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tire failure

7K views 18 replies 13 participants last post by  TucsonPrius 
#1 ·
I have 5,000 miles on my '05 Prius bought in early Feb.

Late Saturday, I was driving home on the freeway and had a flat tire (right front). I'd heard a muffled pop a mile or so back, like I'd kicked up a small stone, but otherwise wasn't sure at first what was going on. When I realized I had a flat, I pulled off the freeway in an unsafe area so drove beyond what I normally would in daylight. Needless to say, the tire is toast.

Was this just bad luck? I was surprised to have a tire fail with only 5,000 miles on it.

Any suggestions for a better new tire than the GoodYear's that came on the car?
 
#2 ·
Why do you think it was a tire defect? A nail might have been in your tire for a while, and the stress of high-speed driving finally caused it to leak and pop. Tires get flats, it's not necessarily a defect. Your road hazard coverage from Toyota may cover this.
 
#4 ·
We also had a flat tire on our Prius, with barely 500 miles on it! Stupid nail....We were not happy, to say the least. Were told by Toyota and Goodyear that Road Hazard Warranty was not included on the factory tires.

Unhappy that we had to spend MORE money on a brand new car, we ended up just buying 4 new tires at Costco, which come with RHW automatically and scrapping the factory tires.

All in all, we weren't happy with the customer service we recieved. But a plus side, we got the horrible factory tires off of the car before we drove 400 miles to San Jose. Car drives like a dream now!
 
#5 ·
Anne,

What tires/size did you get? Were they "special order" from Costco, or do they stock them? Also, what did you pay (if you don't mind me asking)?


DGStan
 
#7 ·
There is a RHW and if a Toyota dealer or a Goodyear dealer ignored it, then neither the Toyota dealership nor the Goodyear dealer deserve my business anymore.

All model years of Prius have had road hazard warranties. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find a new vehicle out on the road that didn't have a RHW from the factory.
 
#10 ·
Thomme said:
Really? I had a tire disintegrate on the freeway (dunno why), and the Toyota Road Hazard Warranty did pay for it.

Did the RHW come with the '04's (my model year), but not subsequent years?
I happen to have a claim in also (two really, I had to replace one tire, then a week later picked up a nail, so a repair to boot). Out of curiosity, how long before you got your reimbursement?

Thanks,
Shawn
 
#11 ·
All US Toyota Prius come with a Tire & Wheel Road Hazard warranty, as part of the 3 year/36,000mile Toyota Roadside Assistance plan that comes with the Prius.

To quote myself from: http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Pri ... sage/31089

I knew I had posted this previously...
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Pri ... sage/12711

quoting myself from a post from Dec. 2003 and a repost in July 2004:

I just went out to my husband's 2004 Prius and pulled out all of the
manuals and such that came with the car.

There is a tri-fold brochure that's very green, with a 2004 Prius on
it, labeled "Toyota Prius Roadside Assistance Program" with the part
number on the back of 00627-PRIUS-RSA04 03-MKG-047 Also in the
brochure is a plastic wallet-sized "Roadside Assistance Card."

[Middle inside fold page]

TIRE AND WHEEL ROAD HAZARD COVERAGE
For the term of the 3-year, 36,000-miles warranty, reimbursement will
be provided up to $20 per incident for the repair of a flat tire
damaged by a Road Hazard (t). If the tire is non-repairable and has
more than 3/32nds of tread depth remaining, you will be reimbrused for
a comparable new tire (includes balancing and mounting) up to a
maximum
benefit of $150 per incident. A warranty term maximum benefit of $600
applies to your tires, and all repairs or replacements must be pre-
approved.

In addition to the tire, should your wheel also be damaged due to a
Road Hazard (t), you will be reimbursed for a comparable new wheel
(includes balancing and mounting) up to a maximum benefit of $200 per
incident. A warranty maximum benefit of $800 applies to your wheels,
and replacements must be pre-approved.

[right inside fold page]

HOW TO HANDLE A ROAD HAZARD CLAIM:
(Pre-authorization Required) You must call 1-877-304-6495 for
authorization. Proceed by having all covered repairs performed by a
comercial repair establishment. For reimbursement, up to the maximum
limit specified, please submit the following:

The "original" receipt containing the commercial establishment's
pre-printed name, address, and telephone number. This receipt must
also include the covered vehicle's year, make, model, VIN number, and
odometer reading.

