MICHELIN MXV4 TIRES Complaints

THE RIGHT REAR TIRE OF MY MERCEDES BENZ 300 SDL (YEAR 1987) HAD A BLOW OUT AT A SPEED OF APPROX. 40 MPH. THE ORIGIN OF THE BLOW OUT IS THE INNER SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE. THE TIRE IS A MICHELIN MXV4. I WAS TRAVELING ON TELEPHONE ROAD BY HOUSTON'S HOBBY AIRPORT WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE ROAD WAS CLEAR OF POTHOLES AND DEBRIS. THE BLOWOUT SOUNDED LIKE GUNFIRE. I TRAVELED ANOTHER 50 YARDS TO GET TO A SAFE AREA TO CHANGE THE TIRES. I AM FORTUNATE THAT THIS DID NOT HAPPEN THE DAY BEFORE WHEN I WAS GOING 75MPH ON I10. TOOK THE TIRE BACK TO TIREMAX WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED AND THEY SAID THAT IT IS DUE TO A ROAD HAZARD. I DISAGREE BECAUSE I DID NOT ENCOUNTER A ROAD HAZARD NOR HAVE I GONE OVER POTHOLES THAT MAY HAVE WEAKENED THE TIRES. LET THIS BE A RECORD THAT I HAVE REGISTERED A COMPLAINT WITH MICHELIN AND HAVE BROUGHT THE TIRE BACK TO TIREMAX FOR INSPECTION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA AVALON. THE VEHICLE HAS MICHELIN MXV4, SIZE P205/65R15 92VMS TIRES. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE DID NOT DRIVE OVER ANYTHING THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE WERE REPLACEMENTS THAT WERE PURCHASED FROM COSTCO MORE THAN A YEAR AGO. HE STATED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES WERE LEAKING AIR, CAUSING HIM TO PLACE MORE AIR IN THEM EACH WEEK. THE FAILURE CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO WOBBLE WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER ROTATED AND BALANCED THE TIRES, HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTS. THE LATEST REPAIR ON THE VEHICLE WAS PERFORMED ON AUGUST 27, 2007. THE DOT NUMBER AND SPEED WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 54,000.

ONE MICHELIN ENERGY S8 MXVA P225/50 R17 TIRE WAS LOSING AIR ON MY 2006 LINCOLN ZEPHYR. THE WAS VISIBLE SIDE WALL SEPARATION ON THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE AND ALSO, 180 DEGREES ON THE OUTSIDE. DEALER/MICHELIN CLAIMED IS WAS RESULT OF HITTING A POT HOLE. THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. DEFECT WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. HAD 20,000 MILES AT TIME OF COMPLAINT. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT OTHER INDIVIDUALS HAD SAME ISSUES WITH MICHELIN TIRES.... *TR

ON 8/13/07, I WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 70 MILES PER HOUR ON NC HWY 52 NORTHBOUND (A 4 LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY) WHEN I HAD A SUDDEN MASSIVE BLOW OUT OF A MICHELIN TIRE ON THE LEFT REAR OF MY VEHICLE, A 1995 BMW 325 IS. THERE WAS NO WARNING. THE TIRE WAS NOT LOW ON AIR PRESSURE AND DID NOT HAVE ANY PUNCTURE AS VERIFIED BY THE TIRE DEALERSHIP OWNER. THE TIRE IS A MICHELIN ENERGY PLUS MXV4, SIZE 205/60R15. IT HAS THE FOLLOWING LETTERING ON IT: DOT APTM W17X 2306. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE 2306 INDICATES THE WEEK OF MANUFACTURE. THE TIRE HAD 12,000 MILES ON IT. THERE WAS A COMPLETE SEPARATION OF THE OUTSIDE SIDE WALL FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE. WITH SOME STRUGGLE, I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO VEHICLE BESIDE OF ME AS I HAD TO UTILIZE BOTH OF THE LANES IN MY DIRECTION TO REGAIN CONTROL. ON THE SAME DAY, I SHOWED THE TIRE TO THE OWNER OF C&C TIRE IN ASHEBORO, NC (336-629-6634) WHERE THE FOUR NEW MICHILEN TIRES WERE PURCHASED AND INSTALLED ON 4/14/07. NO DAMAGE OCCURRED TO MY VEHICLE AND NO PERSONAL INJURY WAS INCURRED. I AM AWAITING A CALL FROM THE MICHELIN REPRESENTATIVE TO DISCUSS REPLACEMENT OF THE TIRE. I WISH TO REPORT THIS INCIDENT ONLY SO THAT IT CAN BE INVESTIGATED WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM THAT IS WIDE SPREAD. *JB

