MICHELIN MXV4 TIRES Complaints

DEAR SIR/MADAM, WHEN MY WIFE DROVE THE CAR ON LOCAL ROAD UNDER 50 MPH, ONE REAR TIRE EXPLODED SUDDENLY. (THE ROAD WAS CLEAN). THE CAR WE HAVE IS HONDA ACCORD 2003. THE TIRE HAS 60% USAGE UNDER WARRANTY. WE WENT TO A LOCAL AUTHORIZED MICHELIN TIRE DEALER TO GET IT CHECKED AND REPLACED. THE DEALER CHECKED THE TIRED AND FOUND THE SIDE WALL OF THE REAR TIRE BLEW UP. THE DEALER THINK IT IS A DEFECTIVE TIRE. WE ARE SCARED OF THE MICHELIN TIRE AND GOT REPLACED WITH FOUR NEW GOODYEAR TIRES. WE AND THE DEALER CALLED MICHELIN LATER AND THEY TOLD US EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A DEFECT TIRE, WE COULD NOT GET ANY CREDIT/DISCOUNT BACK ON THE REPLACEMENT SINCE IT WAS ANOTHER BRAND. BUT WHO WOULD PICK THE SAME BRAND AFTER IT JUST BLEW UP. WE ARE VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE QUALITY OF THE MICHELIN TIRE AS WELL AS THEIR RESPONSE. LUCKILY THE TIRE EXPLODED ON LOCAL ROAD. IF IT WERE ON FREEWAY, IT COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS. SO WE ARE WRITING TO FAIL A COMPLAINT TO YOU.*AK

WHILE DRIVING A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE FRONT. CONSUMER PULLED OVER, AND NOTICED THAT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE SIDEWALL. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO CHANGE THE TIRE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MICHELIN, MXV4, 195/65R15.*AK

MY WIFE, JANELLE, AND I HAVE A 2003 VOLVO S60 WHICH WE PURCHASED NEW IN APRIL, 2003, AND WHICH HAD FOUR ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MICHELIN TIRES (MXV-4, I BELIEVE). WE USE IT FOR NORMAL HIGHWAY AND SUBURBAN TRAVEL IN THE BOSTON AREA. WHEN THE CAR HAD GONE ONLY 8000 MILES, ONE OF THE LEFT TIRES GAVE OUT ON US. THE SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE UNRAVELED, AND THE TIRE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED. NO SPECIFIC CAUSE COULD BE DETERMINED. FORTUNATELY, THIS HAPPENED IN A QUIET CAPE COD TOWN AND WE WERE NOT IN ANY DANGER (BUT I WAS OUT ABOUT $150). WE HAD NO FURTHER PROBLEMS UNTIL SEPTEMBER 13, WHEN THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE GAVE OUT FROM THE SIDE IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE PREVIOUS TIRE ON ROUTE 128 IN WAKEFIELD, MA (AT 23000 MILES), WHILE I WAS TRAVELING MORE THAN 60 MILES AN HOUR IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. WE WERE LUCKY NOT TO HAVE BEEN KILLED OR INJURED. AGAIN, THE TIRE WAS RUINED. AGAIN, IT COST ME OVER $150 FOR A REPLACEMENT TIRE. BOTH TIRE DEALERS WHO SOLD US REPLACEMENT MICHELIN MATCHING TIRES ADVISED US THAT PERHAPS THE PROBLEM HAD TO DO WITH THE "LOW PROFILE" OF THE VOLVO S60 AND BUMPING INTO CURBS. YET THE FIRST TIRE WHICH UNRAVELED WAS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE SECOND TIRE WHICH UNRAVELED HAD ABSOLUTELY NO CONTACT WITH A CURB FOR ABOUT 100 MILES PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED. I BELIEVE THAT THE ORIGINAL TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE, AND WE ARE NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR AT ALL, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE PLANNING LONG TRIPS IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. I WANT THE REMAINING TIRES REPLACED BY MICHELIN ASAP, AND I WANT TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE $300 I HAVE ALREADY SPENT ON THE FIRST 2 REPLACEMENT TIRES. HAVE THERE BEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS? WHAT SHOULD I DO? COULD YOU CONTACT MICHELIN FOR ME? VOLVO REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING. MY OFFICE PHONE NUMBER IS 781/431-9788, AND MY HOME PHONE NUMBER IS 781/641-0668. MY CELL PHONE NO. IS 617/645-4345. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR PROMPT ASSISTANCE. *JB

