MICHELIN TIRES Complaints

I HAVE NOTICED THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT MICHELIN TIRES.(MXV4) I WOULD LIKE TO STATE THAT I ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH THAT TIRE. I HAD TWO UNEXPLAINED BLOWOUTS ON THE HIGHWAY, AND A YEAR LATER A "BUBBLE" ON THE SIDEWALL OF ANOTHER TIRE. MY EXPERIENCE AS AN EX-AIRCRAFT MECHANIC (16 YEARS), ALLOWED ME TO KNOW THESE TIRES ARE UNSAFE AND I REPLACED THEM ALL. I FELT REALLY FOOLISH THAT I DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY TAKE ACTION AFTER THE BLOWOUTS BECAUSE THERE WAS NO VISIBLE CAUSE EITHER TIME. AS I REFLECT BACK, BOTH BLOWOUTS WERE ON A HOT SUMMER DAY AND THE POORLY CONSTRUCTED TIRE COULDN'T TAKE THE HEAT.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. THE DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO STEER THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BUT THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER TWICE AND LANDED UPRIGHT. THE FRONT AND SIDE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR BRUISES. *AK *SC *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE SEPARATED FROM THE RIM. NO IMPACT REPORTED. *AK

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT A COMPLAINT THAT ONE OF THE MICHELIN TIRES ON MY NEW VOLVO S40 (BOUGHT ON JAN 25, 2003: [XXX]) BLEW OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING TO WORK. FORTUNATELY, I WAS NOT IN AN ACCIDENT AS I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 25MPH. ON THE SAME DAY FRIDAY (DEC 12, 03) I CONTACTED THE VOLVO DEALER WITH A REQUEST TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. THEY REFUSED TO EVALUATE THE TIRE AND ONLY TOLD ME TO CALL MICHELIN. ON DEC 15, 03, I CALLED MICHELIN AND WAS TOLD THAT VALLEY FORGE TIRE AND AUTO CENTER WAS THE CLOSEST CERTIFIED MICHELIN DEALER IN MY AREA. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THEM AND WENT THAT DAY. THEIR REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THAT THIS TIRE WAS NOT FAULTY, AND COULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I HAD TO REPLACE THE TIRE ANYWAY BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO EUROPE, AND I NEEDED THE CAR TO GET TO THE AIRPORT IN NEW JERSEY. (I WAS IN PENNSYLVANIA AT THAT TIME) AFTER I RETURNED FROM MY VACATION, I CONTACTED AN EXPERT AND WAS TOLD THAT THE BLOWOUT WAS THE FAULT OF THE MANUFACTURER BECAUSE: 1. ON THE INSIDE LAYER OF THE TIRE THE RUBBER WAS PEELING (THE RUBBER WAS COMING OFF OF THE TIRES LIKE SCALES) 2. IN ANOTHER PLACE ALSO ON THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE THE WHITE THREADS THAT MAKE UP THE TIRE UNDER THE RUBBER WERE SHOWING, I WAS TOLD THAT THE TIRE WOULD HAVE BLOWN OUT IN THIS POINT IF NOT IN THE OTHER. IN THIS SITUATION I WOULD LIKE TO REPLACE ALL FOUR OF MY TIRES THIS WEEK TO GOODYEAR. PLEASE ADVISE ME HOW YOU PLAN TO DEAL WITH THIS SITUATION. I BOUGHT A NEW CAR AND SPECIFICALLY THE VOLVO BECAUSE I WAS PLANNING TO DO A LOT OF DRIVING THIS YEAR AND NEEDED A SAFE AND RELIABLE CAR. I TRUSTED VOLVOS REPUTATION FOR SAFETY AND RELIABILITY, BUT NOW I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED. [XXX]. *AK UPDATED 07/30/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ON 9/12/03 A RIGHT REAR MITCHELIN TIRE - 255/80R22.5XRV BLEW OUT WHILE TRAVELING. ON 01/04/04 A LEFT REAR MITCHELIN TIRE - 255/80R22.5XRV BLEW OUT WHILE TRAVELING IN THE VERY SAME FASHION. WE ARE TOLD THESE TIRES SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE THAT AND ARE DEFECTIVE. *AK

MICHELIN XRV 255/80R22.5 SIDE WALL FAILURE DOT# B6H6AK3 X 179 26000 MILES TOTAL, THREE BLOW OUT WITHIN 1200 MILES - TIRE PRESSURES WITHIN COACHMAN SPECS.*AK

WHILE DRIVING A 2000 NEWMAR DUTCH STAR DIESEL PUSHER THE RIGHT REAR INSIDE TIRE BLEW OUT WITH APPROXIMATELY 29,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. I CONTACTED MICHELIN'S CONSUMER CALL CENTER TO INFORM THEM THAT THIS WAS THE SECOND BLOWOUT I EXPERIENCED ON THIS VEHICLE, AND THAT BOTH TIRES HAD THE SAME MANUFACTURING DATE CODE. THEY RESPONDED BY ASSERTING THAT THE TIRE DAMAGE MUST HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY LOW TIRE PRESSURE. WHEN I MAINTAINED THAT PRESSURE HAD NEVER BEEN LOW, THEY THEN RESPONDED THAT THE TIRE MUST HAVE BEEN OVERLOADED. I REMOVED ALL SIX MICHELIN TIRES FROM THIS MOTORHOME AND REPLACED THEM WITH GOODYEAR TIRES. I HAVE SINCE DRIVEN THIS VEHICLE ALMOST 40,000 ADDITIONAL MILES WITHOUT INCIDENT. *LA

WHILE DRIVING A 2000 NEWMAR DUTCH STAR DIESEL PUSHER THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT WITH APPROXIMATELY 18,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. A MICHELIN DEALER, AFTER A CURSORY EXAMINATION, CLAIMED THE TIRE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY LOW TIRE PRESSURE. THE DEALER'S ASSERTION WAS NOT ACCURATE AS THE TIRE PRESSURE WAS MAINTAINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TIRE LOAD/INFLATION SPECIFICATIONS PROVIDED BY MICHELIN TO THE CHASSIS MANUFACTURER. *LA

NEW 2004 INFINITY G35 COUPE PURCHASED 12/11/03 SKIDDED OUT OF CONTROL 12/14/03 ON EXPRESSWAY WHEN LIGHT SNOW WAS FALLING AND STICKING TO ROAD SURFACE. THE TIRES SOLD WITH THE CAR WERE "SUMMER ONLY" TIRES WITH AN N/A TRACTION RATING ON THE SIDEWALL. THIS FACT WAS NOT MENTIONED BY THE DEALERSHIP NOR ON THE CAR WINDOW STICKER NOR IN THE BROCHURE THAT GIVES THE DETAILS ABOUT THE CAR. WHEN I MADE THIS PROBLEM KNOWN TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY WERE INDIFFERENT. I HAVE JUST SPENT $1400 TO PURCHASE 4 WINTER PERFORMANCE TIRES FOR THIS CAR. THESE CARS ARE BEING SOLD IN WINTER MONTHS WITHOUT CONSUMERS BEING ABLE TO KNOW THAT IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE THEM IN WINTER CONDITIONS. *LA

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE DRIVER HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE RIGHT REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER TO INVESTIGATE THE NOISE AND NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT REAR TIRE HAD BLOWN OUT. THE SIZE OF THE TIRE AND DOT# ARE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NLM