MICHELIN TIRES Complaints

WE WERE DRIVING HOME FROM LANCASTER, CA TO VENTURA, CA. WHILE DRIVING WE HEARD A STRANGE NOISE AND THEN MY HUSBAND (WHO WAS DRIVING) SAID THE CAR WAS DIFFICULT TO STEER. AS QUICKLY AND SAFELY AS WE COULD WE GOT TO AN OFFRAMP. WE HAD A FLAT ON THE LEFT FRONT TIRE. DURING MY CALL TO AAA, MY HUSBAND DECIDED HE WOULD CHANGE THE TIRE SO I CANCELLED THE REQUEST FOR SERVICE. GETTING BACK ON THE FREEWAY WE HEARD THE SAME NOISE THAT WE HAD HEARD EARLIER SO WE PULLED OFF THE FREEWAY AGAIN AND SAW THAT WE HAD ANOTHER FLAT TIRE, THIS WAS ON THE REAR RIGHT. I CALLED AAA AND THEY HAD TO TOW US TO VENTURA (APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES) SINCE WE USED THE SPARE TIRE FOR THE 1ST FLAT. WHEN WE GOT TO THE SEARS AUTOMOTIVE CENTER, THEY TOLD US THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL ON THE TIRE VALVES ON OUR TIRES WHICH WE HAD PURCHASED FROM SEARS ON JULY 18, 2007. ONE OTHER COMMENT - ON MAY 6, 2009, THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE WENT FLAT AT MY WORK PLACE; AAA PUT THE SPARE ON AND THEN WE BROUGHT IT INTO SEARS TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. THEY SAID THERE WAS A NAIL IN IT - NO MENTION OF TIRE VALVE PROBLEMS. *TR

OUR 2006 HONDA ODYSSEY TOURING EDITION MINIVAN CAME STANDARD-EQUIPPED WITH MICHELIN PAX "RUN-FLAT" TIRES (ENERGY LX4, 235/710R460A 104T). THESE TIRES POSE A SERIOUS SAFETY THREAT BECAUSE OF ULTRA-PREMATURE TREAD WEAR, AND THE FACT THAT A DIFFERENT TYPE OF TIRE CANNOT BE USED ON THE VEHICLE. IT WASN'T UNTIL WE NEARLY SLID OUR VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD THAT WE REALIZED OUR TIRES WERE NEARLY BALD AFTER ONLY 17 THOUSAND MILES. HONDA AND MICHELIN CLAIM THAT "PAX SYSTEM TIRES SHOULD PROVIDE TREADLIFE COMPARABLE TO A CORRESPONDING TRADITIONAL MICHELIN TIRE," BUT THIS IS CLEARLY A MISREPRESENTATION AS THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE PREMATURE TREAD LIFE OF THESE TIRES CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET. THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE SOLVED BY SIMPLY INSTALLING DIFFERENT TIRES BECAUSE THE PAX TIRE IS REQUIRED EQUIPMENT ON THE 2006 HONDA ODYSSEY TOURING EDITION MINIVAN! HONDA ITSELF STATES THAT USING A DIFFERENT TIRE WILL LIKELY VOID THE VEHICLE WARRANTY. THE PROBLEM IS COMPOUNDED BY THE FACT THAT REPLACING THESE TIRES IS UNUSUALLY EXPENSIVE (ABOUT $1,300.00 USD TO REPLACE ALL FOUR) SO PEOPLE POSTPONE REPLACING THEIR PAX TIRES TO AVOID PAYING THE EXCESSIVE COST, EXPOSING THEMSELVES AND OTHERS TO A SERIOUS ROAD HAZARD. I IMPLORE YOU TO TAKE ACTION TO RESOLVE THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM. IMPORTANT: IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO PROPERLY ENTER THE TIRE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THIS TIRE ON YOUR WEB SITE DUE TO ITS UNUSUAL SPECIFICATION FORMAT. THE PROPER SPECIFICATION FOR THE TIRE IS 235/710R460A 104T. THE "A" IN 460A SIGNIFIES THAT THESE TIRES FEATURE "ASYMMETRIC" BEADS IN WHICH THE OUTSIDE BEAD (450 MM) AND INSIDE BEAD (470 MM) ARE ACTUALLY DIFFERENT DIAMETERS. *TR