A COUPLE MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR I BEGAN TO HEAR A VERY ANNOYING "HOWL" COMING FROM THE FRONT LEFT CORNER OF THE CAR. SOON AFTER THE CAR WOULD VIBRATE AFTER ACCELERATING TO A CERTAIN POINT. I FINALLY COULDN'T STAND DRIVING THE CAR BECAUSE OF THE NOISE SO I HAD IT TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER. THEY CHECKED AND SAID THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE BEARINGS IN THE FRONT LEFT TIRE. FOR A WHILE, IT WAS FINE BUT NOW IT'S STARTING TO DO THE SAME THING AGAIN A YEAR LATER IN THE SAME LOCATION IT SEEMS LIKE. I ONLY HAVE 38,000 MILES ON THIS CAR. I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD HAVE RECURRING PROBLEMS LIKE THIS. ALSO, RECENTLY I'VE NOTICED THAT IT IS JUMPING INTO GEARS RATHER THAN MAKING A SMOOTH TRANSITION LIKE IT USED TO. *LA

A ROAD HAZARD DESTROYED A FRONT TIRE AT APPROX 20, 000 MILES. I REPLACED IT AND HAD NEW SPARE PLACED ON OTHER FRONT WHEEL. REAR TIRES NEEDED REPLACING AT 47,000 MILES AND I REQUESTED COSTCO TIRE CENTER, SUNNYVALE, CA, TO PLACE NEW TIRES ON FRONT AND ROTATE PRESENT FRONTS TO REAR WHEELS. CLERK REFUSED STATING THAT COSTCO POLICY IS TO REFUSE TO INSTALL NEW TIRES AND MOUNT ON FRONT WHEELS ONLY. REASON WAS BASED ON A STUDY FROM MICHELIN TIRE COMPANY. I REQUESTED AND WAS SHOWN COSTCO EMPLOYEE MANUAL WITH THAT DIRECTION. STUDY WAS NOT AVAILABLE. COSTCO EMPLOYEE DIRECTIONS ARE THAT IF CUSTOMER INSISTS ON NEWER TIRES ON FRONT WHEELS, THE EMPLOYEE IS NOT TO SELL THE TIRES TO THE CUSTOMER. I WAS REPLACING MICHELIN TIRES WITH MICHELIN TIRES. COSTCO SELL OTHER BRANDS, BUT THIS WAS APPARENTLY A RULE FOR ALL. I CONTACTED MICHELIN ON THEIR WEBSITE REQUESTING AVAILABILITY OF READING THE SUBJECT STUDY. NO RESPONSE IN 8 DAYS. I HAVE ALWAYS HEARD AND FOLLOWED THE RULE THAT BEST TIRES BELONG ON FRONT WHEELS FOR SAFETY REASONS. I HAVE USED MICHELIN TIRES FOR YEARS BUT HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS CONDITION OF SALE. HAS MICHELIN PLACED ME AND FAMILY IN AN UNSAFE POSITION WITH THIS UNAVAILABLE STUDY? WOULD APPRECIATE NHTSA ASSISTENCE IN RESOLVING THIS MATTER. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, REAR TIRE FAILED (BLEWUP). TIRE WAS IN GOOD CONDITION WITH GOOD AMOUNTS OF TREAD. CAR, ROAD, TEMPERATURE, SPEED ALL WERE IN NORMAL CONDITIONS. *JB

ON 2/13/04 MY WIFE WHO IS 8 MONTHS PREGNANT WAS GOING HOME AFTER A DOCTORS APPOINTMENT WHEN SHE EXPERIENCED A FLAT TIRE IN HER 2003 MERCEDES C240 ON I 75 GOING SOUTH NEAR ARVIDA PARKWAY EXIT, SHE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE RODE AND PROCEDED TO CALL ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FROM MERCEDES, THEY ADVISED HER NOT TO MOVE THE CAR ANY FURTHER AND THEY WOULD DISPATCH SOMEONE IN ABOUT AN HOUR. BEING A HEAVILY TRAVELED ROAD SHE WAS CONCERNED DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC AND HER BEING RIGHT ON THE SHOULDER, SHE THEN CONTACTED ME AS I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK LEAVING THE SAME DOCTORS APPT, I PROCEDED TO HEAD TO HER ASSISTRANCE AND ADVISED HER TO PULL FURTHER OFF THE SHOULDER INTO THE GRASS WHICH SHE DID, I ARRIVED TO HER LOCATION APPROXIMATLY 45 MIN LATER AND THERE WAS STILL NO ASSISTANCE THERE, ABOUT 30 MIN AFTER I ARRIVED ONE OF THE I75 ROAD RANGERS ARRIVED AND HELPED CHANGE THE TIRE WHICH WAS A MICHELEN MXV4 PLUS RADIAL XSE4, AFTER THE TIRE WAS REPLACED WE WERE PROCEDING TO THE MERCEDES DEALER IN PEMBROKE PINE TO GET THE TIRE REPLACED WHEN MY WIFE PHONED ME THAT THE CAR WAS NOT RIDING CORRECTLY AND PULLING TO THE RIGHT , BEFORE SHE COULD GET TO THE NEXT EXIT MAYBE A HALF A MILE THE OPPISITE TIRE DISINIGRATED WITH THE WHOLE SIDE OF THE TIRE COMMING OFF, WE AGAIN PULLED OVER AND CALLED MERCEDES AGAIN AND WAS TOLD SINCE WE CANCELED THE FIRST CALL WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT OVER AN HOUR AND WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO TOW THE CAR SINCE WE HAD NO SPARE WHICH WAS USED EARILER. WE THEN LEFT THE CAR AND PROCEDED TO THE PEMBROKE PINES MERCEDES DEALER WHERE THEY ARRANGED TO TOW THE CAR, WE WENT BACK AND WAITED ANOTHER HOUR AND A HALF FOR THE TOW TRUCK, ONCE THE CAR ARRIVED AT MERCEDES THE SERVICE ADVISOR STATEED MANY POSSIBLE REASONS FOR THE PROBLEM INCLUDING UNDERINFLATION AND POSSIBLY VANDILISM WHICH I REALLY DOUBT.*AK

