles on it and all 4 tires are "TRASH". These tires have been rotated, and tire pressure checked on a frequent basis, and they still cupped, wore, and the right front has steel belts showing (noticed today!) Does anyone know if Toyota is still covering these "TRASH" tires? I am driving it to the Toyota dealer tomorrow to see what they are going to do about it. I WILL NOT be putting the RFT's back on, they are the biggest pile of "TRASH", that I have ever seen. Any information would be great.
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    mleonardomleonardo Member Posts: 45
    Toyota replaced my first set for free. They only had about 20000 miles on them. They were worn so bad that one of them developed a split in the tread area. I agree with you. Runflats are trash.
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    What do people think of the run-flats? :D

    Just teasing. I hope your dealers can help you out. Toyota should switch brands or even re-think the whole idea.
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    jcortneyjcortney Member Posts: 7
    I for one would vote for giving up on run flat tires for the following reasons:
    1) Many shops can not work on them:
    2) They do not wear well?
    3) The 2005 low tire sensors do NOT work!!!!
    4)It is recommended that flats are not repaired but replaced!!!
    5)If you do not mind the expense and never leave a very populated area they might be OK!!!

    Now for my questions Has anyone found a way to carry a spare safely outside of the van compartment? I bought the van for several reasons? can carry 4X8 foot sheet goods, Can carry luggage and seven people and All wheel drive.

    I sure wish I had paid attention to my gut and ran away from Toyota when I heard of the run flat tires!! Sure wish I had gone with the saturn van!
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    marty08marty08 Member Posts: 3
    On my 2005 Sienna, I don't have run-flats. I had Dunlop's, which were bald after 30,000 miles. I replaced them with Yokohama's and they are down to 2/32's to 3/32's of an inch of tread. I rotate and balance every 6,000 miles and get a front-end-alignment twice a year. Because I have a few spots that are 3/32's of an inch, the dealership, where I bought the Yokohama's will not warranty them, until they are at 3/32's or less, all the way around. I notice that when the speedometer shows 60 mph and I drive by one of those friendly radar, traffic, speedometers, it shows that I'm only traveling at 54 mph. When it is raining, the traction control light comes on and the dealer states that I'm hydroplaining. I'll put on another set of Yokohama's, just because they will be under warranty. In contrast, I had over 90,000 miles on my 1997 Toyota 4WD, 4-Runner, before the sidewalls started to checker. There was still plenty of tread left on the Bridgestone Desert Duellers. The Yokohama's were nice and quiet for the first 18,000 miles and after that, they sounded like a combine in a corn field. :(
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    whitewaternutwhitewaternut Member Posts: 40
    Bought a 2006 Sienna in May to replace my 98 Tacoma with a bad frame. I just noticed that all four alloy wheels have some heavy corrosion. Apparently they are painted and the paint is bubbling severly. I called Toyota and they said to take it to the dealer for analysis, which I will do this week.

    Anyone else having this kind of problem with the rims?
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    zman61zman61 Member Posts: 2
    My 2005 Sienna XLE has this probelm with 3 of 4 of the alloy wheels. I took it to the Toyota dealer where I bought the van and they were helpless. I also took it to another Toyota dealer and they were helpless as well. I have an XTRA CARE extened warranty to 75K miles and they still won't help. The wheels look like they're 20 years old. They're pitting out and rusting. I won't buy another Toyota again!!!
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    whitewaternutwhitewaternut Member Posts: 40
    zman, have you tried calling Toyota? If enough of us get together we might be able to do something about it.

    If I get no help from my dealer I will call Toyota and if they don't do something about it I will file a complaint with the Feds. This is definitely a safety issue.
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    wheels13wheels13 Member Posts: 51
    Same problem, finish coming off from beneath due to corrosion
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    zman61zman61 Member Posts: 2
    Yes, I have contacted the Toyota problem dispute line listed in the owners book. They stated since the van was over the base 3yr/36k miles warranty by 2k miles, I should go back to the dealer and tell them about the corrosion perforation coverage for 5yr/unlimited miles. I called the Cust Service Mgr where Ibought the van and he called back stating I should go to the dealership where I do most of my service. This is a classic case of "the runaround". Nobody at Toyota can help me so far. I'm not giving up.
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    whitewaternutwhitewaternut Member Posts: 40
    Stay with it zman, we can do something about this.

