MICHELIN UNKNOWN TIRES Complaints

2006 HONDA ODYSSEY TOURING WITH PAX TIRES SYSTEM HAD 3 SETS TIRES PUT ON SO FAR WITH THE COST OF 700.00 A PAIR THE VAN IS 2 YEAR OLD. *TR

I WISH TO LODGE A COMPLAINT AGAINST MICHELIN TIRE COMPANY. ABOUT 4,000 MILES AGO I INSTALLED TWO MICHELIN 20560V16 FRONT TIRES ON MY CAR. YESTERDAY, WHILE PARKED, THE SIDEWALL OF THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE (DOT-M37R-JLFX-1106) SIMPLY BURST LEAVING A 2-3 IN. GAP. I HAD TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT TIRES IN ORDER NOT TO HAVE A TREAD IMBALANCE. AFTER A LONG AND TEDIOUS TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH MICHELIN CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY MAINTAINED, WITHOUT CHECKING THE STATE OF THE TIRE, THAT THIS IS NOT A MANUFACTURING OR OTHER DEFECT, AND THUS WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY THE STANDARD MANUFACTURER WARRANTY. THEY ADDED THAT IT WAS DUE TO MISUSE, SINCE THE TIRE WAS INSTALLED ON A CAR!!! AS IF THEIR MANUFACTURING RESPONSIBILITY EXTENDS ONLY TO BRAND NEW TIRES WHILE STILL IN THE SHOP, PRIOR TO INSTALLATION ON A CAR. THEY THEN OFFERED "AS A GOOD WILL" (AS THEY CLAIM) ONLY 30% REDUCTION ON TIRE REPLACEMENT ONLY (NO REIMBURSEMENT OF LABOR ASSOCIATED WITH TIRE REPLACEMENT), WHICH I HAVE REFUSED, GIVEN THE NEAR-NEW STATE OF THE TIRE. OTHER THAN INDICATING THAT THERE MAY BE A SAFETY PROBLEM WITH THESE MICHELIN TIRES, DO I HAVE A RECOURSE AGAINST SUCH A FLAGRANT FAILURE TO HONOR A CLEAR DEFECT RESPONSIBILITY? *TR

2005 HONDA ODYSSEY TOURING VAN HAVE THE PAX RUNFLAT TIRES. REPLACED 9 TIRES IN THE FIRST 30,000 MILES. ONE TIRE WAS PUT ON AND IN 2,000 MILES AND IT FAILED (BUBBLE IN SIDE WALL). MICHELIN WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME REGARDING WARRANTY. AFTER TALKING WITH THE LOCAL HONDA DEALER, THEY TOLD ME IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR THIS TIRE TO ONLY GET 30,000 MILES ON THEM BEFORE THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE CALLED MICHELIN AND THEY SAID THIS MILEAGE IS THE NORM. AT $250.00 PER TIRE, SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. *TR

PURCHASED A 2006 HONDA ODYSSEY WITH THE MICHELIN PAX TIRE SYSTEM. WE HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS TO DATE, BUT THE COST TO REPLACE TIRES ARE (3) TIMES THE COST OF REGULAR TIRES. 90% OF PEOPLE ARE CHANGING OUT WHEELS AND TIRES WITH REGULAR TIRES THAT COST MUCH LESS TO REPLACE. HONDA NEVER TOLD US THAT THE TIRE REPLACEMENT AND LABOR WOULD BE TWICE THAT FOR THE TIRES AND (5) TIMES THAT FOR THE LABOR TO REPLACE TIRES. WOULD LIKE TIRES REPLACED FOR THE COST OF NORMAL TIRES. *TR

AT APPROXIMATELY 28,000 MILES WE HEARD A TERRIBLE SQUEALING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF OUR 2005 FORD FREESTAR MINIVAN AND AFTER VISUAL INSPECTION THE BRAKE PAD ON THE DRIVER'S REAR WAS WORN TO NOTHING. IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE VAN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY INFORMED US THAT IT WAS NORMAL WEAR AND WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY OUR WARRANTY. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION BY OUR PERSONAL MECHANIC WE WERE INFORMED THE CALIPER WAS STICKING AND CUT INTO THE ROTOR. HE PUT A SET OF BRAKE PADS ON SO WE COULD DRIVE IT BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE, SUNSET FORD, IN GRAVOIS. WE WERE TOLD SINCE WE DID NOT USE MOTOCRAFT THE REPAIRS WOULD NOT BE COVERED. NOW AT 50,000 MILES THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS AND THE VAN NEEDS ANOTHER SET OF BRAKES AND ROTORS. *TR

