I was involved in a hit and run this morning. Whats my next step? Liability insurance only

Yea it’s probably the DVD player
Yea some came with them stock
Some were installed aftermarket
It’s usually only 4 screws holding the dvd up on the roof. If you’re worried about the wires, I’ll bet you can pull the 4 screws down and lower the flip down screen down just a bit and you’ll find the red and black wire. It’s most likely giving power to the flip down screen. Self contained unit that has the DVD player in it and probably uses an FM channel or Bluetooth ear phones for sound. All they need is 12v power and ground.

 

yep you are completely right. it's an aftermarket DVD player. as I just found out that Toyota didn't start putting their own DVD players into sequoias until 2003. this being a 2002 it was probably done by the dealer.

now what's really interesting is the fact that my DVD player has a handful of pre-installed video games on it. where all you need to do is hook up the controller and start playing them. only problem is, that controller is quite literally impossible to find. I spent a whole month looking for the controller with the help of 2 people from Reddit as well and we are all convinced that all the controllers are either broken and thrown away, or those that do have one are holding onto them for dear life knowingly or unknowingly.

 

Instead of guessing.... MyToyota website you can plug in your vin and see how it was equipped when new.

It will look like this. (my truck)

 

Just got my tax return and about to buy a new set of tires all around. got quoted for $500 at Walmart, for all season tires. seems like a pretty great price, cheaper than the other few shops I called. thinking I'll just stick with these unless there is something I don't know about Walmart tires (don't want to buy a pile of garbage just to save $150).

looks like they balance them before putting them on as well.

opinions?

 

Walmart tires are cheaper than everywhere else for a few reasons.
If that price is the best you can find and its in your budget, go for it. If you can splurge for the tire warranty they offer, it sometimes can really be useful down the road.

 

Quality of tire is brand-specific, not store-specific. Walmart tires can be cheaper because theyr'e buying in bulk and getting sweetheart deals, which is how they do all the crazy "rollback" specials which beat everyone else's pricing.

That said, what brand/model of tire are you looking at, and what's the treadwear rating (UTQG)? See pic below.

Every tire shop balances with tire removal/install, and that service should be free. If you're a Walmart+ member, road hazard warranty can be added for free, else it's $10 a tire, and if you're prone to nails, pothole damage, etc. it may be worthwhile.

Inspect your tires for unusual wear beforehand, so you can deduce whether or not you need an alignment. Last thing anyone wants is to buy brand new tires and have them with lots of toe wear or feathering because alignment is off.

​

 

the paper they gave me last night indicates they are 50,000 mile tread ware.

lll definitely be asking for the date stamp as well.

the balance wasn't an add on price, but it's good to know that it's standard practice for future reference

EDIT: oh and I definitely need an alignment, my student voice cocked ever so slightly to the left when I'm going down a straight road. I'm sure that this is a byproduct of my wreck

 

Yep, hopefully it'll be an easy fix to get your student voice (steering wheel) cocked straight again. Hopefully it's not something bent causing the issue, and if it is, hopefully it's not something needing replacement.

Big thing is knowing what brand/model of tire. Look at the paper. There are a lot of perfectly find tires out there which are budget. Not everything is going to ride as smooth and quiet as a Michelin, but there are plenty of cheaper tires made by Cooper, Hankook, Federal, General, and Kuhmo for example, that can be great budget picks.

If I'm ever in question because I've never rolled on a specific set of tires, I'll go to Google and type in TireRack brand model where "brand" and "model" are the specific brand and model of the tire. Then read reviews for that tire at the Tire Rack website to know what to expect. You'll probably need to pick the specific tire ... like, I just got a good deal at the local dealership for some Pirelli Scorpions. This is what I looked up - although the ones I bought were the "AS3" model, you get the idea - just typing in the brand and product name will show you several results. If you happen to know the EXACT model number, you'll probably get a more-direct result. Read some of the reviews. See what the overall take is. And understand, some people are going to be in rainy places, so they need better rain grip. Some in snowy places need better road grip. Try to glean what they're driving in based on the reviewer location, and maybe even based on their vehicle, if listed.

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yeah, using voice to text always ends in weird sentences... specifically on this website... which I know this site isn't the one supporting the software, just a bad coincidence I guess...

I've had some pretty embarrassing things come from voice to text... ask me about the time I texted my manager "I'm gay" instead of "I'm good"

 

I mean ...

I want to make a joke, but I'm speechless.

 

an alignment with strictly be the front tires right?

 

Yes, with a solid axle rear they're only doing the front. They should check the alignment on the rear, but they're not going to be doing anything else to it.

 

You know, I for one would really enjoy a few pictures of your newly rejuvenated ride.

 

they are dextero tires, 3 made in May of 2025. and one February 2024

about $450 out the door.

according to some reviews I saw on Reddit they will last about 30,000 miles.

should I do it or not?

 

So one of the tires is 2 years old already...

 

yes one out of the four tires is 2 years old. the other three are from May 2025

 

Tires are good for 5-6 years, then the rubber may have degraded to the point that the tread or sidewall may fail on its own. Now, that’s a general rule of thumb, not necessarily true that it will fail, but it’s increasingly more likely. Also, different batches of tires that far apart may not even use the same rubber compounds or material sources. That could create pulling, imbalance, diameter variations etc.