MY TRANS. WAS REPLACED IN 2003 BECAUSE OF A SHIFTING PROBLEM. MY CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, HOWEVER, I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. I PAID FOR THE REPAIR AND IN 2006 I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A RECALL, BUT WHEN I INFORMED MCGRATH ACURA THAT I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED, IT WAS DENIED. I ALSO COMPLAINED OF A CLICKING NOISE IN THE RADIO THAT WAS NEVER LOOKED IN TO WHEN I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR TRANS., APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON DEFECT WHERE THE PINS WITHIN THE 6CD CHANGER GO BAD, BUT I HAVE YET TO SEE A RECALL. I HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE BUBBLING MICHELINS. I HAVE HAD THREE BLOWOUTS AND HAVE FINALLY REPLACED THE TIRES WITH A DIFFERENT BRAND, WHICH I THINK IS UNFAIR. I HAVE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE ORIGINAL ROTORS FOR WARPING. MY PAINT SEEMS TO BE CHIPPING REALLY BAD AND IT HAS BEEN SINCE ORIGINAL PURCHASE. I ALSO HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE SEAT BELT NOT RETRACTING. *TR

SIDEWALL IS BULGING - WILL BE RETURNING TO DEALER (COSTCO). HAS NOT COMPLETELY FAILED. TIRE IS A MICHELIN MXV4 S8 ALL SEASON P215/60R16 94V RRBL. INSTALLED 1/10/06. ABOUT 10,000 MILES OF USE. *TR

05/25/07 DEFECTIVES MICHELIN TIRES CUSTOMER STATES THAT THE TIRES LIFE WAS ONLY 1/2 THE TIME EXPECTED**CC THE CONSUMER PROVIDED A COPY OF THE INVOICE FOR TIRES AND A COPY OF THE TIRES MAKE, MODEL, AND SIZE. THE CONSUMER NOTICED A BULDGE ON THE SIDEWALL OF THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. *TR

ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, I HAD A BLOW-OUT WHILE DRIVING MY 2006 HONDA ACCORD SE. THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS ROUGHLY IN MARCH OF 2006, AND THE SECOND ONE NOVEMBER 16, 2006. IN BOTH INSTANCES, THE CAR WAS TRAVELING ON A STRAIGHT ROAD AT ABOUT 65 MPH BOTH BLOW-OUTS OCCURRED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, THE FIRST ONE FRONT AND THE SECOND REAR. THE FIRST BLOW-OUT NEARLY PUT ME INTO THE GUARD RAIL AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE ALLOY RIM. THE OTHER BLOW-OUT DID NOT CAUSE ANY LOSS OF CONTROL. BOTH BLOW-OUTS OCCURRED ACCOMPANIED BY A LOUD SOUND, NOT SURE IF IT WAS FROM THE RELEASE OF AIR OR THE RIM SLAMMING TO THE HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH. BOTH BLOW-OUTS RESULTED IN A GAPING HOLE IN THE SIDEWALLS OF THE TIRES. THE INITIAL FAILURE HAPPENED WITH 3000 MILES ON THE CAR AND THE SECOND WITH 9000 MILES. ALL 4 TIRES CONSTANTLY APPEAR TO BE LOW ON AIR ALTHOUGH WITHIN THE RECOMMENDED PSI RANGE. NEITHER TIRE COULD BE REPAIRED AND BOTH TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE SPENT $400 REPLACING THESE DAMAGED TIRES ON A CAR THAT IS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD. *JB