I AM WRITING TO REPORT THE SECOND FAILURE OF A VALVE STEM FROM NTB. THE TIRE IS A MICHELIN TIRE INSTALLED ON A 2002 CHEVY TAHOE. ALL TIRES ARE PROPERLY INFLATED AND ARE MAINTAINED AT THE PROPER LEVEL. THE FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS APPROX. 2 YEARS AGO AND THE TIRE LOST PRESSURE, DELAMINATED AND BLEW OUT. THE CURRENT TIRE LOST PRESSURE BUT IS INTACT. UPON RETURNING HOME MY WIFE ATTEMPTED TO REINFLATE THE TIRE TO DETERMINE WHERE THE AIR IS LEAKING FROM. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE AIR WAS LEAKING FROM THE VALVE STEM. BOTH TIRES AND VALVE STEMS WERE PURCHASED FROM NTB. *TR

I OWN A 2003 YUKON XL. PURCHASED 4 MICHELIN TIRES FROM NTB IN APRIL 2007, $700.00. NEW TIRES HAVE 18,000 MILES ON THEM. JAN 2009 VALVE STEM FAILED AND WAS REPLACED BY NTB, NO DAMAGE TO TIRE. MAY 2009, SECOND TIRE WENT FLAT DOING 70 MILES AN HOUR WITH MY KIDS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY HOME FROM COLLEGE. TIRE WENT FLAT, IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. TIRE WAS DAMAGED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED, $225.00. CAUSE OF DAMAGE WAS VALVE STEM, TR 413. ONE WEEK LATER, THIRD TIRE WENT FLAT GOING BACK TO COLLEGE. IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF OF HIGHWAY. MICHELIN TIRE ALSO RUINED, CRUSHED SIDE WALL, ANOTHER $225.00. WENT BACK TO NTB AND COMPLAINED. AT MY REQUEST INSPECTED 4TH TIRE AND IT HAD A BAD STEM AND WAS LEAKING. ALL STEMS WERE THE TR-413 AND NOT A HIGH PRESSURE STEM. THIS STEM IS FOR UP TO 40 PSI. RECOMMENDED TIRE PRESSURE IS 35 PSI, BUT AT HIGH SPEEDS AND IN HOT TEXAS, PRESSURE FOR SURE RISES ABOVE THE MINIMUM 40 PSI. ORIGINAL SPARE HAS HIGH PRESSURE VALVE STEM. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED. NOW I FOUND OUT THAT THESE STEMS ARE ON RECALL AND DEFECTIVE. NTB WAS NOT AWARE OF ANYTHING AND THEY ARE THE EXPERTS. HELP ME!! *TR

MY LEFT FRONT TIRE EXPLODED WITHOUT WARNING AT APPROX 69 MPH ON I-85. THE TIRE HAD PROPER AIR PRESSURE AND NOTHING WAS RUN OVER TO MAKE A PUNCTURE. I THINK THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE BODY DUE TO POOR ADHESION TO THE STEEL CORD AND THEN THE BODY EXPLODED WITHIN A REVOLUTION OR 2. I BASE THIS ON THE SOUND AND THE FACT THAT BARE TIRE CORD IS SHOWING ON THE CARCASS. MICHELIN REFUSED TO OFFER ANYTHING MORE THAN CREDIT FOR TREADWEAR, WHICH WAS ABOUT 40% (60% LEFT). I ESTIMATE THE TIRE AGE AT 2 TO 3 YEARS, BUT CANNOT FIND A RECEIPT. THE TIRE WAS TOO DAMAGED TO FIND A SERIAL NUMBER. SOME DAMAGE OCCURRED DURING APPROX 0.2 MILE REQUIRED FOR CHANGING LANES AND MOVING OFF THE EXPRESSWAY (RUSH HOUR). THE LEFT FRONT FENDER, WHEEL WELL (PLASTIC), AND WHEEL WERE REPLACED IN ADDITION TO THE TIRE AND AN ALIGNMENT. TOTAL COST ABOUT $1550. THE TIRE WAS A MICHELIN HARMONY 225R60X16. THE CAR ALSO HAD TO BE TOWED, DUE TO A MISSING KEY TO A LUGNUT ON EACH WHEEL. *TR

BUBBLES IN SIDEWALLS OF MICHELIN 245/40R18 MICHELIN PILOT HX MXM4 TIRES. WITH ONLY 24,000 MI. ON THESE TIRES THEY HAD MULTIPLE BUBBLES OR BULGES IN THE INNER AND OUTER SIDEWALLS. THESE BUBBLES ARE VERY DANGEROUS AND CAN BURST OR BE RUPTURED AND CAUSE A BLOWOUT AT ANY TIME. IF THESE BUBBLES WERE ONLY ON THE INNER SIDEWALLS, WE MAY NEVER HAVE NOTICED THEM. THIS MEANS THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE RIGHT NOW RIDING ON TIRES THAT MAY BURST AT ANY MOMENT AND I CONSIDER THIS A MAJOR FLAW IN THESE AND OTHER LOW PROFILE TIRES. THIS SHOULD BE A NATIONAL RECALL AS MANY OF THESE BUBBLES ARE NOT EASILY DETECTED AND ARE WAY TOO COMMON. THE TIRE MANUFACTURES ARE BLAMING THE CONSUMER FOR THIS PROBLEM AND ARE KNOWINGLY ALLOWING THIS PROBLEM TO CONTINUE. MY LOCAL AUDI DEALER SHOWED ME A MOUNTAIN OF THESE DEFECTIVE TIRES! MY TIRES ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AND MICHELIN IS GIVING ME A 50% DISCOUNT ON A NEW SET. *TR

