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Firestone - Toyota Prius

Janet of Sarasota FL (11/24/04):
After less than two years and 16,000 miles my front tires are falling apart on my 2002 Toyota Prius and back tires practically threadbare. Neither the car dealer nor the Bridgestone dealer is willing to give any compensation for tire replacement. I have photos of the tires and had my husband not looked at them recently I could have had a major accident on I-75 from a blowout. The manufacturer and Toyota both knew about this problem and they now use different tires on the 2004 Prius.

Firestone Tires • Prius Problems • SteelTex Truck Tires • Tread Separations • Blowouts • The Ford/Firestone Recall

Howard of Inver Grove Heights MN (11/12/04):
I have a 2002 Toyota Prius. It came with Bridgestone 175/65-14 Protenza tires. At about 24,000 miles the right front blew out at highway speed. I was able to pull to the side of the road without incident and change the tire. Upon examination I discovered that the sidewall at its junction with the tread had separated with about a 4" tear. The tire was evenly worn. I purchased a repacement tire from Bridgestone but they would give only a $10 discount on a new tire.

Several weeks later I noticed that a tire appeared to be underinflated. Upon examination I discovered that this tire had the same defect as the one stated above but the tear was only abount 1 inch. I replaced this tire also. The Prius went in for scheduled maintenance about a week later and they found yet another tire with the same defect. (I cannot totally fault the manufacturer here as this tire did show a wear pattern indicative of underinflation) I have replaced all tires with another brand. I will neither buy new tires or purchase a new vehicle with Bridgestone/Firestone tires on it. Let others beware.

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