    I have an appointment Monday at the dealership to look at this problem. I'll post when I get back.
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    whitewaternutwhitewaternut Member Posts: 40
    Well, I took the vehicle to the dealership where I bought it and both the saleman and the manager looked at the wheels. They were shocked. The manager said he would check this through and get back to me.

    Will post again when I hear something. :sick:
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    whitewaternutwhitewaternut Member Posts: 40
    Been two weeks and have heard nothing so I called Toyota and was told that someone from the local dealership would call me. Have heard nothing from them yet.

    I'm beginning to get bad feelings about Toyota. My confidence in their quality and support has been greatly diminished. :sick:
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Call again. Be persistent, but try to be nice as well.
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    dkwarrendkwarren Member Posts: 9
    I have a 2006 Sienna LE, all-wheel drive, with stock 17" alloy wheels that are "bubbling" too -- all four wheels. I just noticed the problem a couple of month ago and it has gotten worse. The paint on the wheels is not damaged, so its corroding beneath the paint. When I took the car in for oil change and wheel rotation, last week, I asked the Toyota dealer's service rep about this. He said that this is not normal, shouldn't happen, but he had seen a few other Siennas with this condition. He also said that he had seen it on a few allow wheels on other models.

    The proposed solution is that the dealer would take my car for a few days, give me a loaners, and would remove the run-flat tires from the wheels, send the wheels to another specialty shop that will "sand blast and repaint" the wheels. I am not certain that this is the right solution. I have asked the dealers service manager for a conference with a real Toyota safety engineer and a wheels engineer. I am an automotive manufacturing engineer. I have concerns about a process that will simply sand or grind away the surface. If all of the corrosion is not removed, it may continue to spread like cancer. Also, removing metal from the wheel may weaken it. Are they going to TIG-weld the pocks that will result from the grinding, or are they going to put Bondo in them? The Service Manager tried to assure me that BMW and Mercedes use the same fix for their wheels. I said that if I wanted to buy a Beemer or a Benz, I would not have bought a Toyota. I also want assurance in writing, that my corrosion warranty will cover the repair or replacement of alloy wheels for as long as I own the car. I have owned GM cars with alloy wheels for more than 23 years and have never had this problem -- not even on twelve-year-old alloy wheels.

    Anyway, I am awaiting a reply from the dealer. I have opened a case with Toyota -- call 800-331-4331.
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    kj2005kj2005 Member Posts: 17
    I have a 2006 Sienna XLE AWD with runflats and the alloy wheels too. First, we had the Dunlop run flat tires replaced at 28K miles gratis from the dealer due to excessive wear. Our vehicle is only dealer service and maintained and we do it exactly according to the scheduled maintenance book.

    The Sienna now has 50K miles in 33 months (18K miles/yr avg) and I too have already noticed the alloy wheels have the bubbling described in this thread! We have the Platinum Elite warranty for 100K miles so I will need to read about that coverage.

    We are located in Massachusetts, where they may use salt or other chemicals on the roads in the wintertime, but we wash and clean the car regularly.

    I plan to take some digital pictures of the wheels soon to see if it getting worse, and where. I have noticed it is towards the center of the wheel closer to the valve stem and not the outside edge. If anyone wants to exchange pics to compare notes I would be more than happy to,

    I am actually typing this message from the dealership's customer waiting area while we get our 50K maintenance performed. I asked the Service Manager about the wheels and he said that he's heard of wheels corroding but that happens in Mass. where we have tough winters. Bunk!? Once the vehicle comes back I will point it out to him.

    If anyone has plead their case to a dealership or to Toyota customer service (my next step) to get this problem acknowledged or corrected please let me know. My goal is to use this vehicle for 3+ more years (6 total or more) so proper maintenance is important to me.

