MICHELIN PILOT TIRES Complaints

THE INCIDENT OCCURRED JUST AFTER MERGING ONTO THE INNER-LOOP 495 NORTH-BOUND FROM WEST-BOUND HIGHWAY 50, BETWEEN HIGHWAY 50 AND 66, IN FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA. DURING THE MERGE, I ACCELERATED MY VEHICLE TO EQUAL TO THE SPEED OF TRAFFIC WHILE MAINTAINING MY POSITION IN THE ON/OFF-LANE USED FOR THE 50/60 MERGER. BECAUSE I WAS CONTINUING NORTH-BOUND ON 495 TOWARDS TYSON'S CORNER, I STARTED PROCEDURES TO EXIT THE 66 ON-LANE AND MERGE INTO NORTH-BOUND 495 TRAFFIC. THESE PROCEDURES INCLUDED CHECKING BOTH MY SIDE AND REAR-VIEW MIRRORS AS WELL AS MY BLIND SPOTS. NEEDLESS TO SAY, DURING THE PROCEDURES MY EYES WERE ROUTINELY FORWARD TO CHECK ON FORWARD TRAFFIC. BETWEEN MY MIRROR AND BLIND SPOT CHECKS, I NOTICED THAT I WAS QUICKLY APPROACHING A MASSIVE POTHOLE THAT LAID DIRECTLY IN THE PATH OF MY FORWARD PROGRESSION. I ESTIMATE THE POTHOLE SIZE BEING TWO FEET IN LENGTH, ONE FOOT IN WIDTH, AND ONE FOOT IN DEPTH (I HAVE PICTURES). ALTHOUGH I ATTEMPTED TO AVOID THE POTHOLE, AT AROUND 60MPH, IN THE RAIN, WITH A GUARD RAIL TO MY RIGHT AND TRAFFIC TO MY LEFT, THERE WAS VERY LITTLE I COULD DO TO AVOID IT WITHOUT RISKING MY LIFE, MY PASSENGER'S LIFE, AND LIVES OF FELLOW COMMUTERS. I HIT THE POTHOLE. THE IMPACT WAS SO SEVER IT NOT ONLY BENT MY FRONT, PASSENGER'S SIDE WHEEL AND RIPPED A QUARTER-SIZE GAPING HOLE IN MY TIRE, IT DEPLOYED ALL MY PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS AND POSSIBLY RUINED MY SUSPENSION. AT THE TIME OF IMPACT, MY PASSENGER WAS LEANING AGAINST THE ARM-RESTS AND THE WINDOW DIRECTLY ON THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT PATH. HIS ARM, FACE, AND HEARING WERE INJURED DURING THE INCIDENT. I ALLOWED THE CAR TO SLOW DOWN TO SAFE SPEEDS BY RELEASING THE ACCELERATOR. ONCE AT SAFE SPEEDS, I CONTINUED TO AN EMERGENCY EXIT PULLOUT WHERE I AWAITED POLICE AND A TOWING VEHICLE. AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE POLICE, A VDOT EMERGENCY VEHICLE PULLED UP AND OFFERED ASSISTANCE. HE LATER INFORMED ME THAT THE POTHOLE HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY ADDRESSED AND SHOULD HAVE FIXED WELL BEFORE THE TIME OF MY INCIDENT. *TR

MICHELIN PILOT MXM4 P225/50R17 ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRE ON A 2008 HONDA ACCORD 4DR EX. MOUNTED ON RR WITH ONLY 17735 MILES DEVELOPED A SIDE WALL BLISTER NEAR THE BEAD. THE TIRE WAS PROPERLY INFLATED AND HAD NEVER SUFFERED ANY IMPACT DAMAGE. THE TIRE HAD TO BE REPLACED AT OWNERS COST BECAUSE MICHELIN DEALER WOULD NOT HONOR WARRANTY. DEFECTIVE TIRE KEPT BY OWNER FOR INSPECTION BY MICHELIN REP. *TR

SINCE NOVEMBER 2008, I'VE HAD TO BUY TWO NEW TIRES AND REPLACE THE VALVE STEMS ON THE OTHER TWO TIRES ON MY 2007 MERCURY MILAN. FAULTY VALVE STEMS COST ME $450 ON A CAR THAT WASN'T EVEN TWO YEARS OLD. THE MECHANICS WHO WORKED ON MY CAR ALL INFORMED ME OF THE BAD VALVE STEMS THAT WENT OUT IN 2007, SO WHY AS AN OWNER WAS I NEVER TOLD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR? ISN'T IT THE MANUFACTURER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO INFORM THE CUSTOMER OR BE PRO-ACTIVE AND REPLACE THE TIRES? *TR

