Run-flat tires draw complaints and a class-action lawsuit

Flat tires suck, but apparently that’s not enough to keep some owners of the Toyota Sienna minivan from complaining about wear problems with the Dunlop run-flat tires found on models equipped with 17” wheels. In fact, a group of owners have actually gone so far as to file a class-action lawsuit against Toyota and Dunlop, alledging that the tire wear issue consitutes a product defect. What’s not made clear is the expected life of a normal set of tires on the same vehicle; obviously, issues with suspension geometry, alignment, or a driver that has mistaken the vehicle for a sports car could all contribute to greatly reduced tire life. Admittedly, though, it would not be fun to shell out over a grand every 10-20,000 miles or so - at least not on the family’s people mover.