MICHELIN TIRES Complaints

WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH FRONT RIGHT TIRE BLEW OUT. THIS CAUSED THE DRIVER TO ALMOST LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE. HAD MANAGED TO PULL TO SIDE OF THE ROAD TO CHANGE TIRE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, AND MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE. *AK

PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION. *MR TOYOTA OVER FILLED THE TRANSMISSION BY 1 1/2 QUARTS. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS OKAY. TRANSMISSION FLUID STARTED TO DRAIN. THE VEHICLE STARTED HAVING TROUBLES CLIMBING ON INCLINES. THERE WERE VIBRATIONS WHEN DRIVING 50 MPH AND OVER, AND CONSTANT FLATS AND BLOW OUTS OCCURRED. (DESTINY MICHELIN) THERE WERE ALSO PROBLEMS WITH THE POWER STEERING, STRUTS, AND THE ROTORS. *SCC *JB

ALL FOUR TIRE SIDEWALLS FAILED WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 55 MPH. MOTOR HOME SIDEWALL HAD A ZIPPER RIP 18 INCHES ON EVERY TIRE. MICHELIN ,XRV, SIZE 255/80R22.5, DOT NUMBER B6HAK3X358. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR FATALITIES TO REPORT. *AK AFTER THE FIRST FAILURE, MICHELIN STATED IT WAS DUE TO UNDER INFLATION. FROM THAT POINT ON INFLATION WAS CHECKED BEFORE EVERY TRIP. AFTER THE SECOND FAILURE, MICHELIN STATED IT WAS DUE TO OVERLOADING. AFTER THE THIRD AND FOURTH FAILURE, MICHELIN STATED OVERLOAD OR UNDER INFLATION. MICHELIN CHANGED THEIR ORIGINAL XRV TIRES AND THEY NO LONGER HAVE PROBLEMS, HOWEVER THEY STATED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE ORIGINAL. *PH *JB

THIS IS TO REPORT THE SECOND HIGH SPEED BLOW OUT ON A SET OF MICHELIN TIRES THAT WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE VALVE STEM. THE TIRE WAS RETURNED TO SAM'S CLUB, UNDER THEIR ROAD HAZARD WARRANTY, WHERE THEY DETERMINED THAT THE VALVE STEM WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE IN LESS THAT SIX MONTHS ON THE SAME SET OF TIRES. I WAS TOLD THAT THE VALVE STEMS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE REPLACED WITH EACH NEW TIRE. THEY DID NOT REPLACE THE REMAINING TWO STEMS NOR DID THEY ALERT ANYONE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF A PROBLEM. IN BOTH INCIDENTS, I WAS ABLE TO AVOID A CRASH BUT SOMEONE ELSE MIGHT NOT BE SO LUCKY. *LA

WHILE DRIVING FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END. *AK THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED TIRE BLOWOUTS ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE TIRES CAUSED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE THE MOTORHOME LEFT REAR WHEEL WELL. THE CONSUMER LOOKED AT THE STEEL ON SIDEWALLS AND IT APPEARED THAT THEY WERE RUSTED. AFTER THE SECOND TIRE FAILURE THE CONSUMER REPLACED ALL THE MICHELIN TIRES. THE GENERATOR FELL OFF THE MOTORHOME DUE TO FAULTY GENSET. *TS *NLM

WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. *AK THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FROM 0 K.M. TO 80 K.M. WITHIN 15 FEET AND BECAME STUCK BETWEEN TWO HOUSES. THE LEFT TIRE BLEWOUT AND THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND CRACKED THE WINDSHIELD. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGE. . ENGINE REVED HIGH WHEN TAKING FOOT OFF GAS PEDAL. THE DEALER ADJUSTED THE BASE IDLE BECAUSE IT WAS TOO HIGH. *TS *NLM

I HAVE EXPERIENCED 3 TIRE BLOWOUTS WITHIN 1 YEAR WITH MY MICHELIN TIRES. I OWN A 2002 HONDA ACCORD WITH ONLY 19,000 MILES & CANNOT BELIEVE THAT I HAVE HAD TO INCUR THE COST OF REPLACING 3 OUT OF 4 BRAND NEW TIRES WITHIN A 1-YEAR PERIOD. THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS NOV. 2002, THE 2ND ON OCT. 2, 2003 & THE 3RD ON OCT. 9, 2003. IT APPEARS THAT THESE TIRES ARE NOT MANUFACTURED UP TO NORMAL SAFETY STANDARDS SINCE THEY HAVE CAUSED 3 BLOWOUTS FROM USUAL ROAD HAZARD CONDITIONS. MICHELIN CLAIMS THE BLOWOUTS ARE NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY SINCE THE DAMAGE WAS DUE TO A ROAD HAZARD. WHY ARE THESE HIGH-PROFILE & VERY EXPENSIVE TIRES NOT MANUFACTURED TO PERFORM UNDER NORMAL ROAD HAZARD CONDITIONS? THESE BLOWOUTS COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS INJURY TO MY AND/OR OTHERS IF I HAD BEEN TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AND/OR ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY. LUCKILY, ALL 3 INCIDENTS OCCURED ON LOCAL ROADS & I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD SAFELY AND CALL EMERGENCY ROAD SERVICE FOR HELP. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT MICHELIN SHOULD BE WILLING TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE COST OF REPLACING THE TIRES, HAVING THEM BALANCED AND FOR THE DISTRESS AND ANXIETY I HAD TO INDURE DURING THESE INCIDENTS. *LA

SIDEWALL BLOWOUT WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH. NO CONTACT WITH CURB, POTHOLE, OR ANY OTHER ROAD HAZARD. TIRE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT BLOWOUT ORIGINATED FROM INSIDE THE TIRE. TIRES HAVE LESS THAN 20K MILES. 2ND BLOWOUT IN 16 MONTHS. MICHELIN MX4 195/65R15. *LA

WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH AND WITH NO WARNING RIGHT FRONT TIRE SIDEWALL SEPARATED, CAUSING THE TIRE TO BLOW OUT. CONSUMER HAD TO PULL OVER. MICHELIN, XRV, SIZE 235/80R222.5, DOT#UNKNOWN . *AK

THIS IS THE SECOND OF A SET OF FOUR TIRES BOUGHT AT COSTCO JAN99. LAST INCIDENCE OCCURED 13 MONTHS AGO WITH VERY SIMILAR DAMAGE. I WAS ON STREET BEHIND MIDDAY TRAFFIC WHEN I FELT THE TIRE GAVE IN - I DID NOT RUN OVER OR HIT ANYTHING, NOR DID I RUN UNDER PRESSURE AS MICHELIN CUSTOMER RELATION TRIED TO TELL ME. I HAVE METICULOUS RECORDS OF MY CAR AND (THOUGH I DO NOT WASH IT REGULARILY) I CONTINUOUSLY INSPECT IT. THE SIDEWALL SHREDDED AS IF A BEAR HIT THEM AND THEY SEPARTATED INTERNALLY FROM THE RADIALS (MEANING THEY PEALED INSIDE AWAY FROM EACH OTHER). I HAD/HAVE P185/70R14 (NOT ABLE TO ENTER THIS ON THIS FORM) *LA