On [XXX] I was driving my '24 4Runner Limited with factory installed Yokohama Geolander G96 245 60 20 tires and had the driver side rear tire inner sidewall blow out. There was nothing in the road that could've hit the rear tire after missing the front tire. I called Yokohama IAW their warranty procedure. They said I'd have to take it to the dealership for inspection to see if it was defective. Called my dealership and got an appt, drove 50 miles to the dealer only to have the service rep spend MAYBE 20 seconds looking at the tire to say "it was hit by something" even though there is zero evidence of a puncture - Picture included. He didn't even dismount it to inspect the inner sidewall. He pointed at some marks on the wheel (NOT THE TIRE) saying something hit it there - ALL 5 wheels on the vehicle have the exact same CASTING MARKS - Pictures included. In fact, he spent more time questioning me about not having the dealer's "wheel/tire package" and then getting a quote to sell me a $428 tire instead of properly inspecting my tire. He even allowed my Limited rim to fall over on it's face! There are numerous pages of evidence showing that Yokohoma has an extended history of problems with this specific line of tires, as well as some of their other lines. "Since 2010, there have been 3 major tire recalls by Yokohama. Two of these are related to “inadequate markings”. The other recall involved a problem with the geometry of the tire itself. These tires had “irregular geometry” that made it more likely that the sidewall would give and blow out while the car was in motion. By “irregular geometry” Yokohama was referring to the fact that the interior of the tire’s sidewalls was not of uniform thickness. I read one article to the service rep and he immediately blew it off as "totally different circumstance", again repeating that mine was hit by something. This service rep was more interested in selling a tire than trying to find out what happened with mine. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA ODI 11616089