Your reimbursement request must be submitted within 30 days of the
Road Hazard incident. Upon receipt of the completed information, your
request will be processed within 20 working days.

Please submit your request to:
Cross Country Automotive Services
Toyota Prius Reimbursements
P.O. Box 9145
Medford, MA 02155

(t) = Road Hazard is defined as: objects and road conditions such as
potholes, rocks, wood debris, metal parts, plastic or composition
scraps, or any item causing tire damage other than normal wear and
tear.

[back middle of pamphlet]

WHAT IS NOT COVERED UNDER ROAD HAZARD BENEFIT:
-Tires with less than 3/32nd tread remaining
-Replacement covered by a manufacturer or other warranty
-Replacement exceeding the manufacturer's vehicle specifications
-Damage caused by negligence, abuse, misuse, collision, curb impact,
valve or rim leaks, improper inflation, tire chains, racing, off-road
use, vandalism, fire or theft
-Any consequential damage


[I'll note that I've seen at least 3 different addresses to sent the
documentation to, so I don't know which to recommend...]


ALL US Prius come with 3 years/36,000 miles of Toyota Roadside
Assistance, which includes this tire & wheel road hazard warranty.

See the Safety section here:
http://www.toyota.com/vehicles/2005/prius/models.html
and the end of question 17 here:
http://www.toyota.com/vehicles/2005/prius/faq.html
 
#12 ·
TucsonPrius said:
Thomme said:
Really? I had a tire disintegrate on the freeway (dunno why), and the Toyota Road Hazard Warranty did pay for it.

Did the RHW come with the '04's (my model year), but not subsequent years?
I happen to have a claim in also (two really, I had to replace one tire, then a week later picked up a nail, so a repair to boot). Out of curiosity, how long before you got your reimbursement?

Thanks,
Shawn
Less than three weeks. Impressively fast.
I also picked up a nail a few days after my tire blew, and the guy at the tire shop remembered me, took pity, and patched it for free. Needless to say, that shop will continue to get my business in the future.
 
#13 ·
You have to push

Just last week I requested reimbursement for a tire that was replaced in March 2004 :oops: In my defense, I had asked in 2004 for a replacement and was turned down...the dealer didn't know about the RHW.

I did so after printing out the extract from MRV's post above...you have to take it with you. In my case, they offered every conceivable resistance..."you didn't purchase a RHW....it's between you and Goodyear".

Only after I insisted did they call Toyota (presumably the 877 number in MRV's post above) and confirmed the RHW. Toyota said I should submit a claim, which I did.

Haven't heard back yet, but I'm not gonna take no for an answer :twisted:

By the way, the name of the person that they reached was "Jennifer", for what it's worth.

Also by the way, my car did not come delivered with the brochure that MRV describes --nor the wallet card. I forgot to ask for one, but when I do, I bet they don't have any.
 
#14 ·
mrv writes, "If the tire is non-repairable and has more than 3/32nds of tread depth remaining, you will be reimbrused for a comparable new tire (includes balancing and mounting) up to a maximum benefit of $150 per incident. "

I'm out of luck since there isn't 3/32nds of thread depth remaining. I need a new rim, too, so this will not be an inexpensive fix.
 
#15 ·
Thomme said:
I also picked up a nail a few days after my tire blew, and the guy at the tire shop remembered me, took pity, and patched it for free. Needless to say, that shop will continue to get my business in the future.
In the Northwest, there is a tire store chain called Les Schwab that will fix a flat for free if you bought your current tires from them, OR if you're on factory original tires. (The reasoning is that you just haven't had a chance to buy tires from them yet.)
 
#16 ·
wheels covered too??

Bjorn;

Wouldn't this cover your "rim"?

"In addition to the tire, should your wheel also be damaged due to a
Road Hazard (t), you will be reimbursed for a comparable new wheel
(includes balancing and mounting) up to a maximum benefit of $200 per
incident. A warranty maximum benefit of $800 applies to your wheels,
and replacements must be pre-approved. "
 
#19 ·
TucsonPrius said:
I happen to have a claim in also (two really, I had to replace one tire, then a week later picked up a nail, so a repair to boot). Out of curiosity, how long before you got your reimbursement?

Thanks,
Shawn
Thought I'd mention that I got the first reimbursement check today, exactly one month from sending it in.

Thanks,
Shawn
 
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