MICHELIN TIRES Complaints

I HAVE HAD THREE TIRE BOLOW OUTS ON MY MERCEDES-BENZ, IN IDENTICAL SITUATIONS, APPROXIMATELY 2 MONTHS APART. ALL THREE INCIDENTS HAPPENED ON THREE DIFFERENT HIGHWAYS, AT SPEEDS APPROXIMATING 60 MPH, AND AFTER APPROXIMATELY THREE HOURS OF DRIVING. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED IN APRIL 2004, ON I-95 IN NEW HAVEN. THE SECOND OCCURRED IN JULY 2004 ON I-95 IN DELAWARE. THE THIRD OCCURRED ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2004 IN CANADA ON HIGHWAY 401 IN KINGSTON. THESE WERE THE ONLY OCCASIONS WHEN I HAD DRIVEN IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS. IE: FOR MORE THAN 3 HOURS ON A HIGHWAY AT SPEEDS OF OVER 55 MPH, DURING THIS YEAR. ON ALL OTHER OCCASIONS THE TRIPS WERE SHORTER THAN 3 HOURS. THE WHEELS ARE DIFFERENT AT EACH OCCASION. THE FIRST WAS PASSENGER SIDE FRONT. THE SECOND WAS DRIVER SIDE REAR, AND THE THIRED WAS DRIVER SIDE FRONT. ON EACH OCCASION, AFTER RETURNING HOME I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP IN POUGHKEEPSIE, AND THEY HAVE ASSURED ME THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. I THEN CONTACTED MICHELIN TIRES, AND THEY HAVE ASSURED ME THAT THERE ARE NO REPORTED INCIDENTS SIMILAR TO MINE. THE FIRST TWO TIRES WERE DISCARED. THE THIRD WAS INSPECTED BY SEARS AUTO CENTER. THERE ARE NO HOLES FOUND. THE TIRES ACCORDING TO SEARS HAD COME OFF THE RIM. THE TIRES INVOLVED BELONG TO A SET OF 4 THAT I BOUGHT FROM TIRE-RACK, AND MOUNTED BY MERCEDES DEALERSHIP IN 2002. SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT, I HAVE DILIGENTLY CHECKED TIRE PRESSURES WEEKLY, IN ADDITION TO VISUALLY INSPECTING THE TIRES BEFORE DRIVING. THIS CANNOT BE A COINCIDENCE. I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING A LOUD POPPING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER'S FRONT TIRE SIDEWALL BLEW OUT. CONSUMER CALLED FOR ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE TO CHANGE THE TIRE. CONSUMER DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR A REPLACEMENT OF MICHELIN TIRE. *AK

CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED THAT THE TIRES WERE NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THIS TRAILER, ACCORDING TO THIS PUBLICATION. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER AND MANUFACTURER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. FMCSA REGULATION 571.120, STANDARD 120, THE MAXIMUM SUM, NOT TO BE CERTIFICATION FOR 1300 POUNDS FOR AXLE. MICHELEN TIRE, 275/70221/2 LOAD RANGE H. *AK

I HAVE A 2004 CADILLAC XLR WITH 8031 MILES. THE CAR HAS MICHELIN PILOT ZEROPRESSURE TIRES. THE SIDEWALLS BUBBLE WHEN YOU HIT A POTHOLE, AND I DON'T MEAN A BIG POT HOLE. I HAVE WATCHED MANY CARS TRAVEL THROUGH THIS PART OF THE ROAD AND HIT THE SAME POT HOLE I HIT WITHOUT THEIR SIDEWALLS BUBBLING AND HAVING TO REPLACE THE TIRES. THIS HAPPENED ON THE FIRST AND ONLY POTHOLE I HIT. THESE TIRES SELL FOR $415.00 PLUS TAX. THEY SHOULD HOLD UP AT LEAST AS WELL AS THE 79.99 SPECIAL WHICH HAD NO DAMAGE TO THEIR TIRES.*AK

MY MOTORHOME, A 2001 TRADE WINDS HAD TWO BLOWOUTS AT THE SAME TIME, THE RIGHT FRONT AND THE RIGHT INSIDE DUAL AT THE SAME TIME ON I-10 NEAR LIVE OAK FLORIDA. THERE ARE 25,000 MILES ON THE TIRES AND THIS IS THE SECOND AND THIRD BLOWOUT. THE FIRST OCCURRED AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER 2003 AND DAMAGED THE MOTORHOME. NHTSA SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THESE TIRES AS MICHELIN IS THE ONLY ONE THAT MAKES THEM AND THEY ARE DANGEROUS.*AK

WHILE STOPPING FOR A RED LIGHT CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE. CFONSUMER GOT OUT OF VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT TIRE FLAT. AAA WAS CALLED, WHO INDICATED THAT THE VALVE STEM BLEW OUT. THE NEXT DAY WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY THE VALVE STEM BLEW OUT AGAIN AT ANOTHER ANOTHER TIRE. *AK *TS PE04066_CAT

I PURCHASED A HONDA ACCORD NEW IN 2002 RECENTLY I NOTICED THAT THE TWO FRONT TIRES HAD DEVELOPED BULGES (BUBBLES), ON THE SURFACE OF THE SIDEWALL MEASURING APPROXIMATELY 2 INCHES ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AND 1 INCH ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE TIRES HAVE 17,000 MILES OF USE. OUT OF CONCERN FOR MY SAFETY, AS WELL AS THAT OF MY FELLOW MOTORISTS, I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AT HTTP://WWW. CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/TIRES/MICHELIN.HTML AND FOUND THAT AN ALARMING NUMBER OF MOTORISTS USING THIS BRAND OF TIRE WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME TYPE OF SIDEWALL PROBLEM SOME ATTRIBUTING THE SIDEWALL BULGING AS CAUSING CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THEIR TIRES. IN EACH CASE (AS IN MY OWN) THE OWNER OF THE TIRE IS LEFT WITH NO RECOURSE AS TO REPLACEMENT OR AT MINIMUM SAFETY BULLETIN WARNING OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SIDEWALL FAILURES OCCURING WITH THIS BRAND OF TIRE. THE MODEL AND SIZE INFORMATION OF THE TIRE ON MY CAR IS MICHELIN MXV4 PLUS XSE 205/60R16. *AK

WE HAVE HAD 2 BLOW OUTS IN LAST 2 TRIPS WITH OUR MICHELIN XRV 255/80 22.5. ONE DRIVER SIDE FRONT AND THE SECOND TRIP DRIVER SIDE INSIDE REAR. RECALL ON FRONT TIRES ONLY? NEWMAR HAS MADE A MISTAKE AND NEEDS TO RECALL ALL TIRES FOR OUR MOTORHOME. WE HAVE ONLY 15,000.00 MILES ON OUR KOUNTRY STAR. CHECK TIRE PRESSURE REGULARLY. DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE. NEWMAR REFUSES TO TAKE ACTION OR HELP WITH MICHELIN ISSUE. RECALL ONLY FOR FRONT TIRES WE ARE TOLD. *AK

MICHELIN TIRE 255X70X22.5 XRV FIRST FAILURE WITH 9856 MILES ON TIRE INSIDE DUAL DRIVERS SIDE. *AK

MICHELIN TIRE 255X70X22.5 XRV 2ND FAILURE IN 3 WEEKS MILES ON TIRE- 10,302. INSIDE DUAL PASSENGERS SIDE DATE 10 AUG 04. *AK