    I even thought about taking notice of other Siennas circa 2006 in shopping mall parking lots to see if their wheels have the same problem with the wheels. I vaguely recall the XLE Limited models may have a different size or style of wheel so it may be harder to find examples to compare to.
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    dkwarrendkwarren Member Posts: 9
    Here in Michigan, we have tough winters, and unlike Massachusetts and Connecticut where the road commission folks use sand mixed with salt, we are close to the Detroit salt mines (no joke), so pure rock salt is cheaper than sand, so our roads get 100% rock salt. As I mentioned before, my GM cars and one GM truck have had alloy wheels for years, driving through Michigan ice, snow and rock salt, and never had a bubbling corrosion problem. Even the service guys at the local Toyota dealership tell me that this is a rare condition and should not be happening to undamaged wheels. Let's see how this plays out. I have not been able to find out too much about this on the Internet, so my guess is that it is a rare condition and may be due to a bad batch of Sienna 17" wheels (maybe only a few thousand of them) that Toyota got from a supplier. The auto companies buy millions of wheels every year. Even a thousand bad ones would not necessarily draw a lot of media attention, especially if no one gets hurt from the defect.

    Let's see how this plays out. The reason that Toyota would propose to sand-blast (or shot-blast) and refinish the wheels is that the process would only cost about $75 - $100 per wheel (that's about what some of the local shops charge to retail customers without quantity discounts), whereas replacing the wheels could be around $500, each, based upon what my sources are telling me. The loaner car would be from the dealer's pool of loaners, so that would cost the dealer virtually nothing to loan a car to me for 3 or 4 days. The labor to remove the wheels and tires and to remount the tires, balance and reinstall the wheels would be done by the dealer's salaried mechanics as time permits, so that would incur virtually no incremental cost to the dealer, either. However, the dealer would be reimbursed for the entire cost including some predetermined standard labor rate and loan car rate, so the dealer will actually make money on the deal -- at least that's the way it works for GM, and Ford (I have worked with GM and Ford Warranty Operations and with Supplier Quality Control as part of my professional career). Most dealerships don't have the necessary equipment to refurbish wheels (the need to do so is too rare), so the work is best done by specialty "wheel and rim" shops. Even here in Detroit, there are very very few specialty shops that can do this type of work properly.
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    whitewaternutwhitewaternut Member Posts: 40
    After 4 weeks of no response from either the dealer or Toyota I sent a strong letter to both of them with my opinion of their Sienna wheels. Here is a picture of what I have on my 2 year old van:

    image

    Apparently they don't care because I have over 36,000 miles on it.

    Doesn't say much for their quality control or customer satisfaction. So much for Toyota quality and dependability that they advertise on TV.
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That corrosion is ugly. They could at least blast it and repaint the rim.

    Are they all like that?

    It's almost as if the metal surface was contaminated before it was primed/painted.
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    whitewaternutwhitewaternut Member Posts: 40
    Yes, all four wheels have corrosion between all spokes but the one shown is the worst.

    I have not pulled any of the wheels off so I don't know if they are corroded on the inside also.

    Very disappointing for Toyota not to stand behind an obvious defect like that.
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    kj2005kj2005 Member Posts: 17
    The corrosion I have is like the small patch of bubbling at the "top" of the photo which is not too bad. I see this on a few wheels in different places. I've cleaned the car and wheels with a wheel cleaner that is safe and is not corrosive. I guess I can see what is coming!

    I will take pics of my wheels to post too. I will also locally lobby for a resolution. If anyone on this forum has success with Toyota or their local dealer please share.

    BTW, I have the 6 yr / 100K Platinum Elite extended warranty for what its worth.
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    whitewaternutwhitewaternut Member Posts: 40
    I have that warrantee also. I should have bought something usefull for what it cost. :sick:
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    dkwarrendkwarren Member Posts: 9
    My wheels look like the one in whitewaternut's photo, except that the paint has not yet broken. I have 20,000 miles on my wheels. By the time they get to 36,000 they may well have paint falling off. The problem may be due to contamination in the allow itself, or it may be due to bad wheel prep before priming, or due to bad primer. The fact that the surface paint has not broken (okay, yours finally broke, afterward, but not before the bubbling started) is an indication that the corrosions started below the the topcoat of paint.

