MICHELIN 27580R22.5 TIRES Complaints

THE TWO FRONT AND THE RIGHT REAR TIRES BLEW OUT ON THE HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. EACH TIME THE SIDEWALL MALFUNCTIONED. *AK...IN ALL THREE INSTANCES MOTORHOME WAS DISABLED ON THE SIDE OF INTERSTATE HIGHWAY FOR 31/2 HOURS. REMEDY SOUGHT: A SAFETY RECALL OF THESE PARTICULAR MICHELIN TIRES AN DAN INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE IF ANY INJURY OR DEATH WAS CAUSED BY THESE TIRES.*AK

I HAVE A 2000 COACHMEN MOTORHOME WHICH CAME WITH MICHELIN XRV TIRES ON IT. SPECIFICALLY 235/80R 22.5. I HAVE HAD ONE TIRE BLOW OUT WHILE DRIVING AND ANOTHER TIE WAS DISCOVERED TO HAVE WHAT APPEARED TO BE A "WIDE PLY GAP" ON THE SIDEWALL SO I REMOVED IT. ON THE FIRST TIRE, WHICH BLEW OUT, I CALLED MICHELIN AND THEY WERE IMMEDIATELY DEFENSIVE. EVEN THOUGH I WAS NICE THE LADY DIDN'T LIKE MY PERSISTENCE AND HUNG UP ON ME. THE MICHELIN CALL CENTER TOLD ME THAT 70% OF MOTORHOMES ARE OVERLOADED AND THAT MINE WAS PROBABLY OVERLOADED ALSO. SHE REFERRED ME TO A DEALER IN SALT LAKE CITY. I WENT TO A DEALER WHO HAD THE MICHELIN REP LOOK AT IT. HE SAID IT WAS THE RESULT OF AN IMPACT BUT HE GAVE ME A $100 CREDIT. IN AUGUST I FOUND A BUBBLE ON ANOTHER TIRE AND TOOK IT TO A GOODYEAR DEALER WHO SAID IT LOOKED LIKE A WIDE PLY GAP AND REFERRED ME TO A MICHELIN DEALER IN THE AREA. THAT DEALER LOOKED AT IT AND SAID HE SEE THIS FREQUENTLY AND ADVISED ME TO GET THESE TIRE OFF MY RV ASAP. I COULD NOT REPLACE IT AS HE HAD QUIT STOCKING THE TIRES BECAUSE THEY WERE SO BAD. I CALLED MICHELIN AND GOT THE SAME 70% OVERLOADED STORY A FEW MONTHS LATER AND WAS REFERRED TO A LOCAL DEALER. THIS TIRE HAD NOT BLOWN OUT SO I KNEW I WOULD GET THE TIRE REPLACED AS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT. WITH NO INDICATION OF ANY IMPACT ON THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE THE NEW MICHELIN DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS A RESULT OF IMPACT. I OBJECTED AND HE GOT HOSTILE. AS HE HELPED ME PUT THE TIRE BACK IN THE RV HE SMASHED HIS FINGER SEVERELY: ). THAT WHAT HE GETS FOR LYING! I TALKED TO A MOTORHOME DEALER AND HE TOLD ME OF THE PROBLEMS IN THE INDUSTRY WITH MICHELIN XRV TIRES SO, I WANT THEM ALL REPLACED. *JB

I OWN A 2002 NEWMAR, KOUNTRY STAR MOTOR HOME. ON JANUARY 26, 2004 I RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FROM NEWMAR FOR THE 2 FRONT TIRES - " CARCASS PLY FATIGUE TIRE FAILURE". THEY PROVIDED A NUMBER TO CALL TO ARRANGE TO GET THE FRONT 2 TIRES REPLACED. I CALLED THE NUMBER AND RECEIVED A VOICE MESSAGE THAT THEY WOULD CALL ME IN ONE WEEK! THEY DID AND I MISSED THE CALL. I CALLED AGAIN, SAME STORY, ETC, ETC. I FINALLY HAD TO TAKE A TRIP IN THE MOTOR HOME. THE TIRES LOOKED OK AND THEIR LETTER DID NOT SAY TO DRIVE. ( NOTE I HAVE ALWAYS KEPT THE TIRE PRESSURE AT 105 LBS. AND I HAVE NEVER OVERLOADED THE MOTOR HOME WHICH IS WHAT THEY CLAIMED WOULD CAUSE THE BLOW OUT. AFTER DRIVING ONLY 100 MILES ON MARCH 27, 2004 THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLOW OUT. I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 55 MPH ON 4 LANE ROUTE, ;501 NORTH OF MYRTLE BEACH. I MANAGED TO SLOW DOWN, PULL OFF THE PAVEMENT AND STOP WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. IN ADDITION TO THE ENTIRE SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE BEING GONE THE EXPLOSION BLEW OFF THE FRONT FIBERGLASS PANEL OF THE MOTOR HOME. AFTER 6 HOURS, I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO GET A NEW TIRE AND CONTINUE THE TRIP. WHEN I RETURNED HOME AND CALLED NEWMAR, THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR REPLACING MY TIRE OR FOR REPAIRING THE MOTOR HOME. MY DEALER GOT THE SAME ANSWER FROM THEM AND FROM MICHELIN. I COULD HAVE BEEN HURT AND I CERTAINLY BELIEVE THEY SHOULD PAY. I ALSO THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE A MUCH TOUGHER WARNING AND STAFF UP TO GET OWNERS TIRES REPLACED MORE QUICKLY! *NM

CONSUMER EXPERIENCED RIGHT REAR TIRE BLOW OUT THAT ALSO DAMAGED FIBER GLASS BODY AROUND THE WHEEL. (NAR) *LA *CB