MICHELIN TIRES Complaints

MICHELIN CROSS TERRAIN WITH < 39K MILES ON 2008 VOLVO XC90 HAD A TREAD SEPARATION AT INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SPEED DURING BUSY DOWNTOWN TRAFFIC NEARLY CREATING AN ACCIDENT FOR ME AND TWO OF MY CHILDREN. VEHICLE DAMAGE CAUSED SOLELY BY THE TIRE FLAILING THE RIGHT REAR OF MY VEHICLE EXCEEDED $3500. TREAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE STEEL BELTS AS A CONTINUOUS RING. TREAD LUGS CAN BE PULLED AWAY BY HAND FROM THE LOWER RUBBER THEY APPEAR TO BE BONDED TO AND THIS UNDERNEATH RING OF RUBBER HAD VERY CLEANLY PULLED AWAY FROM THE BELTS. TIRE REMAINED INFLATED. EVIDENCE OF IMPENDING FAILURE WAS NOTED AS I WAS FEELING VIBRATION FROM THE TIRE FOR 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AND HAD EVEN STOPPED TO INSPECT THE WHEEL FOR A PROBABLE CAUSE. PHOTO DOCUMENTATION AVAILABLE. INTERNET SEARCHING IS CLEARLY SHOWING THAT, FOR THIS MODEL TIRE, THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE. DOES ANYBODY REMEMBER THE OVER 250 DEATHS ATTRIBUTED TO THE TREAD SEPARATION OF BRIDGESTONE TIRES ON FORD EXPLORERS? I DO. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 JEEP LIBERTY LIMITED EQUIPPED WITH MICHELIN CROSS TERRAIN TIRES, SIZE 235/70R/16. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SERVICING THE VEHICLE, THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THERE WAS DRY ROT ON THE FRONT AND REAR DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE TIRES. THE FAILURE WAS REPORTED TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE FOR THE TIRES WAS 42,000. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE WAS 114,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

WE PURCHASED A NEW 2011 FORD EDGE IN FEBRUARY OF 2011. WE HAD DRIVEN IT LESS THAN 41,000 MILES WHEN WE ENCOUNTERED A PROBLEM WITH ONE TIRE. AS WE WERE DRIVING WE WERE ALERTED THAT THE AIR PRESSURE WAS LOW ON OUR TIRE. WE ADDED AIR AND HAD DRIVEN LESS THAN 10 MILES WHEN THE LOW AIR PRESSURE WARNING CAME ON AGAIN. WE DROVE TO WALMART TO GET THE TIRE REPAIRED. IT HAD A SPLIT ON THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE, NEAR THE LETTERING. THE SPLIT WAS NOT ALONG THE CURVE OF THE TIRE, IT IS AN "UP AND DOWN" TEAR. WE WERE TOLD THEY COULD NOT REPAIR THE TIRE BECAUSE OF WHERE THE SPLIT HAD OCCURRED. LIKE I SAID, IT WAS ON THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE, SO IT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BY HITTING A CURB OR SOMETHING HITTING IT. THE TIRES HAVE VERY LITTLE WEAR ON THEM, BUT WE REPLACED ALL OF THEM ANYWAY. WE FEEL THIS TIRE WAS FAULTY AND WE WOULD REGRET NOT REPLACING THEM IF ONE WOULD BLOW OUT AND CAUSE A DEADLY ACCIDENT. WE KEPT THE TIRES IN CASE THERE IS A RECALL ON THEM. THIS WAS DEFINITELY NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR! IF I WERE A TIRE MANUFACTURER, I WOULD DEFINITELY BE CHECKING ON THIS MATTER RIGHT NOW. AS I SAID, THE TIRES ARE THE MICHELIN LATITUDE TOUR, P245/60/18. THE OTHER NUMBERS FROM THE TIRE ARE AP4A DAMX 3110, WJ2B6A06-5868201. IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT US. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD F-250 EQUIPPED WITH MICHELIN LTX/N-2 TIRES, LINE SIZE: P275/65/R18. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIRE TREAD WORE PREMATURELY. THE MANUFACTURER OF THE TIRES WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED. THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13800. THE VEHICLE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE DOT NUMBER WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *TR

I HAD TO REPLACE ALL 5 TIRES WITHIN 2 YEARS OF MY VEHICLE PURCHASE. THE NEW TIRES ARE NOW JUST OVER 2 1/2 YEARS OLD. ONE BLEW OUT ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET WHILE GOING 35 MILES/HOUR. THE 2ND TIRE REPLACED WAS ALSO SEPARATING AND CAUSING THE VAN TO VIBRATE JUST AS THE FIRST ONE SO I TOOK IT IN 6 WEEKS AFTER THE FIRST BLOWOUT. LEAVING THE TIRE STORE MY VAN IS STILL VIBRATING AND NOW I NOTICE THE 3RD TIRE IS BUCKLING ON THE OUTSIDE WALL. THE 4TH TIRE DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ANY MAJOR ISSUE YET. THE 5TH IS MY SPARE-NEVER USED. DISCOUNT SAID THEY WOULDN'T REPLACE THE 2 FRONT TIRES UNTIL THEY HAD THE SAME ISSUE AS THE REAR TIRES, WITHOUT COST TO ME. THESE TIRES ARE FROM THE SAME LOT #S. THEY SHOULD ALL BE REPLACED BEFORE ACCIDENTS, OR WORSE, OCCURS. ALL TIRES WERE MICHELIN LTX M/S LT225/75 R16. *TR

