MICHELIN UNKNOWN TIRES Complaints

EARLY SPRING OF 08, TIRE VALVE STEM LEAK : REPLACED SEPT 5 OF 08 HAD SPORTRAC VEHICLE IN TO DEALER FOR ( FORD, FAIROAK NAPERVILLE IL. ) MAINTENANCE INCLUDING ROTATION AND BALANCING OF ALL 4 WHEEL SL SHORTLY AFTER LEAVING DEALER LOW TIRE PRESSURE INDICATOR CAME ON. I FOUND LEFT REAR VALVE STEM LEAKING STOP AT DISCOUNT TIRE AND WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD 3 VALVES ON VEHICLE THAT WERE BAD "RECALL" ALL 4 FOUR WERE THEN REPLACED AND I WAS INFORMED OF THE RECALL. WHAT' WITH FORD ? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD EXPLORER. THE VEHICLE HAS MICHELIN TIRES, SIZE P235/70R/16 (NA). THE CONTACT NOTICED A CRACK ON THE SIDEWALL THAT AFFECTED ALL FOUR TIRES. THESE WERE THE ORIGINAL TIRES ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THEY STATED THAT THE TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE CRACK. AT THIS TIME, THE TIRES HAVE NOT BEEN REPLACED. THE DOT NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 32,207.

I OWN A FORD -150 SUPER CREW AND I BOUGHT IT IN MAY OF 2007. TWO MONTHS AGO I HAD A VALVE STEM BLOW OUT. I GOT IT FIXED. THIS PAST TUESDAY. I HAD ANOTHER VALVE STEM BLOW OUT. I TOOK IT TO A TIRE REPAIR SHOP AND THE OTHER TWO VALVE STEMS WE'RE DRY-ROTTED. I HAD THEM REPLACE ALL THREE. I BELIEVE THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH FORD PUTTING ON OLD VALVE STEMS. THERE IS NO WAY FOUR VALVE STEMS SHOULD HAVE DRY ROTTED IN 13 MONTHS. *TR

TIRE VALVE PROBLEM - 3 BLOWN TIRES IN 60 DAYS ORIGINAL TIRES PURCHASED 1/31/2007 - CAR MILEAGE 75,857 AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE 1ST INCIDENT - APRIL 12, 2008 - CAR MILEAGE 91,400 (RIGHT FRONT TIRE) BLOWN TIRE ON INTERSTATE 81 IN VIRGINIA (TIRE REPLACED W/NEW VALVE) NO PROBLEM DETERMINATION DONE RELATIVE TO THE VALVE 2ND INCIDENT - APRIL 26, 2008 - CAR MILEAGE 92,300 (LEFT FRONT TIRE) BLOWN TIRE ON INTERSTATE 85 IN NORTH CAROLINA (TIRE REPLACED W/NEW VALVE) NO PROBLEM DETERMINATION DONE RELATIVE TO THE VALVE 3RD INCIDENT - JUNE 18, 2008 - CAR MILEAGE 93,100 (LEFT REAR TIRE) BLOWN TIRE ONE INTERSTATE 285 IN GEORGIA (TIRE REPLACED W/NEW VALVE) PROBLEM DETERMINATION DONE REVEALED VALVE SEEMED TO BE ROTTED 4TH TIRE (RIGHT REAR) WAS CHECK DURING THE 3RD TIRE REPLACEMENT - VALVE WAS "WIGGLED" AND THE TIRE STARTED TO LEAK - 4TH TIRE PRO-RATED AND NEW TIRE AND VALVE WAS PUT ON THE CAR AS A RESULT OF THE ANALYSIS DONE DURING THE 3RD TIRE REPLACEMENT - IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VALVES WERE THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE TIRE FAILURES TIRES WERE MICHELIN CROSS TERRAIN SUV ORWL P235/7R-16 VALVE NUMBERS WERE NOT DETERMINED THE ONLY REASON WE INVESTIGATED THE POSSIBILITY OF A RECALL ON THE VALVES WAS BASED ON THE STATEMENT MADE BY THE TIRE SERVICE ATTENDANT THAT THEY HAD SEEN A FEW OF THESE AND THEY WERE GETTING REIMBURSED DUE TO A FAULTY VALVE. THE PURCHASE PLACE OF THE TIRES WITH THE VALVES IN QUESTION WAS DISCOUNT TIRE IN KENNESAW GEORGIA - JANUARY 2007 CONSEQUENTLY, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 4 TIRES (WHICH WERE COVERED UNDER MY ROAD HAZARD INSURANCE WITH DISCOUNT TIRE) AND A NEW ALIGNMENT... TOTAL COST, INCLUDING EVERYTHING WAS ABOUT $150 (THANKS TO THE ROAD HAZARD INSURANCE). *TR

