Highlander Hybrid Tire/Wheel Questions

devastated_deb

Goodyear pitched in half on my tires, but Toyota did nothing. I'm trying to save each post on here about tires and get a class action suit started. I'm hoping if enough people complain they will make Toyota responsible for the tires, reimburse us what we HAD to pay out, and put us 4 new Michelin tires on our HH's. Please, tell others to post their tire situation on here too.

PF_Flyer

The CarSpace forums cannot be used to organize legal action. Please do not make posts trying to organize lawsuits as they will have to be removed. Thanks

400e

Wanted to post an update. I have been running 19" Toyo H/T tires now for several months, in the snowiest and iciest winter we've seen in many years. The new tires have performed flawlessly. Night and day difference from the original Toyo A20 tires.
I have not gotten stuck or had the traction control system shut down once this winter even in 8" of snow.

Just wanted to make sure folks know that there is an option that allows you to stick with the original factory size tires.

lano

I am desperately seeking new tires to replace my 2008 Sport A20's. Have had the Bridgestone 255/55/R19 Dueler Alenza'a recommended by Tirerack as an alternative for the same rim. Are the Toyo Open Country HT's really the best choice? Changing wheel sizes etc for more options sounds like an expensive pain in the wallet. The Toyo HT's are hard to locate from what I am finding out.

marciax3

We periodically drive up to the mountains to ski; the rest of the winter we're on warm, flat pavement. I would like to get a second set of rims from a junk yard so I could permanently mount snow tires on them and just switch back and forth as needed. Problem is, I can't find any junked rims and new from Toyota are too expensive. I've read the rims are specific to HH and that you can't substitute any other for it....is that true? If so, does anyone have any ideas as to where to find used factory rims for an '06 HH Limited?

400e

Are the Toyo Open Country HT's really the best choice? Changing wheel sizes etc for more options sounds like an expensive pain in the wallet. The Toyo HT's are hard to locate from what I am finding out.
****************************************************************

In my opinion, at least for me, the Toyo HT was the best choice. Like you, I didn't want the expense of switching wheels.

I bought mine online at treadepot.com - price was pretty good and the service they gave was amazing. When I ordered mine, they were on national backorder, but the following week a shipment came in. Treadepot shipped mine to me in literally 2 days from when they received the shipment.

johnp28

Has anyone tried the Hankook RH07 tires on there Highlander Hybrid? They have them in 255/55/r19. One size up but from what I read they shouldn't cause a problem. They are on sale at Big O Tires 4 out the door $722. That sounds like a great price and I wanted to take advantage of the sale.

I thank you for your help.
JP

lano

I tried to buy the 19" Toyo HT's this past week from tirerack and they are back ordred till early march. Can't wait with all the snow we are having. Bit the bullet and ordered 18" Lexus rims to fit our Highlander Sport and purchased Michelin 245/60/r18 LXT m/s tires that cost a bunch but have great reviews. The rims cost $500 delivered out of florida and Belle Tire is suppling the new tires, swapping rims out, etc. out the door for $1050. The overall tire diameter ends up the same as the originals so I keep the same 19" spare.
After much deliberation, I decided to spend the money now and get rid of that awful 19" tire and limited choices. I expect the Michelins to last long enough to offset the poor mileage performance (that I've read about) of ALL 19" tires. Also I am anticipating a better ride with the 18" tires. They are going on early this week. Will let you know how they worked out.
BTW I am not a fan of Hancook tires based on experience with our work trucks.

400e

I tried to buy the 19" Toyo HT's this past week from tirerack and they are back ordred till early march.
***********************************************************************

Did you mean to type "treadepot" instead of "tirerack?" I don't think tirerack carries Toyo.

sponda

I bought my 2006 highlander hybrid brand new and I aswell had to replace my tires at 360000 miles as well!!!! And the new tires I had put on were 750.00!!!! Well guess what ,I am about ready to go get another set at 720000 miles !!! My husband said it is from the POOR suspention design!!!!!!!!!!!! So ya, this is frustrating! I complained aswell and Toyota done nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was not suprised at Toyotas response.

montalvo

Most of those with '08+ Highlanders would've KILLED for 36K miles on our original factory tires AND for the $750 replacement cost. We've been getting only 13-20K miles with costs of up to $1100 for replacement.

