NHTSA complaint #11602424

Owner complaint summary

Tire size P 235/45 R 18 Factory installed on 2024 Toyota Camry, failed catastrophically at 3415 (+/- 5) miles. Vehicle was traveling eastbound on I-40 in Knoxville, TN, when the tread separated completely after bilateral failure of the sidewalls about 2" from the beads. Car stability and control were compromised, but fortunately, vehicle was pulled to the shoulder without incident. Tire warning light came on at some point before failure (exact time unknown). Tire replacement cost is $300. Wheel suffered some damage but has not been assessed for repair cost. Replacement cost is estimated as $500. Toyota dealer (Toyota Knoxville) inspected the tire and claimed it failed due to toad hazard. However, they are not tire experts, their inspection was casual, and they could not point to any specific damage from the supposed road hazard that would cause the catastrophic failure, and they have a conflict of interest in that they may be motivated to avoid warranty claims and sell new tires. The road-hazard scenario is implausible and unsupported by evidence. Th