I WAS DRIVING TO ARIZONA FROM TEXAS ON INTERSTATE 10 IN A RAIN STORM WHEN MY CAR STARTED TO FISHTAIL. I THOUGHT IT WAS HYDROPLANING, BUT IT WAS SOON TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL AND I STARTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES. MY CAR STARTED SPINNING AND SPUN ACROSS THE 15 FOOT GRASSY MEDIAN WHICH SLOPED DOWN ABOUT TWO FEET, PROCEEDED ACROSS THE TWO LANES OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC, CONTINUED DOWN A THREE FOOT SLOPED GRASSY MEDIAN ABOUT THREE FEET WIDE AND FINALLY CAME TO A STOP ON THE FRONTAGE ROAD. MY BACK TIRE HAD GONE FLAT!! WHEN I GOT TO ARIZONA I BROUGHT MY CAR IN TO DISCOUNT TIRE (WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THE FIRST TWO TIRES) TO HAVE THE RIMS AND TIRES CHECKED. THEY CHANGED THE TIRE BUT COULD FIND NO NAIL OR ANY REASON FOR THE TIRE GOING FLAT. THE OTHER REAR TIRE ALSO HAD TO BE CHANGED BECAUSE THERE WERE CRACKS IN THE TIRE (THE 2 REAR TIRES HAD 20,000 MILES ON THEM). I WAS TOLD THE RIMS WERE DAMAGED, BUT NOT TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TWO FRONT TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 17,000 MILES BECAUSE THEY BOTH HAD BUBBLES. I BELIEVE I RECEIVED FOUR DEFECTIVE TIRES WHEN I PURCHASED MY CAR BECAUSE THESE MICHELIN TIRES SUPPOSED TO BE GOOD FOR AROUND 50,000 MILES. I WENT ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND A SITE OF UNHAPPY MICHELIN CUSTOMERS WITH THEIR HORROR STORIES. I PRINTED TEN PAGES OF COMPLAINTS, TWO VERY SIMILAR TO MINE WHERE THE TIRE WENT FLAT FOR NO APPARENT REASON, OTHERS THAT HAD BLOWOUTS ON ALMOST NEW TIRES. ONE CUSTOMER STATED THAT HE WAS TOLD TO RETURN THE TIRE (AS I WAS) AND ABOUT A WEEK LATER WHEN HE CALLED HE WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TIRE. HE RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM THE POSTAL SERVICE THAT THE TIRE HAD BEEN DELIVERED AND IT WAS DATED AFTER THE CONVERSATION HE HAD WITH MICHELIN! JB

DRIVING OUR 2 MONTH OLD 2006 HONDA ACCORD SEDAN EX SPECIAL EDITION ON A STRETCH OF SMOOTH ROAD THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING LOST AIR. WE HAD NOT SEEN ANYTHING IN ROAD, HIT A POTHOLE OR CURB OR ANYTHING ELSE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT ANYTHING INFLUENCED THE TIRE TO BLOW. UPON INSPECTION OF THE TIRE A 1.5 INCH HOLE WAS IN THE SIDEWALL. THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE ROAD THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS EVENT. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD OUT OF TRAFFIC AND CHANGE THE TIRE WITHOUT FURTHER COMPLICATIONS. TWO MICHELIN AUTHORIZED TIRE COMPANIES TOLD ME THAT WE MUST HAVE HIT SOMETHING THAT CAUSED THE PUNCTURE AND THAT MICHELIN WOULD NOT OFFER ANY WARRANTY ON THE TIRE. I WAS STUNNED THAT THIS COULD BE POSSIBLE ON A 2 MONTH OLD TIRE WITH LESS THAN TWO THOUSAND MILES ON IT AND WITHOUT ANY IDENTIFIABLE EVENT THAT MIGHT HAVE CAUSED THE TIRE TO FAIL. I AM VERY PLEASED THAT THERE WAS NO RESULTING CRASH BUT I AM NOT HAPPY THAT I HAD TO SPEND ALMOST $200.00 TO REPLACE A TIRE ON MY NEW CAR WHEN I BELIEVE THERE WAS NOT ANY WAY I COULD HAVE AVOIDED IT. IF I HAD HIT A POTHOLE, CURB OR ANYTHING, IF THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF SOMETHING IN THE ROAD OR EVEN IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING AGGRESSIVELY I COULD UNDERSTAND IT, BUT THERE IS NO REASON IN MY MIND THAT THIS TIRE SHOULD HAVE FAILED NOR SHOULD I HAVE HAD TO PURCHASE A REPLACEMENT. I AM NOW CONCERNED ABOUT THE OTHER 9 MICHELIN TIRES ON OUR HONDAS ( WE PURCHASED TWO ACCORDS IN JULY) AND OUR SAFETY WHILE DRIVING THE CARS. *JB