MICHELIN LTX M/S TIRES Complaints

I PURCHASED A TOTAL OF 7 MICHELIN LTX M/S TIRES LT225/75R16 E FOR MY MINI MOTORHOME. THEY ARE DRY-ROTTING RIGHT OFF THE RIMS. THIS IS AN ESTABLISHED PROBLEM. WHEN I WAS DIRECTED TO A DEALER (FORREST TIRE OF ARTESIA, NM) I WAS OFFERED A DISCOUNT ON BUYING MORE TIRES. I WAS EXTREMELY DISMAYED THAT MICHELIN WAS QUERYING THE TIRE DEALER ABOUT THE MAKE, MODEL, YEAR AND MILEAGE OF MY MOTORHOME! WHAT HAS THAT GOT TO DO WITH DEFECTIVE/DANGEROUS TIRES? I SPOKE WITH A MAN WHO HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH LTX M/S TIRES THAT CAME ON HIS NEW PICKUP AND THEY WERE REPLACED FOR MOUNTING AND BALANCING ONLY. I PURCHASED TWO FOR THE FRONT, BUT SIMPLY CAN'T BUY ALL 7 ON SOCIAL SECURITY, THEN SUE MICHELIN. THESE ARE LOT NUMBERS B3JH FBXX 0905, 0205, AND 4204. I CAN SCRAPE DRIED RUBBER OFF THE SIDEWALL WITH MY FINGERNAIL! THIS IS DANGEROUS, AND I AM SITTING HERE AFRAID TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY, WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN. *TR

I OWN A 2006 FORD F-350 4X4 SHORT BED CREW CAB PICKUP TRUCK. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND NO MODIFICATIONS HAVE EVER BEEN MADE. I HAVE KEPT THE VEHICLE IN GOOD MECHANICAL SHAPE, KEPT THE TIRES INFLATED TO RECOMMENDED LEVELS, AND KEPT THE TIRES BALANCED AND ROTATED. THE VEHICLE HAS ALWAYS EXPERIENCED A SEVERE STEERING OSCILLATION WHENEVER THE VEHICLE IS TRAVELING OVER 50 MPH AND HITS A SMALL BUMP ON THE HIGHWAY. THE OSCILLATION IS MOST SEVERE IF THE BUMP IS HIT WHILE IN A LEFT TURN. WHEN THIS OCCURS, I BREAK UNTIL SPEED IS REDUCED TO ABOUT 30 MPH TO 40 MPH AND THE OSCILLATION STOPS. WHEN THIS OSCILLATION OCCURS, THE VEHICLE HAS LIMITED STEERING CONTROL. IT GENERALLY TRAVELS IN A STRAIGHT DIRECTION BUT DOES NOT RESPOND WELL TO STEERING WHEEL INPUT UNTIL THE OSCILLATION IS DAMPENED. THE VEHICLE IS DIFFICULT AND IN SOME CASES IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL. THIS OSCILLATION HAS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. IN THE CASE TODAY, THIS OSCILLATION WAS SO SEVERE THAT IT HAS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SWERVE INTO THE OPPOSING TRAFFIC LANE. I NEARLY HAD A HEAD ON COLLISION, THE OPPOSING VEHICLE MOVED OVER TO THE SHOULDER TO ALLOW ME TO PASS. THESE OSCILLATIONS HAVE OCCURRED WITH BOTH THE ORIGINAL CONTINENTAL LT275/70R18 TIRES AND ALSO THE REPLACEMENT MICHELIN LT275/70R18 TIRES. TIRES PRESSURES HAVE BEEN MAINTAINED AT 65 PSI FRONT AND 75 PSI REAR AS RECOMMENDED BY THE OWNER'S MANUAL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC ENVOY. THE VEHICLE HAS MICHELIN LTX M/S TIRES, SIZE P245/165/1R (NA). WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE. ONE HUNDRED MILES AFTER THE FIRST TIRE FAILURE, THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TREAD ALSO SEPARATED FROM THE TIRES. THE TIRES HAVE NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000.