    Ask your dealer about the corrosion warranty. I believe that is an unlimited mileage warranty..
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    whitewaternutwhitewaternut Member Posts: 40
    I've talked to both the dealer and the Toyota complaint line and was told that the corrosion warranty only covers rust-through. Gusss I'll have to wait till the wheels fall off.
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    kj2005kj2005 Member Posts: 17
    It would seem from my own wheels and the pictures posted the corrosion may start a the lip of the wheel that differentiates the finish from the backside of the wheel. So I don't know now to protect that edge but it seems to originate in all cases from there.
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    mleonardomleonardo Member Posts: 45
    Since aluminum doesnt rust that is quite convenient for Toyota. I have an 05 sienna AWD with these same wheels and thankfully no corrosion like this.
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    whitewaternutwhitewaternut Member Posts: 40
    Well, I just got word from the dealer that Toyota will fix my problem. They want the van for one week so they can remove the rims and send them to be repaired. I'll have a loaner until I get the van back.

    I guess you can really get results when you make a lot of noise and I'm glad to see that Toyota really does stand behind their quality claim.
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    dkwarrendkwarren Member Posts: 9
    Thanks for the update. The aluminum alloy wheels should not "oxidize", and your wheels are proof that at least one set of Toyota AWD Sienna alloy wheels can last 3 or 4 years without bubbling. My dealer's service manager tells me that the condition is rare. The alloy wheels on my GM cars have gone through more than a dozen Michigan winters on salted roads without this problem.
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    dkwarrendkwarren Member Posts: 9
    My dealer offered to do the same fix for me. I asked for a statement from Toyota Engineering regarding the long-term viability of the proposed fix. I don't want my wheels crumbling unexpectedly. If the problem is superficial, then bead-blasting and some kind of Bondo and paint may be sufficient. If the metal itself is defective, the repair may not be safe.
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Remember, everything is designed to last one day past the warranty. At that point they want you to buy a new car. ;)
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    mleonardomleonardo Member Posts: 45
    It's to bad you have to make noise. Standing behind your product isn't forcing your customers to make noise before you will do something about their problem. I am glad to hear that your problem is going to be addressed.
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    rbrubakerbrubake Member Posts: 1
    So the other day I realized that I had no idea where the spare tire was on my vehicle and that seemed dangerous so I poured through the manual and the internet only to discover that I had no spare . . . OR SO I THOUGHT. I do not have run-flats, not sure why. I figured the previous owner had just switched them out. Before I ordered a spare just to have in case of emergencies, I decided to look under the van, just to make sure. And there, under the car, sort of near the right sliding door, is a spare tire! Does anyone else have this? And how was I so lucky? From everything I've read, it seems the only place to put a spare is in the back behind the third row seats. And people specifically say there is no room under the van. I just thought I'd put this out there and see if anyone else has this arrangement and to let people know that it must be possible.
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    dkwarrendkwarren Member Posts: 9
    My Dealer called to let me know that Toyota will replace my wheels (less than 22 months old and less than 21,000 miles) or will strip, bead-blast, repair and repaint my existing wheels and will provide a lifetime warranty on the repair job. The catch is this -- the dealer needs to find a repair shop that provides a lifetime warranty. Toyota (the corporation) is not willing to make any statement about the safety of the proposed repair nor about the quality of the existing wheels. I asked the dealer about the expected quality of the replacement wheels, if I choose the option to replace them. The reply is that the 36,000 mile warranty will apply. So, if the new wheels start bubbling after the car has 15,000 more miles on it, Toyota will not replace or repair the new wheels again. The dealer's service manager said that she only recalls seeing the bubbling wheel condition on approximately 15 Toyotoa vehicles in her entire career. She said that this a very unusual condition.

    I suspect that the root cause is a supplier problem, but I can only guess about whether it is an alloy problem, a paint or primer problem or something else. The big questions are: Did the supplier ever fix the problem? Can I get new wheels that were made after the problem was resolved?

    The dealer is supposed to call me back if and when she can find a repair shop with a lifetime warranty.
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    mleonardomleonardo Member Posts: 45
    Do you have an AWD van or a FWD? The Front wheel drive vans have a spare mounted under them. The AWD vans have the rear axle in the way of a spare.
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    mleonardomleonardo Member Posts: 45
    It's funny what the service managers will tell you just to get you off their backs. When I complained about the AWD runflats, my service manager told me that they had never heard of the problems i spoke of. Then I talked to my neighbor who told me he had gone around and around with the same dealer about his runflats. So I was lied to. Toyota is taking a slide in their quality and service.
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    With the high volumes they're doing customers would already have complained about everything. Seriously.
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