MICHELIN TIRES Complaints

TIRE FAILURE. TOTAL TREAD SEPARATION. TRAVELING 65MPH ON A CLEAR, STRAIGHT STATE HIGHWAY I HEARD A LOUD BAND AND ALMOST LOST CONTROL. THE RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW AND THE TREAD SEPARATED ENTIRELY, I WAS ABLE TO RECOVER THE ENTIRE PIECE OF TREAD FROM THE ROADWAY. THE TIRE HAD ONLY 12,000 ON IT AND 10 DAYS EARLIER THE TIRES WERE ROTATED AND PRESSURE CHECKED. RIKEN RAPTOR DOT# Y94CYNRO. *TR

A MICHELIN DESTINY 195/60/15 TIRE WITH DOT # HONDA-F5AX-5005 FAILED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE TRAVELING ON CA-94E IN SAN DIEGO AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH. THE STEEL BELTS SEPARATED FROM THE CAP PILES IN THE LEFT REAR TIRE ON MY 1991 HONDA ACCORD EX COUPE CAUSING THE SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE TO RUPTURE AND THE TIRE TO SUBSEQUENTLY DISINTEGRATE. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD SAFELY AND DISCOVERED THAT THE OUTER SIDE WALL ON THE LEFT REAR TIRE HAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE. NO OBSTRUCTION IN THE ROAD WAS OBSERVED PRIOR TO THE TIRE FAILING AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DAMAGED BY THE TIRE FAILURE. ALL FOUR TIRES WERE PURCHASED NEW ON 07/31/2006 FROM DISCOUNT TIRE COMPANY. MILEAGE ON THE TIRES AT TIME OF FAILURE WAS APPROXIMATELY 59,000. REMAINING TREAD WAS MEASURED AT 1/8". THE TIRES HAD BEEN ROTATED EVERY 5000 MILES AND AIR PRESSURE WAS LAST CHECKED SEVEN DAYS PRIOR TO TIRE FAILURE. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION OF THE REMAINING THREE TIRES IN DAYLIGHT REVEALED SLIGHT CRACKING IN THE SIDE WALLS OF EACH. DISCOUNT TIRE REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES WITH MICHELIN HYDROEDGE TIRES UNDER THE 80,000 MILE PRORATED WARRANTY FROM MICHELIN, HOWEVER, I WAS STUCK FOOTING 3/4 THE COST OF THE REPLACEMENTS. THE DEFECTIVE TIRES HAVE BEEN SENT TO MICHELIN FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. *TR

I PURCHASED A SET OF FOUR TIRES FROM COSTCO.COM IN FEBRUARY OF 2006[1]. THEY WERE DELIVERED TO AND INSTALLED AT MY LOCAL COSTCO TIRE CENTER. ON 28 AUG 2009, I EXPERIENCED A TIRE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY THAT WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE RESULT OF ITS VALVE STEM SEPARATING AT THE BASE AND LEADING TO RAPID DEFLATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS WAS A NOVEL FAILURE MODE TO ME, BUT I INITIALLY CHALKED IT UP TO BAD LUCK AND HAD THE TIRE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY AT COSTCO. EXACTLY ONE WEEK LATER, I SUFFERED YET ANOTHER TIRE FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEED FOR A DIFFERENT TIRE. THE CAUSE, AS WITH THE FIRST FAILURE, WAS AGAIN THAT THE VALVE STEM HAD SEPARATED AT THE BASE. SUSPICIOUS OF THE COINCIDENCE, A SEARCH OF THE NHTSA/DOT DATABASES REVEALED THAT A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED IN MAY OF 2008 FOR THE MODEL OF VALVE STEM INSTALLED IN THE TIRES THAT HAD FAILED[2]. THE COSTCO TIRE CENTER MANAGER I SPOKE WITH CONFIRMED THAT THE RECALLED VALVE STEMS WERE THE SAME MODELS USED BY THEIR TIRE CENTER. BECAUSE OF THE DATE OF PURCHASE/INSTALLATION OF MY TIRES, THE VALVE STEMS THAT WERE INSTALLED ON MY VEHICLE PRECEDES AND IS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL HOWEVER. NOTES: [1] MICHELIN HYDROEDGE P185/70R14 87T [2] HTTP://WWW-ODI.NHTSA.DOT.GOV/RECALLS/RESULTS.CFM?RCL_ID=08T018&SEARCHTYPE=QUICKSEARCH&SUMMARY=TRUE. *TR

I PURCHASED A SET OF MICHELIN 26570 17" CHAPARAL ON 5/08 FOR A F-250 . LESS THEN A YEAR LATER ONE TIRE HAS BIG LUMPS ON IT . THE TIRE STORE REPLACED IT IN 5/09 IN 8/09 ONE OF THE TIRES CAME APART AND CAUSE DAMAGE TO MY TRUCK $3,000.00. *TR