A SET OF MICHELIN TIRES WAS PURCHASED FROM COSTCO AND MOUNTED ON MY 2006 MERCEDES ABOUT ONE YEAR AGO. THE MORNING AFTER THE FIRST 6,000-MILE TIRE ROTATION, THE FRONT TIRE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE ON I-40 WEST OF ALBUQUERQUE, NM. COSTCO PAID FOR A REPLACEMENT TIRE AND DAMAGE TO THE RIM. THEN, ON MAY 13, 2009 ANOTHER ONE OF THE ORIGINAL SET OF MICHELIN TIRES SEPARATED IN A SIMILAR FASHION AGAIN ON I-40, NEARLY CREATING A MAJOR TRAFFIC FATALITY. THREE SEMI-TRUCKS ADEPTLY SWERVED TO AVOID COLLIDING WITH MY VEHICLE. THIS TIME, I HAD TO PAY $1,724 TO REPAIR DAMAGE TO THE SHOCK ABSORBER AND WHEEL WELL ON THE REAR END OF THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE COST ALSO INCLUDES $880 THAT I PAID FOR A NEW SET OF MICHELIN TIRES FROM THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP, WHICH INFORMED ME THAT THEIR TIRES WERE NOT COMPROMISED BY EXTENDED STORAGE IN WAREHOUSES (I.E., DRY-ROTTING). COSTCO OFFERED TO PUT ANOTHER NEW SET OF THEIR TIRES ON MY VEHICLE, BUT I REFUSED TO TAKE THE RISK OF HAVING OLD DRY-ROTTED TIRES PLACED ON MY VEHICLE AGAIN. CONSEQUENTLY, COSTCO REFUSED TO PAY ANY OF THE $880 CHARGE FOR THE NEW MERCEDES DEALERSHIP TIRES. NOTE: THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO THE POLICE AND AAA TOWED THE CAR ON BOTH OCCASIONS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXCURSION. THE VEHICLE HAS MICHELIN LTX M/S TIRES, SIZE 265/75/R16. WHEN THE CONTACT PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED THAT THE TIRES WERE FIRESTONE TIRES. THEY WERE NOT THE CORRECT TIRES HE ORIGINALLY ORDERED. THE CONTACT INFORMED THE DEALER OF THE INCORRECT TIRES AND WAS GIVEN BRAND NEW REPLACEMENT TIRES, WHICH WHERE MICHELIN CLASS C'S. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE WOULD SWAY FROM SIDE TO SIDE. HE NOTICED THAT THE WALLS ON THE TIRES WERE CRACKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT DUE TO THE THICKNESS OF THE THREADS, THE TIRES WOULD WOBBLE. ONCE THE THREADING BEGAN TO WEAR, THE VEHICLE WOULD STOP WOBBLING. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SWAY FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND INSPECTED BY A TECHNICIAN, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE INCORRECT GRADE FOR THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE. THE TIRES SHOULD HAVE BEEN A CLASS E (LOAD RANGE 5,250) INSTEAD OF A CLASS C (LOAD RANGE 2,270). THE TIRES WERE REPLACED WITH MICHELIN CLASS E TIRES AT THE COST OF $907.45. THE CONTACT CALLED THE FORD MANUFACTURER AND FILED A REPORT. HE CALLED BACK TO FOLLOW UP WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT NO COMPENSATION WOULD BE PROVIDED AND WAS NOT GIVEN AN EXPLANATION. THE DOT INFORMATION WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000. UPDATED 06/09/09 *BF UPDATED 06/10/09. *JB