CONSUMER EXPERIENCE THREE TIRE CHANGES WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF THE LEASE.*PR TWO TIRE BLOW OUTS OCCURRED WITH MXV4 TIRE EQUIPMENT.*MR

I HAVE NOTICED THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT MICHELIN TIRES.(MXV4) I WOULD LIKE TO STATE THAT I ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH THAT TIRE. I HAD TWO UNEXPLAINED BLOWOUTS ON THE HIGHWAY, AND A YEAR LATER A "BUBBLE" ON THE SIDEWALL OF ANOTHER TIRE. MY EXPERIENCE AS AN EX-AIRCRAFT MECHANIC (16 YEARS), ALLOWED ME TO KNOW THESE TIRES ARE UNSAFE AND I REPLACED THEM ALL. I FELT REALLY FOOLISH THAT I DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY TAKE ACTION AFTER THE BLOWOUTS BECAUSE THERE WAS NO VISIBLE CAUSE EITHER TIME. AS I REFLECT BACK, BOTH BLOWOUTS WERE ON A HOT SUMMER DAY AND THE POORLY CONSTRUCTED TIRE COULDN'T TAKE THE HEAT.*AK

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT A COMPLAINT THAT ONE OF THE MICHELIN TIRES ON MY NEW VOLVO S40 (BOUGHT ON JAN 25, 2003: [XXX]) BLEW OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING TO WORK. FORTUNATELY, I WAS NOT IN AN ACCIDENT AS I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 25MPH. ON THE SAME DAY FRIDAY (DEC 12, 03) I CONTACTED THE VOLVO DEALER WITH A REQUEST TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. THEY REFUSED TO EVALUATE THE TIRE AND ONLY TOLD ME TO CALL MICHELIN. ON DEC 15, 03, I CALLED MICHELIN AND WAS TOLD THAT VALLEY FORGE TIRE AND AUTO CENTER WAS THE CLOSEST CERTIFIED MICHELIN DEALER IN MY AREA. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THEM AND WENT THAT DAY. THEIR REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THAT THIS TIRE WAS NOT FAULTY, AND COULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I HAD TO REPLACE THE TIRE ANYWAY BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO EUROPE, AND I NEEDED THE CAR TO GET TO THE AIRPORT IN NEW JERSEY. (I WAS IN PENNSYLVANIA AT THAT TIME) AFTER I RETURNED FROM MY VACATION, I CONTACTED AN EXPERT AND WAS TOLD THAT THE BLOWOUT WAS THE FAULT OF THE MANUFACTURER BECAUSE: 1. ON THE INSIDE LAYER OF THE TIRE THE RUBBER WAS PEELING (THE RUBBER WAS COMING OFF OF THE TIRES LIKE SCALES) 2. IN ANOTHER PLACE ALSO ON THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE THE WHITE THREADS THAT MAKE UP THE TIRE UNDER THE RUBBER WERE SHOWING, I WAS TOLD THAT THE TIRE WOULD HAVE BLOWN OUT IN THIS POINT IF NOT IN THE OTHER. IN THIS SITUATION I WOULD LIKE TO REPLACE ALL FOUR OF MY TIRES THIS WEEK TO GOODYEAR. PLEASE ADVISE ME HOW YOU PLAN TO DEAL WITH THIS SITUATION. I BOUGHT A NEW CAR AND SPECIFICALLY THE VOLVO BECAUSE I WAS PLANNING TO DO A LOT OF DRIVING THIS YEAR AND NEEDED A SAFE AND RELIABLE CAR. I TRUSTED VOLVOS REPUTATION FOR SAFETY AND RELIABILITY, BUT NOW I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED. [XXX]. *AK UPDATED 07/30/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)