I HAVE A 2007 FORD EXPLORER (EDDIE BAUER) AND I AM HAVING A TIRE PROBLEM. I HAVE MICHELIN TIRES ON THE CAR WITH 13000 MILES AND THE TIRES ARE WORN PAST THE WEAR BARS. I HAVE ROTATED THE TIRES EVERY 6000 MILES. THIS IS A LEASE CAR AND I CAN'T PASS THE LEASE INSPECTION WITH THESE BAD TIRES. MICHELIN(ON THEIR WEBSITE) SAYS THESE TIRES SHOULD LAST 6YRS 65,000 MILES. THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE IN THE RAIN. *TR

I OWN A 2006 FORD F-350 4X4 SHORT BED CREW CAB PICKUP TRUCK. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND NO MODIFICATIONS HAVE EVER BEEN MADE. I HAVE KEPT THE VEHICLE IN GOOD MECHANICAL SHAPE, KEPT THE TIRES INFLATED TO RECOMMENDED LEVELS, AND KEPT THE TIRES BALANCED AND ROTATED. THE VEHICLE HAS ALWAYS EXPERIENCED A SEVERE STEERING OSCILLATION WHENEVER THE VEHICLE IS TRAVELING OVER 50 MPH AND HITS A SMALL BUMP ON THE HIGHWAY. THE OSCILLATION IS MOST SEVERE IF THE BUMP IS HIT WHILE IN A LEFT TURN. WHEN THIS OCCURS, I BREAK UNTIL SPEED IS REDUCED TO ABOUT 30 MPH TO 40 MPH AND THE OSCILLATION STOPS. WHEN THIS OSCILLATION OCCURS, THE VEHICLE HAS LIMITED STEERING CONTROL. IT GENERALLY TRAVELS IN A STRAIGHT DIRECTION BUT DOES NOT RESPOND WELL TO STEERING WHEEL INPUT UNTIL THE OSCILLATION IS DAMPENED. THE VEHICLE IS DIFFICULT AND IN SOME CASES IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL. THIS OSCILLATION HAS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. IN THE CASE TODAY, THIS OSCILLATION WAS SO SEVERE THAT IT HAS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SWERVE INTO THE OPPOSING TRAFFIC LANE. I NEARLY HAD A HEAD ON COLLISION, THE OPPOSING VEHICLE MOVED OVER TO THE SHOULDER TO ALLOW ME TO PASS. THESE OSCILLATIONS HAVE OCCURRED WITH BOTH THE ORIGINAL CONTINENTAL LT275/70R18 TIRES AND ALSO THE REPLACEMENT MICHELIN LT275/70R18 TIRES. TIRES PRESSURES HAVE BEEN MAINTAINED AT 65 PSI FRONT AND 75 PSI REAR AS RECOMMENDED BY THE OWNER'S MANUAL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS DILL VALVE STEMS. WHILE EXAMINING THE VEHICLE, SHE HEARD AIR COMING OUT OF THE VALVE STEM ON HER TIRES. THE TIRE WAS TAKEN TO A TIRE SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VALVE STEM WAS CRACKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 28000. UPDATED 10/29/09. *LJ THE CONSUMER PURCHASED THE TIRES ON OCT 30, 2007. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING IN THE CAR PORT, SHE NOTICED THE RIGHT REAR TIRE WAS LEAKING AIR. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO SEAR AND THEY REPLACED TWO STEMS. ON MAY 0, 2009 WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE. THE CONSUMER GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THE LEFT REAR TIRE WAS GOING FLAT. UPDATED 10/29/09.*JB

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.

WHILE TRAVELING AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEED THE FRONT TIRE OUTER SIDEWALL SHREDDED COMPLETELY AND UNIFORMLY AROUND THE ENTIRE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE SIDEWALL, RESULTING IN COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE TIRE. THE TIRE / CAR HAS 5,000 MILES. MICHELIN BRAND. I DO NOT KNOW THE DOT NUMBER, TYPE OF TIRE OR SIZING OTHER THAN IT IS A MICDHELIN TIRE, OR VIN NUMBER; SO GUESSES FOR THE SAME HAVE BEEN INSERTED. *TR

WHILE AT A DESTINATION ABOUT 30 MILES FROM HOME, MY LEFT-FRONT TIRE VALVE FAILED JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO ENTER THE PARKED CAR TO HEAD HOME. THE AIR WHOOSHED LOUDLY OUT OF THE TIRE AS I WATCHED IT DEFLATE BEFORE MY EYES. I CALLED AAA FOR ASSISTANCE IN CHANGING THE TIRE AND TOOK THE FLAT TIRE TO MY DEALER THE FOLLOWING DAY FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE DEFECTIVE TIRE VALVE. THE VALVE WAS INSTALLED AS PART OF A NEW-TIRE INSTALLATION ON 04/24/2007 BY MY FORD DEALER. *TR