Consider yourself lucky...

karynnguyen

I know we're talking about tires in this post but I can't seem to get my answers elsewhere; I am going to ask you since you also own a 2006 HH. Did you know about the new disc to update the GPS for this vehicle? What do you know or think about it? I asked the dealer (in Northern Virginia) and the disc costs $199. I'd like to see if anyone out there got it and if so, was it worth the money. Thanks.

highlander26

I would suggest the Toyo brand. My 2008 Highlander Hybrid came with the Toyo 255/55/R19 and at 26,000 it was time to change tires. I called Toyo directly and the stock Toyo tires on the Highlander are only rated for 40,000. As part of Toyo's outstanding program they gave me a 25% discount on new tires at my local Les Schwab. (West Coast) Out the door I paid $801. Additionally, these H/T tires are rated at 60,000 guarantee from Toyo and I get the Les Schwab guarantee. (Repairs, rotations, alignment for the life of the tire) I highly recommend Toyo. The Bridgestone have no mileage guarantee!

highlander26

I would suggest the Toyo brand. My 2008 Highlander Hybrid came with the Toyo 255/55/R19 and at 26,000 it was time to change tires. I called Toyo directly and the stock Toyo tires on the Highlander are only rated for 40,000. As part of Toyo's outstanding program they gave me a 25% discount on new tires at my local Les Schwab. (West Coast) Out the door I paid $801. Additionally, these H/T tires are rated at 60,000 guarantee from Toyo and I get the Les Schwab guarantee. (Repairs, rotations, alignment for the life of the tire) I highly recommend Toyo. The Bridgestone have no mileage guarantee!

sponda

I will consider myself lucky when I get rid of it!!!!!!!!!!!!

twnd111

My 08 HH original tires had less than 15K and were shot with no tread left.... I just replaced them and didn't even think about getting help with the cost.... wonder if it is too late to put in a claim?

PF_Flyer

I don't think it likely you'll get any help on a wear item like tires. AWD vehicles are notorious for how they eat tires. Even if you rotate them religiously every 5-6,000 miles, a given model of tire isn't going to last as long as it will on a FWD or RWD vehicle

capriracer

OE tires - those that are installed at the vehicle assembly plant - do not come with a mileage warranty. You can only get mileage warranty on tires purchased as a separate item - and even then, there are certain lines of tires that do not have mileage warranties.

Besides, the time to ask for consideration is while you are negotiating the deal. Once you've made the purchase, it's too late!

stevegold

Which Michelins lasted over 40,000?
Costco has a sale on Bridgestone Dueler H/T 225/65 R17 101S for my 2007 HH.
$543 for 4 out the door.

car4us4

Okay-here is the answer to everyone's problems for these lowsy tires! You will need to contact Toyo Tires at 800-442-8696 and ask for Debbie or Candice (6:30 - 5:00 PST). Toyo Tires will offer you a discount on replacement set of tires based on the mileage and remaining tread left on your tires. I received a 50% discount on a new set of tires with 17000 miles on my car and
3/32 and 4/32 tread left on my tires. They will try to push the Open Country HT Tires which are very respectable tires if you drive a lot of highway mileage, but I opted for the Versado CUV's to help me with driving in the rain and snow in the Denver area and they offered me the same discount on these tires.

The A20 tires on new vehicles have been reformulated to wear longer. Do NOT expect your Toyota dealer to tell you about the Toyo discount program - the two in my area said nothing.

Good luck everyone!