I HAD TO REPLACE TWO TIRE, ONE FRONT AND ONE REAR, FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT BOTH TIRES HAD SIDEWALL SEPARATION IN THE SAME LOCATION, WHERE THE SIDEWALL ATTACHES TO THE TIRE BEAD. *TR

MICHELIN LTX M/S XL P235/75R-15 ON 93 EXPLORER XL. TIRES ARE 5 YRS OLD WITH LESS THAN 5000 MILES. SERIES OF SIDEWALL CRACKS ABOUT 8" LONG APPEARED IN FRONT RIGHT TIRE, APPROX 5/8" FROM RIM, WITH THE LONGEST CRACK ABOUT 4" LONG AND 0.11" DEEP. NO FAILURE YET, AND THE AMERICAS TIRE DEALER SAYS THE CRACKS ARE NOT A PROBLEM, BUT THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS OF SIDEWALL CRACKING AND BLOWOUTS IN MICHELIN TIRES CONCERNS US. *TR

NO FAILURE YET BUT THE SIDEWALLS OF THE TIRES ARE BADLY CHECKED. THE TIRES ARE ONLY 5 YEARS OLD AND THE CAR HAS BEEN GARAGED OR PARKED IN THE SHADE MOST OF THE TIME. THERE IS STILL CLOSE TO HALF THE TREAD LIFE LEFT. I PUT IN TODAYS DATE FOR THE "APPROXIMATE INCIDENT DATE" JUST BECAUSE A DATE IS REQUIRED, BUT THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN INCIDENT. *TR

MICHELIN PILOT SPORT AS PLUS ARE STARTING TO FALL APART IN THE TREAD AREA. MICHELIN TIRE SALESMAN INFORMED ME THAT THEY WERE "CHUNKING" A CONDITION THAT HAS BEEN NOTED ON CARS BROUGHT IN FOR EVALUATION OF THE TIRES. TIRES ARE ACTUALLY FALLING APART IN THE TREAD AREA AND COULD LEAD TO PREMATURE BLOWOUTS OR MASSIVE CHANGE OF BALANCE WHICH CAN RESULT IN LOSS OF LIFE IF BEING DRIVEN BY AN UNSUSPECTING DRIVER. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO MICHELIN AND THEY TELL ME THERE IS NO DEFECT IN THE TIRE, BUT IF I WANT TO CHANGE THE TIRES OUT, I HAVE TO PAY FOR THE AMOUNT OF WEAR. WEAR VARIES NOW ACROSS THESE TIRES SINCE THEY ARE LOOSING RUBBER IN THE TREAD AREA THUS SHORTENING THE LIFE OF THE TIRE. THESE TIRES ARE A REAL SAFETY CONCERN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD F-350 SD EQUIPPED WITH MICHELIN TIRES, SIZE: LT245/75/R17 TIRES(N/A). THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE HOOD ON THE TRUCK, BEGAN TO VIBRATE IN A VIOLENT MANNER. WITHIN 2-3 SECONDS, THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE EXPLODED WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO PULL TOWARD THE RIGHT AND SWAY UNCONTROLLABLY OFF ROAD, THROUGH SAND, BRUSH ROCKS, ACROSS A CULVERT, WHICH CAUSED THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE, TO BECOME BURIED DEEP IN THE SAND. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE WHERE THE DEFECTIVE TIRE WAS REPLACED WITH A SPARE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO A TIRE CENTER WHERE THE FRONT PASSENGER AND DRIVER'S SIDE TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE TIRE CENTER REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE TIRE FREE OF CHARGE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,462. UPDATED 6/17/13 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE RETAIL ESTABLISHMENT REFUNDED THE COST OF THE BLOWN TIRE, STATING IT WAS DEFECTIVE. MICHELIN DISAGREED WITH THE RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS FINDINGS AND STATED THE TIRE WAS NOT DEFECTIVE. MICHELIN STATED THEIR INSPECTION REVEALED A RADIAL BREAK THROUGH THE CASING IN THE CROWN AREA FROM BEAD TO BEAD. A PORTION OF THE TREAD AND BOTH STEEL BELTS WERE DETACHED AND MISSING IN THAT AREA EXPOSING THE RADIAL CASING PILED. MICHELIN, WENT ON TO STATED, THAT INDICATED THE INNER LINER ALLOWING AIR TO INFILTRATE INTO THE CASING. AS THE TIRE REMAINED IN SERVICE, THE AIR INFILTRATION PROGRESSED, ULTIMATELY CAUSING THE TREAD TO DETACH. UPDATED 06/25/13