MICHELIN TIRES ENERGY LX4 235/65/R16-103T-WENT IN TO DEALER TODAY FOR ALIGNMENT. SAID THEY COULD NOT DO IT AS ALL 4 TIRES ARE SEPARATING ON THE INSIDES. ALL 4 AT ONCE? THIS IS ON A 2005 HONDA ODYSSEY VAN- THIS VAN HAS BEEN MAINTAINED TO THE UTMOST. AS A SALEPERSON-I LIVE IN IT. ALSO IN THE WEEKENDS I PUT SOME OF MY 10 GRANDCHILDREN IN IT. THE MOST VALUABLE CARGO ANYONE CAN HAVE. REASON FOR THE HONDA BRAND. SAFETY ETC. I WAS IN SHOCK WHEN TOLD THIS TOOK IT TO A LOCAL TIRE PLACE GOT SECOND OPINION. I ROTATE TIRES EVERY 2000 MILES AS I CHANGE OIL EVERY 1000 MILES. THIS IS VERY VERY UPSETTING AS DANGEROUS. AS IF I DRIVE IT THEY WILL BLOW. THE STEEL BELTS ARE GOING TO COME THROUGH THE INSIDE SIDEWALLS. WHAT ON EARTH!!! I WOULD EXPECT THIS FROM A FLY BY NIGHT COMPANY. BUT SOMEONE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED WITH A BLOW OUT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD MICHELIN WILL DO NOTHING AS THEY HAVE HAD OTHER COMPLAINTS AND TIRES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. NOT TO WASTE MY TIME EVEN CONTACTING THEM. GO RIGHT TO THIS WEB SITE AND LET ALL KNOW ABOUT THEN PROBLEM. NOT JUST ONE SIZE MANY MANY SIZES OF MICHELINS WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. GOD BLESS I FOUND OUT WITHOUT DAMAGE TO MY FAMILY OR SOMEONE ELSE'S ON THE HIGHWAY WITH ME. *TR

I OWN A NISSAN QUEST WITH THE MICHELIN PAX RUN-FLAT TIRE SYSTEM. THE PAX RUN-FLAT TIRE SYSTEM IS A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. I PURCHASED THE CAR IN NOVEMBER 2007. BY 13 MONTHS, AT 18,000 MILES, 2 OF THE TIRES HAD WORN TO THE POINT WHERE THE DEALER SAID THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AT 20,600 MILES WE HAD ALL 4 TIRES REPLACED. IN 32NDS OF AN INCH, SEARS MEASURED THE TREAD AT : LEFT FRONT - 1,0,0, RIGHT FRONT - 2,2,1, RIGHT REAR - 3,3,4, LEFT REAR WAS SIMILAR TO RIGHT REAR BUT HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED DUE TO A NAIL IN IT. MICHELIN HAD TO COURIER A COMPLETE TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY TO MY HOME ON THE NAILED TIRE BECAUSE THERE IS NO TIRE DEALER WITHIN 20 MILES OF US IN DOWNTOWN CHICAGO THAT CAN WORK ON THE PAX TIRES OTHER THAN PERHAPS A HONDA DEALER WHO TOLD US THEY WOULD NOT WORK ON A NISSAN. OUR NISSAN DEALER IS NOT EQUIPPED TO WORK ON THIS TIRE. OUR SITUATION IS NOT UNIQUE. A WEB SEARCH TURNS UP MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT PREMATURE WEAR AND BLOWOUTS WITH THE PAX TIRE SYSTEM. THERE ARE 2 CLASS-ACTION LAWSUITS RELATED TO THE PAX SYSTEM, ONE AGAINST HONDA AND MICHELIN AND ONE AGAINST NISSAN AND MICHELIN. WITH THE WHEELS ON OUR NEW CAR WE CAN ONLY HAVE PAX TIRES SO EITHER WE NEED TO SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE WHEELS, POTENTIALLY VOIDING OUR WARRANTY, OR CONTINUE TO REPLACE OUR TIRES EVERY 20,000 MILES, ASSUMING WE CAN GET THEM. IT TOOK A WEEK TO HAVE REPLACEMENT TIRES SHIPPED TO CHICAGO. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THAT THE PROBLEM WILL GET WORSE THE LONGER WE OWN THE CAR. MICHELIN HAS END OF LIFE THE PRODUCT AND ONLY MANUFACTURES NEW PAX TIRES FOR THOSE ALREADY ON THE ROAD. THIS DECLARATION WAS MADE BY MICHELIN A MERE 4 MONTHS AFTER WE PURCHASED OUR CAR NEW. THE MICHELIN PAX TIRE SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE RECALLED FOR HONDA ODYSSEY AND NISSAN QUEST VEHICLES FOR PREMATURE WEAR, DANGER OF BLOWOUTS AND LACK OF PEOPLE THAT CAN SERVICE THEM. NISSAN AND HONDA NEED TO BE FORCED TO REPLACE THE PAX WHEELS WITH WHEELS THAT CAN ACCEPT NORMAL TIRES. *TR