drivestoofast

I too have had premature wear on my '08 HH's Toyo Open Country A20 tires. After less than 16,000, the tread, and especially the shoulders, had worn so much that traction was compromised. This is in spite of keeping the tires inflated and rotated and having the alignment adjusted twice. The Toyota dealer checked the suspension, said it was OK, but offered no real help other than giving me the number of Toyo's customer service. Toyota does not warrant the tires. Toyo does not either, apparently because they are original equipment. I called Toyo, and was pleasantly surprised that a some relief was available. They took down some info on me and the car, then directed me to call my local Toyo sellers - they gave me a list - to find someone willing to inspect my tires for wear and condition. After the inspection the tire dealer talked to the Toyo people who offered me a "courtesy adjustment". Based on the condition of the tires and the miles on them they offered me 30% off 4 tires. I asked about the spare "Is it still OK to use it?" and they said that if I replaced all 4 tires they would replace the unused spare free. Don't forget to ask about the spare, because I don't think they were going to volunteer that I could get a free one. That works out to 44% off the cost of 5 tires.In retrospect I should have tried to bargain for a better percentage.The tires, after all, had become dangerous in wet weather. The only other cost to me was spin balancing and tax. Installation and the disposal fee were waived. Not all of the independent tire sellers were willing to deal with this adjustment process, as Toyo only reimburses the seller for the $ off after they have inspected the tires themselves and agreed with the seller's assesment of the tire condition.Because of this I was also unable to talk the seller down off list price. I still came out significantly ahead vs. getting the same or similar tires online and having them installed locally. I chose the Open Country H/T. There is also a new model, the Versado CUV, which is supposed to have a very quiet smooth luxurious ride, but has a shorter tread life and no track record. On online forums people like the H/Ts except for their snow traction - not a problem where I live. The H/Ts are quiet and smooth, with 1/3 deeper tread than the A20 OEM tires, with good handling and traction. I haven't had them long enough to know much about their tread life. The only other tire I found in the 245/55/19 size is a Bridgestone Dueller HL400 (not Alenza), which is almost universally reviled by drivers. According to posts on Edmunds and other online forums, some people have sucessfully used different sized tires tires on the 19" rims, or even changed out rims. The customer service rep at Toyo told me that Toyota had them make the A20s to their specs just for the Highlander. The rubber used is very soft, like that on high performance tires, so it feels really good when you take a test drive, but wears out way too fast. Shame on you, Toyota. Other Toyo tires we have had in the past have been better than average, with the exception of these A20s, so I decided to give the H/Ts a try - but only after much research. The phone number for Toyo customer service is 1-800-442-8696.

400e

I'm not sure why anyone would say anything negative about the H/T's snow traction. I used mine all winter, and it was a doozy of a winter! Their traction on snow is fantastic.

singletrack65

I'm surprised so many people are having such tire problems; I've got an '06 HiHy with over 60K and my tires are still fine. I do plan to replace them before winter though. I had a slight misalignment on my right rear that caused excessive wear on the edge, but a quick alignment and rotation took care of the problem. I expect to get new tires @ 65-70K.
At least this thread is giving me ideas on what tires to get.

stevegold

Which tires were you using?

wvgasguy

Putting Hankook Venus (?) 255/55R19's on tomorrow. Ticked at Toyota. I'd gladly pay extra to get tires from factory that last more than 20,000 miles. Surely they could have designed this vehicle with a tire size that there were actually a decent option for replacement. I don't like any of the all season options in the OEM size. Will research before I buy anothger car to make sure I don't end up having these issues.

400e

There is at least one good option in the OEM size -

Toyo H/T.

I now have over 9000 miles on mine with no perceptible wear (still at 12/32"), great snow and rain traction, good handling. Completely different tire from the stock A/Ts.

wvgasguy

If you're talking the OEM Toyo Open Country, mine were junk at 20,000 miles and were dangerous in the rain at around 15,000

400e

Those sound like the original equipment Toyo A20 tires - which typically wear out in 15-20 k miles.

The Toyo Open Country H/T tires are great - a whole different animal than the A20.

singletrack65

I'm using the ones that came stock: Michelin Energy LX4. I don't know if it's my driving style (I'm not that gentle a driver), but they seem to have lasted.

brioboy

Me too - but I have always preferred Michelins. Mine is an 06HH - 17 inch wheels and I still have the original Michelins, about 55Kms here in West Vancouver/Whistler but I know there are problems with replacement tires for the later models with bigger wheels.

halgren

My 2008 HiHy came with Toyo A20 tires. After 14,000 miles, they were worn to the point I felt they were no longer safe. I went on-line to The Tire Rack and researched 19 inch tires. Not many to pick from. I narrowed my search down to 3 tires, and settled on Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alanza 255/55R19.

I had them installed at my favorite tire place where a friend of mine works, and had him pay particular to alignment. That was the key element. The net toe-in met manufacturer’s specs. However, one side had too much toe-in while the other side had too little toe-in. My friend said that is what caused my excessive tire wear. This toe-in problem does not show up in driving or handling, but causes excessive wear.

If you need to have your tires replaced, have them check alignment, paying particular to toe-in on each front wheel.