I AM WRITING TO REPORT THE SECOND FAILURE OF A VALVE STEM FROM NTB. THE TIRE IS A MICHELIN TIRE INSTALLED ON A 2002 CHEVY TAHOE. ALL TIRES ARE PROPERLY INFLATED AND ARE MAINTAINED AT THE PROPER LEVEL. THE FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS APPROX. 2 YEARS AGO AND THE TIRE LOST PRESSURE, DELAMINATED AND BLEW OUT. THE CURRENT TIRE LOST PRESSURE BUT IS INTACT. UPON RETURNING HOME MY WIFE ATTEMPTED TO REINFLATE THE TIRE TO DETERMINE WHERE THE AIR IS LEAKING FROM. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE AIR WAS LEAKING FROM THE VALVE STEM. BOTH TIRES AND VALVE STEMS WERE PURCHASED FROM NTB. *TR

I OWN A 2003 YUKON XL. PURCHASED 4 MICHELIN TIRES FROM NTB IN APRIL 2007, $700.00. NEW TIRES HAVE 18,000 MILES ON THEM. JAN 2009 VALVE STEM FAILED AND WAS REPLACED BY NTB, NO DAMAGE TO TIRE. MAY 2009, SECOND TIRE WENT FLAT DOING 70 MILES AN HOUR WITH MY KIDS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY HOME FROM COLLEGE. TIRE WENT FLAT, IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. TIRE WAS DAMAGED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED, $225.00. CAUSE OF DAMAGE WAS VALVE STEM, TR 413. ONE WEEK LATER, THIRD TIRE WENT FLAT GOING BACK TO COLLEGE. IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF OF HIGHWAY. MICHELIN TIRE ALSO RUINED, CRUSHED SIDE WALL, ANOTHER $225.00. WENT BACK TO NTB AND COMPLAINED. AT MY REQUEST INSPECTED 4TH TIRE AND IT HAD A BAD STEM AND WAS LEAKING. ALL STEMS WERE THE TR-413 AND NOT A HIGH PRESSURE STEM. THIS STEM IS FOR UP TO 40 PSI. RECOMMENDED TIRE PRESSURE IS 35 PSI, BUT AT HIGH SPEEDS AND IN HOT TEXAS, PRESSURE FOR SURE RISES ABOVE THE MINIMUM 40 PSI. ORIGINAL SPARE HAS HIGH PRESSURE VALVE STEM. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED. NOW I FOUND OUT THAT THESE STEMS ARE ON RECALL AND DEFECTIVE. NTB WAS NOT AWARE OF ANYTHING AND THEY ARE THE EXPERTS. HELP ME!! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXCURSION. THE VEHICLE HAS MICHELIN LTX M/S TIRES, SIZE 265/75/R16. WHEN THE CONTACT PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED THAT THE TIRES WERE FIRESTONE TIRES. THEY WERE NOT THE CORRECT TIRES HE ORIGINALLY ORDERED. THE CONTACT INFORMED THE DEALER OF THE INCORRECT TIRES AND WAS GIVEN BRAND NEW REPLACEMENT TIRES, WHICH WHERE MICHELIN CLASS C'S. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE WOULD SWAY FROM SIDE TO SIDE. HE NOTICED THAT THE WALLS ON THE TIRES WERE CRACKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT DUE TO THE THICKNESS OF THE THREADS, THE TIRES WOULD WOBBLE. ONCE THE THREADING BEGAN TO WEAR, THE VEHICLE WOULD STOP WOBBLING. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SWAY FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND INSPECTED BY A TECHNICIAN, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE INCORRECT GRADE FOR THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE. THE TIRES SHOULD HAVE BEEN A CLASS E (LOAD RANGE 5,250) INSTEAD OF A CLASS C (LOAD RANGE 2,270). THE TIRES WERE REPLACED WITH MICHELIN CLASS E TIRES AT THE COST OF $907.45. THE CONTACT CALLED THE FORD MANUFACTURER AND FILED A REPORT. HE CALLED BACK TO FOLLOW UP WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT NO COMPENSATION WOULD BE PROVIDED AND WAS NOT GIVEN AN EXPLANATION. THE DOT INFORMATION WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000. UPDATED 06/09/09 *BF UPDATED 06/10/09. *JB

