MICHELIN XW4 TIRES Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 LINCOLN TOWN CAR. THE VEHICLE HAS MICHELIN XW4 TIRES, SIZE 225/60/R16. WHILE EXAMINING HIS VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES WERE DRY ROTTED. THE TIRES WERE TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT ALL OF THEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 33,000.

REFER TO OPEN NHTSA ACTION NUMBER PE94071. CUSTOMER OWNS A 1996 CADILLAC SEDAN DEVILLE WITH 93,884 MILES. CAR WAS ORIGINALLY EQUIPPED WITH MICHELIN XW4 TIRES FROM MANUFACTURER IN SIZE P225/60 R16 97S WITH A THIN WHITEWALL. ALL 4 TIRES REPLACED WITH SAME MICHELIN XW4 TIRES AT AROUND 50,000 MILES IN 2002, DUE TO AGE AND WEAR. ALL THE NEW TIRES HAD DOT CODE: B93V 222X 0902, AND ARE MARKED MADE IN USA. IN 2006, WHILE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 40 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE HAD A SUDDEN BLOWOUT. THIS BLOWOUT CREATED A HOLE FROM JUST PAST THE TIRE BEAD TO THE BEGINNING OF THE TREAD, MAKING A FLAP ABOUT THE SIZE OF YOUR PALM, STILL ATTACHED TO THE SIDE OF THE TREAD. TIRE REPLACED WITH A MATCHING XW4 WITH DOT CODE: B33V 222X 1105, MARKED MADE IN CANADA. AT THAT TIME, THE XW4 WAS DISCONTINUED BY MICHELIN, SO HAD TO FIND IT AS NOS (NEW OLD STOCK) VIA MAIL ORDER DISTRIBUTOR. IN SEPT. 2008 AT AROUND 93,800 MILES, THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE XW4 TIRE WAS NOTICED TO HAVE A SMALL BUBBLE IN THE SIDEWALL, NEAR THE TIRE BEAD AND IN THE WRITING AREA FOR THE TREAD AND SIDEWALL DESIGNATIONS. HAVE PICTURES SHOWING THIS BUBBLE, WHICH IS ABOUT 3 INCHES LONG AND 1.25 INCHES WIDE. SUBMITTED CLAIM TO MICHELIN AND REPLACED THE TIRE WITH A MICHELIN SYMMETRY, WHICH ALMOST EXACTLY MATCHED THE XW4 IN TREAD AND SIDEWALL APPEARANCE. WHEN TIRE WAS DISMOUNTED FROM THE RIM, THE BUBBLE STAYED INFLATED?! MICHELIN CAME BACK SAYING THE TIRE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, AS IT WAS A FEW MONTHS PAST THE 6 YEAR WARRANTY. AT THE SAME TIME, THE 2 REMAINING XW4 TIRES ON THE BACK EXHIBITED SIGNIFICANT CRACKING RIGHT WHERE THE TREAD MEETS THE SIDEWALL, AROUND THE ENTIRE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE TIRE. APPEARS TO BE TREAD SEPARATION. THESE 2 REAR TIRES ALSO HAVE A DOT CODE: B93V 222X 0902, AND MARKED MADE IN USA. REAR TIRE TREAD DEPTHS MEASURED 9/32 INCHES, FRONT DRIVERS SIDE 6/32 INCHES, AND NEWER XW4 ON FRONT PASSENGER SIDE MEASURED 9/32 INCHES. ALL TREAD DEPTHS MEASURED THE SAME ACROSS THE ENTIRE WIDTH OF THE TREAD. *TR

1998 CHEVY BLAZER WITH TIRE FAILURE. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE TIRES BLEW OUT AND WHEN HE WENT TO GET THEM REPLACED THE MECHANIC SAID THEY WERE DRY ROTTED. HE SAID THE BRAKES ENGAGED ON HIS WAY HOME. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKE AND ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE REAR BRAKES WERE REPLACED. AFTER THE TIRE REPLACEMENT, THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE REAR BRAKES BY ANOTHER DEALER. THE FIRST DEALER STATED EVERY THING CHECKED OUT AND THAT MAYBE THE MASTER CYLINDER THAT WAS REPLACED BY THE PREVIOUS DEALER MAY HAVE PARTIALLY FAILED. THE REAR SHOCKS WERE REPLACED, THE REAR VIEW MIRROR ASSEMBLY WAS LOOSE. THE DEALER GLUED IT BACK TOGETHER.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 LINCOLN TOWN CAR. THE DEALER NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE'S TIRE (MICHELIN XW4) IS AT THE 50% MARK AND THE SIDE WALLS ARE CRACKING. THE DOT NUMBER, PURCHASE DATE, ENGINE SIZE, TRANSMISSION TYPE, AND CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN. THE CONSUMER STATED REQUESTED 50% REIMBURSEMENT FOR DEFECTIVE TIRES. UPDATED 11/1/07 *TR UPDATED 12/12/07 *BF

