MICHELIN M+S ALL SEASON TIRES Complaints

JULY 1, 2007: MICHELIN TIRE FAILURE: P255/65 R16 MICHELIN LTX M/S . AFTER 22K MILES ON THE TIRES, WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65MPH, SUDDENLY THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE TREAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE SIDEWALL, RESULTING IN A BLOWOUT. THE 2001 PATHFINDER LE 4X4, DIDN'T FLIP OVER. I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AND PULLOVER ON THE SIDE. THE ENTIRE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED INTACT, AROUND THE TAILPIPE BRACKETS AND REAR MUDFLAP. THE TREAD IS UNDAMAGED: NO NAIL OR SCREWS OR ANY OTHER ROAD HAZARD OR DAMAGES. THE AAA SENT A TRUCK WHO CHANGED THE TIRE. HIS COMMENT WAS: "IN OVER 22 YEARS OF DOING TIRE AND MECHANICAL WORK, HE NEVER SAW ANYTHING LIKE THIS". I RETURNED THE TIRE TO COSTCO. THE TIRE CENTER MANAGER WAS VERY COOPERATIVE,WHERE THEY ORDERED A NEW TIRE WITHOUT QUESTION.DAMAGES TO THE PATHFINDER WERE ESTIMATED AT $900 DUE TO THE NEED TO REPLACE THE TAILPIPE/MUFFLER ASSEMBLY AND THE MUDFLAP WAS DESTROYED. COSTCO MANAGER SAID THAT THE CLAIM FOR DAMAGES WOULD NEED TO BE MADE DIRECTLY TO MICHELIN. I DID THAT. IT IS A MIRACLE THAT THE VEHICLE DIDN'T FLIP OVER !!!. MICHELIN REQUIRED THAT THE TIRE BE RETURNED TO COSTCO, HAVE THEM CALL MICHELIN TO GIVE A REPORT OF THE SITUATION. MICHELIN REP SAID THAT THEY WOULD OFFER PERHAPS A 50% DISCOUNT ON THE PURCHASE OF NEW REPLACEMENT TIRE BUT NOTHING ELSE. I WANT MICHELIN TO PAY FOR THE DAMAGES SUSTAINED !!. I WAS REQUIRED TO SEND THE TIRE TO MICHELIN (THEY EVENTUALLY PAID FOR THE SHIPPING) TO BE EXAMINED. THE RESULTS OF THEIR INVESTIGATION WAS A LETTER RESPONSE THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY "DRIVER ERROR" - BY RUNNING THE TIRE IN A RUN-FLAT CONDITION. A RUN -FLAT CONDITION ???? THEY SENT A BROCHURE PRINTOUT EXPLAINING HOW THAT OCCURS. AIR ESCAPES , RUNS LOW AND THE TIRE EVENTUALLY BLOWS OUT. THERE WAS NO AIR ESCAPE NOR IS THERE ANY ROAD HAZARD DAMAGE TO THE TREAD. HOW DID THE AIR ESCAPE TO RUN FLAT ??? MICHELIN DID NOT PAY ANY DAMAGES. *TR

BELOW YOU WILL READ MY COMPLAINT TO MICHELIN ABOUT THE QUALITY. THE SIDEWALL BLEW COMPLETELY OFF THE RIM WHILE TRAVELING AT A LEGAL SPEED OF 70 MPH. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN WITH A PREMIUM TIRE MADE BY THE ABOVE COMPANY. IT ONLY HAD A PUNCTURE WHICH CAUSED IT TO LOSE AIR. THIS WAS VERIFIED BY THE DEALER OF DISCOUNT TIRE IN SANTA FE. HE DID TELL ME THAT NOW TIRES FAIL IMMEDIATELY WHEN THEY LOSE PRESSURE AND BLOW APART. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN! YOU SHOULD AT LEAST BE ABLE TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN TO EXAMINE THE TIRE. WITH THIS HAPPENING, THEY ARE EXEMPT FROM REPLACING THE TIRE AS A FAILURE AND GET AWAY WITH SELLING YOU A NEW TIRE PRO RATED!! HOW CONVENIENT!! THESE TIRES WILL KILL SOMEONE IF THEY HAVEN'T ALREADY. SEE BELOW MY RESPONSE TO MICHELIN AND DISCOUNT TIRE. IT HAD HALF IT'S TREAD LEFT!! OK.............SO I AM UNDER THE 6 YEAR LIMIT AND THE TIRE DID HAVE A PUNCTURE AS TOLD TO ME BY THE SELLING MANAGER. THE FACT THAT THE TIRE BLEW APART SIGNIFIES TO ME THAT IT WAS A DEFECTIVE TIRE. I HAVE HAD MANY FLATS IN MY 66 YEARS AND NEVER SAW A TIRE COME APART LIKE THIS ONE. BY THE WAY, IT WAS IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. I HAVE ATTACHED PHOTOS OF THE TIRE FOR YOU TO SEE AND I WILL CONTACT THE DEALER TO SEE WHAT HE HAS TO SAY. I CAN TELL YOU THIS..............IF THIS IS THE BEST EXPLANATION YOU HAVE FOR A PREMIUM TIRE, I WILL NOT PUT ANOTHER SET OF YOU TIRES ON ANY OF MY VEHICLES. I WILL ALSO DO MY BEST TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC OF YOUR POLICIES. I WOULD EXPECT MORE FROM A COMPANY THAT I HAVE HAD A LONG STANDING RELATIONSHIP. TOO BAD...........I SEE IT AS A SIGN OF THE TIMES!! *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35MPH, ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE TIRE BLEW FROM THE SIDEWALL. THE TIRE RECEIVED REGULAR PRESSURE INSPECTIONS. IT WAS REPLACED WITH THE SPARE UNTIL THE VEHICLE CAN BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE TIRE WAS MICHELIN 225/60R16 ALL SEASON.

