Toyota and Goodyear in Court Over Run-Flat Wear Claims

Two New York law firms have filed class-action lawsuits against Toyota Motor Corp and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co alleging the two companies sold “defective tyres” to certain buyers of Toyota Sienna minivans.

The suit filed on behalf of Stanley Monk and other buyers of the Sienna, claims “run-flat” tyres produced by Goodyear under the company’s Dunlop brand wear out after approximately 10,000 miles of use, said attorney Roger Bernstein. According to a Dow Jones report, he said the Dunlop tyres need to be replaced on a annual basis, which apparently means they are “defective.”

Explaining the case the Dow Jones report stated: “While run-flats are seen as safer than traditional tyres, they are also known to be less-robust in their rubber composition and could wear out sooner than traditional tyres, according to various industry publications and engineering experts.”

Bernstein is reported to have alleged that the problem is aggravated by the fact that Toyota does not equip its minivans with spare tyres. Toyota equips all-wheel-drive editions of the Sienna with run-flat tyres and the company does not offer a spare tyre because of the amount of space needed for the all-wheel-drive mechanicals, company spokesman John McCandless is reported to have said.

Toyota sold 159,000 Siennas in 2004 and is on track to match that total in 2005, according to trade publication Ward’s Automotive Reports.