MICHELIN TIRE SIDEWALLS AND TREAD WALLS CRACKED. *TS THE TIRES WERE INSPECTED AND THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED THAT MICHELIN EITHER PROVIDE HIM WITH FOUR NEW TIRES OR THE MONEY TO REPLACE THEM. *NM THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER INFORMED HIM THIS WAS A DANGEROUS DEFECT. THE CONSUMER STATED WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED 50% OF THE COST TO REPLACE THE TIRES. UPDATED 11/1/07 *TR

1) I WAS DRIVING HOME, ON A 2 LANE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MILES PER HOUR IN STEADY TRAFFIC ON A FLAT STRAIGHT ROAD. 2) MY MICHELIN XW4 P235/75R15 TIRE HAD COMPLETE TREAD SEPERATION, CAUSING ME TO SWERVE ALL OVER THE ROAD. THE TREAD RIPPED OFF, AND IN THE PROCESS "SLUNG" AROUND IN A CIRCLE LEAVING SCRATCHES AND TIRE RUBBER IN A SEMI-CIRCLE ON THE SIDE OF MY VEHICLE AND PUT A LARGE DENT IN THE REAR QUARTER PANEL. 3) THE TIRE IS STILL ON THE SPARE RIM AND IS STILL INFLATED (HOLDING AIR FINE) I PUT NEW TIRES ALL AROUND. (NOT MICHELINS)

THE VEHICLE FRAME HAD APPROXIMATELY THREE FEET OF RUST AND CORROSION. THE RUST WAS ALSO NOTICED BY THE BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE TRANSMISSION SUPPORT CROSS MEMBER. THE ENGINE OIL PAN RUSTED OUT WHICH CAUSED AN OIL LEAK. ALSO TWO OF THE TIRES HAD ACQUIRED BULGES. *JG *JB

LEFT REAR TIRE HAD MAJOR TREAD SEPARATION AT 70-75 MPH. TIRE REMAINED INFLATED. TREAD DEPTH IS 5/32. NLM

AT APPROXIMATELY 7:20PM ON WEDNESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 22, 2001, I WAS TRAVELING AT THE SPEED LIMIT, 75MPH, SOUTH ON INTERSTATE 70, NEAR RICHFIELD, UT, WHEN, WITHOUT WARNING, THE LEFT FRONT TIRE DELAMINATED. I MANAGED TO KEEP CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE AND GOT IT TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY. THE TIRE'S TREAD WAS COMPLETELY GONE, HAVING DEFORMED, BLACKENED AND TAKEN PAINT OFF THE LEFT FRONT FENDER, DETACHED THE LEFT PORTION OF THE BUMPER FROM THE FENDER, DESTROYING AND CASTING AWAY THE MAJORITY OF THE INNER FENDER SKIRT, BADLY DENTING THE REAR PORTION OF THE WHEEL WELL/FENDER, AND SHREDDING THE MUD GUARD THERE TO THE EXTENT THAT MOST OF IT HAD TO BE CUT OFF LATER. THE TIRE CONTINUED TO HOLD AIR THOUGH SO I WAS ABLE TO CREEP ALONG THE SHOULDER THE APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE TO THE FIRST RICHFIELD EXIT. I PARKED IN THE PARKING LOT OF A LARGE GAS STATION JUST OFF THE INTERSTATE AND GOT THE BY-NOW-DEFLATED-DE-LAMINATED TIRE OFF THE VEHICLE, AND THE "SPARE" TIRE ON IN ITS PLACE. I THEN PROCEEDED INTO RICHFIELD WHERE I FOUND A TIRE DEALER WHO WAS WILLING TO SELL, MOUNT, BALANCE AND INSTALL TWO REPLACEMENT TIRES FOR ME, CHARGING ME A $55 "AFTER HOURS" FEE IN ADDITION TO THE PRICE OF THE TWO TIRES. THE FORD DEALER IN RICHFIELD, THE FOLLOWING MORNING, GAVE ME LITTLE HOPE THAT MICHELIN WOULD ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE INCIDENT, AND THERE WAS NO MICHELIN DEALER IN RICHFIELD THAT I COULD CONTACT. SINCE RETURNING HOME LAST FRIDAY, I HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO GET ESTIMATES FOR REPAIRS, BUT, KNOWING WHAT SIMILAR REPAIRS HAVE COST FRIENDS, MY OWN ESTIMATE IS BETWEEN $300 AND $500 FOR THE ACTUAL REPAIRS TO MY VEHICLE, PLUS THE COST OF THE REPLACEMENT TIRES/AFTER HOURS CHARGE ($189.96). I FEEL THAT I WAS EXCEEDINGLY LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN DRIVING STRAIGHT AT THE TIME OF THE DE-LAMINATION; TO HAVE HAD BOTH HANDS ON THE WHEEL; AND TO HAVE HAD VERY LITTLE TRAFFIC AROUND ME WHICH COULD HAVE PREVENTED ME FROM MAKING A SAFE MANEUVER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY.*AK

MICHELIN P215/65R15, DOT M3T2, REPACEMENT TIRES WITH ABOUT 20000 MILES ON A 1997, DODGE, GRAND CARAVAN; WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH LEFT REAR TIRE HAD TREAD SEPARATION*AK