After 13,000 miles, my tires still look brand new.

skippaschall

I too have had trouble with my 2008 Toyota HiHy tires.
The 1st set of Toyos got 15,000 miles. Went to the dealer and they said the origional issue tires we always of lesser quality.?? I switched to Bridgstone, the only other tire maker of 19" tires at that time and they are bald at 19,500 miles. I am now thinking strongly of changing to an 17" wheel instead of 19" to get a better selection of tires to work with in hopes of getting better milage. I know the dealership is going to charge me up the wazzu to recalibrate my vehicle to go to 17". I drive about 1,000 miles a month and at that rate, it costs me about $53.00 per month in just tires. If I'd known that at the time I was shopping for a Hybrid, I would not have bought the car. Very expensive mistake.

lano

My 2008 Highlander Sport had Toyo tires that were bald in no time. I followed the recommendation of another reader and made the investment of buying 18" rims and 18" Michelin tires. The overall diameter of the tires is the same as the original Toyo and the ride is fantastic. I kept the spare and no calibration is required whatsoever. They have been on since mid Feb. 2010 and we couldn't be happier. The investment was about $1,200, but I won't be buying tires every 2 years or less. If you want the details just ask and I will dig out the paperwork.

bob259

I too have to 245-55-R19's on my 2008 HH and with less then 15K (because I run snows in the winter) the A20's were dangerous. Toyo also gave me a courtesy discount and the choice of the HT's or the Versado's. I decided to get the HT's as I read a lot of good reports on them. They did say even though it's a 60K tire to expect only 20-25K on them as the vehicle is AWD, which I think is BS seeing my 06 had over 30K on the original Michelin's on it. Didn't ask about the spare... Oh well, don't plan on using it anyway only in a emergency.

So that said those who have changed over to the HT's any updates, are you happy? Not many choices out there in this size :mad:

400e

I am very happy with the H/Ts.

I have 11,000 miles on mine. They had 12/32nds tread thickness when new, and now measure 11 or 12/32nds. Great snow traction, too.

Clearly a completely different tire from the A/Ts.

girlkoenen

I own an 08 Hi Hybrid limited, replaced the original A20's at 24,000 miles with Bridgestone Dueler, same problem 24,000 miles later, In the 16 months that the Bridgestone's have been on the car I've had 2 alignments and probably not as many rotations as I should have. This is an expensive tire problem! I have read a number of different post about the subject on Toyota Nation, called 3 Toyota dealers and Toyota customer service to research. I have considered replacing with the 17inch for the additional cost. Then I found out that there are 2 or 3 tires with the name Toyo Open Country H/T- the one's from the dealer are junk and they admit it. Les Schwab offers the Toyo Open Country H/T with the 60,000 mile warranty (the only thing I found with a mileage warranty) a totally different tire but with the same name and approx same cost about $230 per tire. Having these put on today and hoping for a miracle. My advise is if you get the Open Country, make sure you are buying the one with the mileage guarantee. Details of warranty etc are on the Toyo Website.

mom4thpower

I have been having a terrible time finding snow tires worth a crap for my 08 Highlander that last longer than a year. We live at over 10,000 feet and it sounds like you may be in a similar situation. Do the Michelins get good traction in the snow and ice?

brioboy

Wow! 10,00 feet! I have no experience with that altitude - from West Vancouver, at sea level, to Whistler is only about 2000 feet. We rarely get snow or ice at sea level and even past Squamish, it is a rare event. When it does snow to the Village level the highway is cleared quickly. It is only the dummy drivers with bad tires that get stuck or go off the road. That said, I equipped my 06 HH with Michelin winter tires last year only because of the winter olympics here - and they were great, and really quiet - super grip. But they did seem to require more gas. Back to the original AllSeason Michelins, no problem and no problem before I got the winter tires. I had nothing but Michelins on 4 Subarus and have driven through 2 feet of snow into my garage with no problem - as long as it is not real wet heavy snow.
Now, if you read through this forum, it seems the problem with tires starts with the 08 and up HH - 18 inch and up - no Michelins to fit. I started looking at this forum to find out about Nokian - seems to be the best, but horrendously expensive here in B.C. That would probably be your best, if available, but I love Michelin.

mcgusto

Just want to give a "heads-up" to everyone who is looking to change out their 19" tires on their Highlanders. Up until recently, it has been very difficult to replace the 19" TOYO tires that came with the Highlanders due to an odd size (P245/55R19), and many people on this forum have had to go with with alternate sizes. But no more!

I recently went to my local Costco here in Southern California, and they now carry a Bridgestone Dueler H/L 400 P245/55R19 103S Light Truck/SUV tire for $199.49 (plus $15 for install, unless you buy all 4 tires, then you get $70 off, which basically covers the installation of the tires).

On the description it said the tires had a UTGO Rating of 400/B/B and have an "All Season Track."

My wife and I will be nearing the 20,000 mile mark on our 2009 Highlander Hybrid LImited, and with all the snow this season, we will be making the upgrade sometime soon. I'll post back when I have some experience with the tires.

On a final note, I checked on costco.com and they still didn't have the tires listed on their website. They might only be at certain warehouses, so it might be wise to check with your local warehouse before planning on getting the tires there.