MICHELIN SYNCHRONE TIRES OUTFITTED ON VEHICLE DO NOT PROVIDE SUFFICIENT TRACTION ON GROOVED CONCRETE HIGHWAYS, RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANT WAVERING AND INSTABILITY. *NM

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 75 MPH FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW OFF, LEAVING ONLY THE RIM ATTACHED TO THE SPINDLE. SPARKS IGNITED WHEN THE RIM CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE CONCRETE. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE, AND ALLOWED IT TO COAST TO A STOP. *AKI

MICHELIN PILOT HX MXM4 ALL SEASON TIRES FAILED IN 1" WET SNOW CONDITION. MICHELIN ISREFUSING TO ACCEPT TIRES DO NOT WORK IN SNOW. THEY WERE SOLD AS ALL SEASON AND HAVE A M+S ON THE SIDE FOR MUD AND SNOW. MY CAR SLID OFF THE CROWN OF THE ROAD INTO THE GRASS. THE CONDITIONS WERE NOT ICY. ALL OF OUR OTHER CARS HAD NO TROUBLE. I WANT MICHELIN TO COMPENSATE ME FOR THE SNOW TIRES I HAD TO BUY AND INSTALL SO THAT I COULD DRIVE IN SNOW FO A TOTAL OF $800.*AK

DEALERSHIP HAS REFUSED TO REPAIR ( WARRANTY ) MY 4 MONTH OLD 2003 FORD EXCURSION. THE DOOR LOCKS DO NOT WORK, THE ROOF LEAKS, THE HOOD IS CROOKED. THE CRUISE CONTROL STICKS AND THE TRUCK ACCELERATES BUT WHEN THE OFF BUTTON IS PUSHED THE ENGINE DIES. THE PAINT HAS 100,000 RUST PARTICLES IN THE FINISH, THE PRIMER IS SHOWING THROUGH THE WHITE PAINT IN PLACES ON THE TRUCK, STRANGE NOISE WHEN THE TRUCK IS FIRST STARTED. *NLM

THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING. MICHELIN 97SM+S/MODEL-SYMMETRY. *AK THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO FISHTAIL. *SCC *JB

WHILE HAVING MICHELIN P255/65 R16 TIRE INSPECTED FOR CAUSE OF TIRE NOISE, DISCOVERED INSIDE TIRE OVER TWO DOZEN IRREGULAR SHAPED BALLS OF RUBBER COMPOUND RANGING FROM 4 TO 10 MM IN SIZE. TIRE DEALER COULD NOT EXPLAIN AND MICHELIN HAS NOT RESPONDED TO MY INQUIRY. DOES THIS CONDITION REPRESENT A POTENTIAL TIRE FAILURE PROBLEM?*AK

TIRE BLEW OUT ON FREEWAY WHILE DRIVING AT 65MPH. TIRE: MICHELIN LTX M/S 275/70R16 ON A 2000 LEXUS LX470. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED UNEVEN TIRE WEAR ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE TIRE AND NOTIFED THE DEALER A COUPLE OF TIMES BUT THEY SAY IT IS NORMAL.