2008 FORD E450, GULFSTREAM CLASS "C" MOTOR HOME. NO ACCIDENT. OBSERVED SEVERE CRACKING IN ALL TIRES, DRYROT. LATER QUESTION TO ID WHICH TIRE, LISTED RF. IT IS ALL 6 TIRES ON GROUND AND SPARE. 7 TOTAL. TOOK IN TO DEALER THIS DATE. THE CONTACTED MFG. MFG OK'ED REPLACEMENT HOWEVER REQUIRES 20% PAYMENT. *TR

ON 6/3/2008, I PURCHASED 2 MICHELIN LTX M/S 245/65/17 TIRES FOR MY 2003 GMC ENVOY FROM, MILLENNIUM AUTOBODY & SERVICE INC., 1782 MAIN ST., BROCKTON, MA 02304. ON 10/22/2008 (AFTER ONLY 7969 MILES) THE TIRE BLEW OUT ON THE WAY TO FL- HAD IT BEEN REPLACED IN NY. THE TIRE WAS SHREDDED. ON 11/10/2008 (AFTER ONLY 9557 MILES ) THE 2ND TIRE WENT FLAT- I WAS ABLE TO PULL THE SUV OVER QUICKLY RECOGNIZING THE SAME SOUNDS AND VIBRATIONS FROM 1ST BLOW OUT. THIS TIRE WAS NOT SHREDDED. THERE WAS NO PUNCTURES/ CUTS TO THE TIRE. THE CLERK AT THE TIRE KINGDOM IN FL STATED THAT IT WAS A FAULTY TIRE VALVE STEM THAT HAD CAUSED THE TIRE TO FAIL. I CALLED HOME, AND MY FAMILY ADVISED ME THAT THERE HAD BEEN REPORTS OF BAD VALVE STEMS ON TRUCKS AND SUV'S. I CONTACTED THE LOCATION WHERE I PURCHASED THE TIRES TO REPORT THE TWO TIRES FAILING- THEY REQUESTED THAT I BRING THE TIRES BACK WHEN I CAME BACK TO MA. I DID NOT HAVE THE 1ST TIRE- BUT I DID GET AND STILL HAVE THE 2ND TIRE. MILLENNIUM AUTOBODY SAID THEY WERE GOING TO TALK TO TIRE REP AND GET BACK TO ME- BUT IT HAS BEEN SEVERAL WEEKS NOW AND STILL NO WORD. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT NO ONE WAS INJURED DURING THESE 2 EVENTS- I FEAR THAT THERE ARE STILL FAULTY TIRE VALVES OUT THERE- THAT OTHER CONSUMERS MAY NOT BE AWARE OF THEM. *TR

TWO TIRES HAVE COME APART AND HAD A BLOWOUT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF 55 TO 70 MPH. THIS WAS TWO SEPARATE INCIDENTS. ONE TIRE WAS REPLACED AND WE ARE DEALING WITH THE OTHER NOW. DAMAGE TO CAR. *TR

ON 6/22/01 I BOUGHT 4 NEW MICHELIN 245-75R16 TRUCK TIRES FOR MY PICKUP FOR $524.62. THE VEHICLE IS USED FOR PLEASURE AND IS ALWAYS GARAGED. THE TIRES CURRENTLY HAVE ONLY 16,251 MILES ON THEM. DURING MY ANNUAL VEHICLE INSPECTION, THE INSPECTOR NOTICED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES HAD CRACKING SIDEWALLS (DRY-ROT). I RETURNED TO THE PLACE OF TIRE PURCHASE AND THE MANAGER SAID THAT THE TIRES WERE NOT SAFE, COULD POSSIBLY BLOW-OUT, AND SHOULD BE REPLACED. THE TIRES LOOK BRAND-NEW OTHER THAN THE CRACKED SIDEWALLS. I CONTACTED MICHELIN AND THEY REFUSED ANY ACTION. I BELIEVE THAT TIRES SHOULD NOT FAIL DUE TO DRY-ROT WITH ONLY 16,251 MILES. *TR