ON 3/18/09, I HAD A TIRE FAIL ON MY 2007 FORD FUSION BECAUSE OF A RE-CALLED DILL # 414 VALVE STEM. I HAD TO REPLACE THE MICHELIN TIRE THAT HAD 10,487 MILES ON IT. I ALSO REPLACED THE OTHER THREE VALVE STEMS THAT WERE CRACKED (ALSO DILL #414). I AM SIX WEEKS AWAY FROM TRAVELING FROM MICHIGAN TO FLORIDA AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS OF 70 MPH. IF THIS TIRE HAD FAILED AT THOSE SPEEDS, I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONTROL MY VEHICLE TO A SAFE STOP. FORD MOTOR CO. (GORNO FORD DEALERSHIP IN WOODHAVEN, MI.) HAS NO INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. WHEN I CALLED TECH INTERNATIONAL (CLAY JOHNSON AT 740-967-9015), HE SAID THAT FORD MOTOR CO. DEARBORN IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM THAT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A FATAL INJURY. I HAVE THE DEFECTIVE VALVE STEMS IN MY CUSTODY. *TR

I PURCHASED 2 BRAND NEW MICHELIN PILOT SPORT A/S PLUS 225/45/ZR17 91Y FOR MY 2008 LEXUS IS 250 INSTALLED AS FRONT TIRES AT COSTCO. BEFORE LESS THAN 24 HOURS OF INSTALLED, AND LESS THAN 15 MILES OF USE, ONE OF THEM LOOSE THE AIR PRESSURE, THE TPMS ALERT ME OF LOW TIRE, I STOP AT NEAREST GAS STATION (ABOUT 2 MILES FROM THE MOMENT OF THE TPMS ALERT) AND IN EFFECT THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS LOW, I START TO INFLATE THE TIRE AND BEFORE THE TIRE WAS COMPLETELY INFLATED, A BLOWOUT OCCURRED CAUSING AN INJURY IN MY FACE. *TR

HI, I PURCHASED A PAIR OF MICHELIN PS2 HIGH PERFORMANCE TIRES FOR $600 FROM TIRERACK.COM AND NOTICED THAT THE LATERAL TREAD / GROVES ARE BLOCKED WITH EXCESS RUBBER THROUGHOUT BOTH TIRES. THEY WERE INSTALLED ON 12/06/2008. I RECEIVED DOCUMENTATION FROM ANOTHER TIRE MANUFACTURER THAT STATES THE LATERAL GROVES PLAY AN IMPORTANT FUNCTION TO DISPERSE WATER TO MINIMIZE HYDROPLANING. CURRENTLY, TIRERACK DENIES MY CLAIM FOR AN EXCHANGE. I CONTACTED MICHELIN AND THEY REFERRED ME BACK TO TIRERACK. HTTP://WWW.YOKOHAMATIRE.COM/CUSTOMER_SERVICE/CONSTRUCTION_TREAD.ASPX THE BLOCKAGE IS DIFFICULT TO REMOVE AND WOULD REQUIRE ME TO USE A SHARP UTILITY KNIFE TO MY TIRES. I AM NOT SURE WHAT MICHELIN WOULD SAY IF THEY KNEW I TOOK A KNIFE TO MY TIRES. TIRERACK SO FAR HAS DENIED MY REQUEST FOR AN EXCHANGE CLAIMING THE PROBLEM IS COSMETIC AND WOULD GO AWAY. I DIFFER BECAUSE THE PROBLEM BLOCKS A FUNCTIONAL SAFETY AND PERFORMANCE AREA OF THE TIRE AND PREVENTS ITS ABILITY TO DISPERSE WATER. TIRERACK'S WRITTEN WARRANTY POLICY STATES THAT THEY WOULD WORK WITH ME AND THE MANUFACTURER TO RESOLVE A CLAIM. THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED ACCORDING TO MY KNOWLEDGE. I HAVE EVEN SUBMITTED A VIDEO AND PICTURES. I AM SUBMITTING THIS COMPLAINT BECAUSE AS A CONSUMER WHO PAID A PREMIUM FOR THE MOST EXPENSIVE AND HIGHEST PERFORMANCE TIRES AVAILABLE, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE PIECE OF MIND THAT THEY WILL NOT FAIL... AND WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY, A CONSUMER SHOULD NOT HAVE TO CONTEMPLATE IF, WHEN OR THE LIKELIHOOD AN ACCIDENT WOULD OCCUR - EVEN IF ONE PERCEIVES THE LIKELIHOOD TO BE LOW. I'D RATHER NOT TAKE THAT CHANCE AND IT ONLY TAKES ONE EVENT TO CHANGE SOMEONE(S) LIFE FOREVER. I THEREFORE FEEL THAT TIRERACK HAS DELAYED THIS ISSUE FOR OVER A MONTH AND HAS NO REGARD FOR MY SAFETY OR THE SAFETY OF PEDESTRIANS ON THE ROAD BY MAKING A SWIFT EXCHANGE. TIRERACK HAS SO FAR ONLY SHOWN SIGNS OF ONLY WANTING TO MAKE MONEY IRREGARDLESS OF SAFETY. PLEASE FOLLOW UP ON MY CONCERNS. *TR