The associate at Costco said they were fairly new and were being carried because of frequent requests for the tire size. (I know the year we bought our Highlander, Consumer Reports had it rated #1 in its class, so there has to be quite a bit of demand out there).

Happy shopping!

Gusto

400e

I would recommend checking out the reviews of the Bridgestone Dueler on tirerack before buying...

Lots of very negative reviews.

I continue to be very happy with my Toyo HTs. Now a year old, virtually imperceptible wear, great winter traction.

capnemo

I have had the same problems with tires on my hybrid and would appreciate your telling me the Michelin tire you purchased & where you bought rims, etc. Went on the Michelin website for recommendations of tires for the Toyota Highlander Hybrid and it came up with 4 17" tire recommendations and I don't want to have to have the wheels calibrated. Any information you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

hihyp

Interesting experience with my second set of replacement tire on 2008 HiHy. The dealership was running a special and, using the VIN number for my vehicle, quoted me $750 to replace all 4 tire with a Yokohama tire (at 34,000 miles).

My local tire dealer had quoted me just over $1000 for the Bridgestone dueler (same tires I had put on at 13,000 miles). They talked to their Yokohama rep and weren't able to get the tire size I needed so advised me to go with the dealer.

I dropped my car off after hours on Thanksgiving. The next day I got a very apologetic call from the dealership. Apparently, my vin number had indicated at common 17" replacment tire and that was what they had based their quote on. After much "mea culpa" talk from the dealership, they offered to put on the Michelin duelers for $780. Naturally, I took them up on the deal.

Still wonder why the VIN inquiry was wrong but satisfied with my dealerships response.

lano

lano

I converted my 19" Toyo junkers to 18" Michelins by buying 18" wheels from Shawn Durrant at OE Wheels in Fla (866-273-3651), oewheelsllc.com. They look great and cost about $500 delivered. I bought Michelin LTX M/S
245/60/R18 from Belle Tire for about $1000. The new tire diameter is exactly the same as the 19" toyos so no calibration was needed and the toyo spare on the 19" wheel can be used if needed. The ride is fantastic and after a year there is no noticable wear on the tires.
This cost me some bucks but the problem is solved.

mdhutton

Just FYI, these Bridgestones were OEM equipment on some 08 HL LTDs and are every bit as terrible and unsafe as the Toyo A20s. Beware.

89fj62

PF_Flyer

It's been a loooooong time since I've known anyone who has bought retreads, I'm talking like the EARLY 70's. And while I'm sure you can still buy retreads, I'd wager that the majority of retreads are bought for trucks and not passenger vehicles.

89fj62

Come to think about it, My last car with retreads was a 1970 Impala. Looking on the internet I have found several retreaders within 50 miles of my town. Most say truck tires only but a few also do cars. I'll look into it and report my findings, My Highlander won't see much snow driving. I have been fortunate to be able to store it in my garage to keep road salt off of it. My wife drives my old car to work when weather is bad. Studded tires work great. Most people don't know studs are still available at least in PA.

PF_Flyer

I have a friend who owns a tire shop. His dad started the biz in 1964. They haven't done any passenger car retreads in over 20 years and told me that the retread business is virtually all for BIG trucks

jhende1

First post here. Thoughts/questions on 19" tire problem:
1. for people heavy into winter, get Blizzak snow tires. Great in snow and ice. Huge snow fall here in New England, these tires inspired the confidence in me that I had in my previous tank of a vehicle, Jeep Grand Cherokee. Scared to death the previous winter in the A20's, crashed in one inch of snow at 10mph. The Blizzaks are totally worth the money to me, nothing is as important as feeling safe on the road. Yes, mileage was 22-23 instead of 26-27, but to me a small trade off.
2. I just emailed Toyo to complain about the a20's. I was lucky to squeeze 23k out of mine, but they are about to be reinstalled for the spring, and are completely bald. Anyway, I sent an email to them, complaining about lack of grip and treadwear. I literally was called back by a customer service rep in <30min, stating they have a program where I bring the tires to a Toyo dealer, and will get a discount. We'll see how much. I think they are nervous that their reputation is going to be very damaged by this, so use it to your advantage.
3. Is it then worth it to get the Toyo H/T? Seems like people here really like them. What kind of mileage are people getting? I was getting 26-27 from the A20, sometimes more.
4. Tirerack is listing a Goodyear Assurance CS Fuelmax as a new tire in the 245/55/19. Anybody have any knowledge about these?
Thanks.