 

sounds like tire hunting is going to be a little bit more complicated than I thought. I have already went to three different stores and left unsatisfied from each.

one walmart, one of the locally owned Hispanic stores, and a place called Vulcan tires that's locally owned.

 

I'd have liked to've gotten out the door at $450 when I was younger, if that's the actual price out the door.

What do you think will come first: 5-6 years or 30k miles?

Reality is, 30k will probably be more like 25k, assuming alignment stays intact.

What size are you buying?

 

If you've got 17s, and 265/65r17, these Michelins are $523/set: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...5TR7PLTX&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

 

That’s a good deal on that Michelin. $130 per tire. I recently was looking for a budget set of 4 tires for a 2011 Tundra. Paid $130 for 275/65 R18, but not Michelin.

I tried an off brand from Discount Tire based on ratings, reviews, noise ratings, etc. Rocky Mountain All Terrain LT 275/65 R18 rated for 45k miles. $130 per tire, $675 out the door with install, taxes, etc. Discount Install fee includes lifetime rotate/balance/flat repair.

Can’t speak to the longevity, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the performance. Quiet ride, I like quiet tires. It was a much better price than anything with comparable specs in that size tire. I usually spend much more than that on my 2006 Tundra and wife’s car.

 

Yeah, TireRack does offer mobile install also, or at least they do in some areas. I think I paid $25/tire to have my last set installed, right in front of my house. But that $523 is before tax, disposal, and install I believe. But it includes free road hazard, so that's $10/tire less than Wallymart offers it.

TireRack does partner with local tire stores, and is also now directly related to Discount, so any Discount store can install stuff you buy on TireRack, and they often have similar pricing, if not identical.

But I will say, that Michelin is also a 55k mile tire. Which is almost double the life, and a better brand than Wallymart is offering.

 

my rims are 16"
current tires size I have on are 265/70r16

good part is in not exactly in a huge rush to get them on so, I can do a little shopping. current tires are right on the tread wear indicator. (well really, the rear are actually ever so SLIGHTLY above the tread wear indicator, but you get the idea. I know people who are driving on wheels where the metal wire have just started showing)

those tires your linked are a good price, but firstly they are the wrong size. second, I have to remember that if I buy them online I'll still have to pay to have them installed & balanced.
I know balance should technically be included in the price but the Hispanic shop I talked to today tried to charge extra for balancing...( funny part is, when I was pulling off he started to try and wave me down... to probably give me a cheaper price? but I don't like haggling outside of flea markets... part of me wonders if I was given the "white lady price" seeing how I was on the outskirts of the ghetto and don't look like I belong there anyways. I could be completely wrong about that however)

my budget is just under $600 out the door. trying my best to start a little nest egg with the rest of my tax return

 

Good to know, will make it easy if there is a good deal on Tire Rack.

 

This is the best deal I can find in that size, with a Bham zipcode: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...67TR6LAT&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

I've never driven a Uniroyal tire, I can't speak to it, but note that Uniroyal is a subsidiary of Michelin. Advanta is the only other company in that price range.

Yes - there are zero ratings available, but a couple of 4+ star reviews on it. The tire is gear towards truck/SUV use, which is your intended goal. It is technically an "all-terrain" tire. It is also a 55k mile tire like the previous Michelins I linked.

I would probably opt to go with this Uniroyal over what Wallymart is offering you, if your budget can swing $543 for the set, and whatever taxes/fees may be tacked on. Note that TireRack does offer a payment plan option that I think breaks things up into 4 payments. I urge my kids to pay for everything in cash, but it's OK to split up the payments if it's a short term and no interest (if paid on time).

 

I know this is 20 pages ago, but if I were trying to save money, especially with gas prices rising, I would sell a sequoia and buy an accord or Camry or Prius with a lower cost of ownership. Stuff like tires and basic maintenance costs more going big.

 

I just bought a set of Falken Wildpeak H/T's at an independent tire shop and paid $700.00 out the door. Free rotation every 5 k. I would pay a smidge more if you can swing it and buy a proper light duty truck tire.

 

thank you for the input, but it's not that simple.

I know the history of this truck, I know the ins and outs of all the basic repairs and maintenance, I know that this truck has been babied and well taken care of. this truck has the infamous 2UZ-FE engine, that is notorious for reaching miles that most didn't think are possible.

if I was to buy another vehicle, I'm just taking on someone else's problem (usually). I don't want to have to go through all the hurdles of learning the maintenance of a new car, I already do enough studying as is in school. the thing about buying a used car, is that it's always a gamble. and sure, I know there is plenty of great people out there who wouldn't dare sell a lemon to a stranger... but most people don't know as much about cars as we do on this forum. I know plenty of well off people, with good intentions, that keeping up with timely oil changes just slip there mind for XYZ amount of time/miles.

the only time I come to this forum, is when I have a question. I don't ever see posts of those bragging about their trucks "another month of problem free driving!" but the truth is, 90% of the time my truck is doing just fine.

 

So, I'm in here posting for nothing then!?


All that time... wasted.

 

Sometimes you can get lucky and find some nice ones on FB or similar from someone who bought a new truck and wants aftermarket tires/wheels.