HONDA ODYSSEY TOURING, MICHELIN PAX TIRE SYSTEM IS A CONSUMER RIP OFF. THE TIRE WEAR IS NOWHERE NEAR WHAT IS CLAIMED BY THE MANUFACTURER AND THE RUBBER COMPOUND IS SO SOFT THAT THEY ARE PUNCTURED BY EVERY NAIL OR SCREW ON THE ROAD. EVERY FLAT COSTS A MINIMUM OF $50.00 TO FIX BECAUSE OF THE JEL-PACK REQUIRED WHEN PATCHING. HONDA DOES NOT PROVIDE A SPARE TIRE OR EVEN A DONUT SPARE FOR EMERGENCIES. THE TIRES ARE SUPPOSED TO RUN FLAT FOR 125 MILES AT 50 MILES PER HOUR. IN RURAL ARIZONA, 125 MILES WON,T GET YOU ANYWHERE NEAR ONE OF THEIR " AUTHORIZED, PROPRIETARY " REPAIR PLACES. I FIND THAT THIS AUTO IS TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE ANY PLACE NOT NEAR A REPAIR STATION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIRES THAT CAME WITH THE VEHICLE WERE MICHELIN CONVERSION TIRES INSTEAD OF THE ORIGINAL TIRES. THE TIRE SIZE WAS W255/55/R18 105, BUT SHOULD HAVE BEEN W255/55/R18 109. ON AUGUST 16, 2007, THE TIRES WERE LOW, CRACKING, AND BULGING EVEN THOUGH A LOT OF TREAD STILL REMAINED. THE POWERTRAIN AND DOT NUMBER WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 25,110.

MY CAR, A 2006 MERCEDES E350 HAS HAD FOUR (4) FLAT TIRES IN ABOUT ONE YEAR'S TIME. I HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH AT LEAST THREE OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUE WITH THEIR MERCEDES'. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS DUE TO THE LOW PROFILE TIRES ON THE CAR. THEY SUPPOSEDLY PROVIDE BETTER HANDLING BUT ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLAT TIRES WHEN HITTING MINOR POTHOLES ETC. FOUR FLAT TIRES IN ABOUT A YEAR IS UNACCEPTABLE FROM A SAFETY STANDPOINT. THIS CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITH THESE TIRES IN PLACE. THE DEALER DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THIS ISSUE. *TR

FAILURE OF MICHELIN PAX SYSTEM TIRES AT 25K MILES. THESE TIRES OFFER UNREALISTIC/UNACCEPTABLE WEAR WHICH WOULD REQUIRE YEARLY REPLACEMENT AT $1200+ PER YEAR. MANUFACTURE AND/OR DEALER DID NOT MENTION OR ADVISE ANYTHING OF THE SORT DURING PURCHASE OF VEHICLE. SEVERELY RESTRICTIVE OPTIONS WITH RESPECT TO REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT OF TIRES. EXCESSIVELY HIGH COST OF TIRES, LACK OF LONGEVITY AND DURABILITY OF TIRES, ALONG INABILITY TO REPLACE WITH SUITABLE ALTERNATIVE TIRES. *TR

WE FIRST NOTICED A SEVERE VIBRATION IN OUR CAR ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO WHEN TRAVELING BETWEEN 65-70 MPH. TOOK HONDA ODY TO DEALER TO HAVE THEM REVIEW. SUGGESTED WE ROTATE AND BALANCE TIRES (AS WE HAVE DONE WITH NEARLY EACH OIL CHANGE). CAR HAD 20K MILES. WE DID AS SUGGESTED BUT VIBRATION CONTINUED. WE DROVE THE CAR TO SOUTH FLORIDA (8 HOURS OF DRIVING) AND THE VIBRATION SEEMED TO WORSEN. WENT TO DIFFERENT LOCAL HONDA DEALER TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT. THEY SUGGESTED ANOTHER BALANCE AND ALIGNMENT. WE SAID OK (ANOTHER $150) AND THEY SAID THEIR TECH DROVE IT AND IT WAS GONE. GREAT - TOOK THE CAR HOME AND EXPERIENCED IT AGAIN ON MY TEST LOOP HOME. CALLED SECOND DEALER AGAIN WHO TOOK CAR IN. FIRST THEY LOOKED AT THE PAX SYSTEM AND SAID WE NEED NEW TIRES AND THAT SHOULD FIX IT. THEY THEN PUT NEW TIRES ON FROM A NEW ODY ON THEIR LOT. DID NOT RESOLVE IT. NOW THEY FEEL IT IS THE FRONT AXLES THAT ARE DEFECTIVE AND STILL HAVE THE CAR. HOPEFULLY THIS WILL FIX THE PROBLEMS BUT NOT FROM WHAT I HAVE READ FROM OTHER CONSUMERS OF THE 2005 HONDA ODY... I FEEL ALL THIS WILL RECUR. SO, TWO PROBLEMS. THE PAX SYSTEM TOUTED FOR SAFETY AND LONGEVITY HAS ALMOST BALD SIDE EDGES OF EACH TIRE AT 22K MILES NOW. IS THIS SAFE FOR MY FAMILY? NOW I NEED TO REPLACE THEM FOR $1K. SECOND ISSUE IS FAULTY AXLES THAT ARE WORN AT 22K MILES. WOW. SEEMS TO BE SOME SERIOUS SAFETY AND DESIGN DEFECTS IN THIS $40K VEHICLE THAT WOULD NOT BE ACCEPTED ON A $20K CAR. *JB