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HONDA ACCORD. THE VEHICLE HAD MICHELIN PILOT TIRES 215/55R17. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO SLOW DOWN, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE SPUN OUT OF CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO A CONCRETE DIVIDER AND ENDED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE DRIVER STATED THAT IT WAS A SEVERE CRASH. THE DRIVER CONFIRMED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE BLEW OUT. ONE OF THE PASSENGERS WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL; HOWEVER, THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS SIGNS OF THE TIRE BEING DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS LESS THAN ONE YEAR OLD. THE FAILURE OCCURRED IN AUGUST 2008. THE DOT NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,000.

PURCHASED NEW 2007 ACURA RDX IN JULY 2007 WITH MICHELIN PILOT TIRES. ON 5/5/08 WITH LESS THAN 14,000 MILES, EXPERIENCED SIDEWALL BLOWOUT ON I-270 IN MARYLAND WHILE TRAVELING UNDER THE SPEED LIMIT (TRAFFIC). PURCHASED NEW TIRE AT ACURA. I WAS TOLD IT WAS CAUSED BY RUNNING OVER SOMETHING IN THE ROAD (WHICH I DON'T RECALL DOING). 8/22/08 NOTICED ANOTHER TIRE WAS LOW ON AIR. THERE WAS A SMALL HOLE IN THE TREAD AREA SO THE TIRE WAS REPAIRED AT LOCAL SHOP. AGAIN WAS TOLD I RAN OVER SOMETHING. ON NOVEMBER, EXPERIENCED BLOWOUT WITH A LARGE HOLE IN THE SIDEWALL WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON I-70 IN MARYLAND. BROUGHT CAR TO ACURA AGAIN AND WAS TOLD I WAS JUST UNLUCKY AND AGAIN, RAN OVER "SOMETHING" IN THE ROAD. AT THIS POINT, I HAD NOW REPLACED TWO TIRES AND HAD A THIRD REPAIRED. ON DECEMBER 5, I DROVE TO PENNSYLVANIA. THE CAR SAT PARKED ALL DAY. AT NIGHT, WHEN I WENT OUT, THE REMAINING TWO ORIGINAL TIRES WERE BOTH FLAT. I HAD TO STAY OVERNIGHT AND WAIT UNTIL MORNING. I FOUND A LOCAL TIRES PLUS AN PURCHASED FOUR NEW BRIDGESTONE TIRES AS I DID NOT FEEL THE MICHELINS WERE SAFE. IN 17 MONTHS, WITH 22,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE, I HAVE PURCHASED 6 TIRES AND SPENT OVER $1400. I DRIVE MOSTLY HIGHWAY ON WELL MAINTAINED AND HEAVILY TRAVELED ROADS. I DON'T SPEED OR DRIVE RECKLESSLY. THE VEHICLE IS KEPT IN MY GARAGE OVERNIGHT AND HAD BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY AT ACURA. IN OVER 30 YEARS OF DRIVING, I HAVE ONLY HAD ONE OTHER FLAT TIRE. I HAVE HAD 4 IN 7 MONTHS. ALL 4 OF THE ORIGINAL MICHELIN TIRES GAVE OUT. I AM FORTUNATE THAT I WAS NOT INJURED BUT I AM CONVINCED THE TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TRIUMPH TIGER 1050. THE VEHICLE HAS MICHELIN PILOT TIRES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN UNEVEN CUT ONE INCH TO THE RIGHT ON ONE OF THE TIRES. IF FORCED, THE TIRE COULD SPLIT DOWN THE MIDDLE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO TWO DEALERS. ONE DEALER REFUSED TO GET INVOLVED AND THE OTHER DEALER CALLED THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO RECALL, THEY COULD ONLY OFFER HIM $90 FOR THE ISSUE. THE TIRE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 5,010 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 3,000.

LITTLE TINY CRACKS HAVE APPEARED ON THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRES NEAR THE RIM, WHICH I BELIEVE ARE CREATED DUE TO THE TIRES BEING DRY ROTTED. DOES THIS MEAN THE TIRES ARE TOO OLD WHEN THEY WERE PUT ON THE CAR? THE CAR DEALERSHIP MAKES IT SOUND LIKE THIS IS NORMAL WEAR. *TR