AFTER HAVING 3 OUT OF 4 NEW TIRES GO FLAT DUE TO BAD VALVE STEMS, I ASKED THE DEALER TO CHECK THE VALVE STEM ON THE FOURTH TIRE, THAT HADN'T GONE FLAT YET. THE VALVE STEM WAS ALSO BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, WHICH THE DEALER DID FOR FREE. HE STILL IS UNAWARE OF ANY RECALL PROBLEMS WITH VALVE STEMS. THANKFULLY, I HAD HIM CHECK THE FOURTH TIRE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT RUSH HOUR MY FRONT RIGHT TIRE WENT FLAT. THIS IS THE THIRD TIRE OUT OF FOUR THAT HAVE GONE FLAT! THE LOCAL POLICE CHANGED IT FOR ME. I TOOK THE TIRE BACK TO WHERE I BOUGHT IT AND THEY SAID THE VALVE STEM WAS DRY ROT!! ANOTHER ONE. AFTER EXPRESSING MY CONCERN ABOUT HAVING 3 OUT OF 4 TIRES WITH BAD VALVE STEMS, THEY SAID THAT SOMETIME THIS HAPPENS. BECAUSE I HAD DRIVEN ON THE TIRE TO GET TO SAFE SPOT, I HAD TO BUY ANOTHER NEW TIRE. COST @128.31. *TR

I WAS RUNNING ERRANDS AND COULD FELL THE CAR START TO PULL AND FELT THEY CALLED AND SAID THAT THE VALVE STEM WAS BAD ON THIS TIRE. THEY WERE ABLE TO REPLACE THE VALVE STEM AND THE TIRE WASN'T DAMAGED. THE COST TO REPLACE VALVE STEM WAS $23.31. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE THE TIRE WENT FLAT. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF TO A SAFE PLACE, BUT DAMAGED THE TIRE BY DRIVING ON IT. THE LOCAL POLICE CHANGED THE TIRE FOR ME. I TOOK THE TIRE BACK TO WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED. THEY SAID THE VALVE STEM WAS BAD. I HAD TO BUY A NEW TIRE AT FULL PRICE. *TR

IN FEB., 2007, MY MOTHER-IN-LAW BOUGHT A SET (4) OF MICHELIN SYMMETRY TIRES FOR HER MERCURY MARQUIS. WITHIN TWO MONTHS, ONE HAD A SIDEWALL BLOW OUT. THE DEALER TOLD HER THAT SHE MUST HAVE HIT SOMETHING, SO SHE BOUGHT A REPLACEMENT TIRE. LAST WEEK, MAY 30, 2008, WHILE DRIVING FROM MYRTLE BEACH TO ROCK HILL, SC, ANOTHER TIRE HAD A SIDEWALL BLOWOUT. AFTER WAITING ALMOST 2 HOURS IN 90 DEGREE HEAT, AAA ARRIVED AND CHANGED THE TIRE. SHE DROVE TO TWO TIRE STORES LOOKING FOR A REPLACEMENT. AFTER PURCHASING ONE AT THE LOCAL FORD DEALER, SHE STARTED HOME AGAIN. WITHIN 50 MILES, ANOTHER TIRE HAD A SIDEWALL BLOWOUT. THIS TIME WHILE WAITING FOR AAA, A SCHP OFFICER STOPPED AND AT LEAST PROVIDED SOME WATER. SHE DROVE HOME ON THE TEMPORARY REPLACEMENT TIRE. TODAY WE ARE GOING BACK TO THE DEALER THAT INSTALLED THE ORIGINAL TIRES. I SUSPECT THAT HER OPTIONS WILL BE TO EITHER PURCHASE ANOTHER MICHELIN SYMMETRY, OR AN ENTIRE REPLACEMENT SET. ON HER LIMITED INCOME, SHE'LL PROBABLY JUST BUT THE MICHELIN. HER DAUGHTER AND I ARE CONCERNED WITH HER DRIVING ON LONG TRIPS WITH THESE TIRES. I HAVE FOUND 23 PAGES OF COMPLAINTS ON MICHELIN TIRES ON THE CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM WEBSITE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1986 AUDI 5000. THE VEHICLE HAS MICHELIN XM PLUS 300 TIRES (NA). WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE AND THE CONTACT HEARD LOUD FLAPPING NOISES. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE LOST APPROXIMATELY HALF OF ITS TREAD, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO NEARLY LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND REPLACED THE TIRE WITH A SPARE. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY INFORMED HIM THAT THE TIRES WERE NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT HIS EXPENSE. THE VIN AND TIRE SIZE WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 200,100. UPDATE 09/10/08 *CW UPDATED 09/17/08. *JB