MICHELIN TIRES Complaints

FOUND TIRE FLAT ON JAN 5, 2009. CALLED AAA WHO PUT ON SPARE. THEN DROVE TO DEALER. DEALER FOUND TIRE VALVE CRACKED. WE PURCHASED NEW TIRE. ANOTHER VALVE WAS CRACKED IN JULY OF 2008. CALLED AAA AND DRIVER PUT DUCT TAPE ON TIRE VALVE, PUMPED UP OUR TIRE AND WE WENT TO A TIRE PLACE THAT REPLACED OUR CRACKED VALVE STEM. OLD PARTS WERE DISPOSED OF BY DEALER AND OTHER TIRE STORE. WE FIND THIS TO BE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE/PATTERN NOW AND LOOKED AT OUR VALVE STEMS THAT HAVE BEEN RECALLED BY DILL. WE FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 NISSAN QUEST. THE VEHICLE HAS MICHELIN PAX (NA) TIRES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RUN FLAT TIRE FLATTENED. RUN FLAT MEANS THAT THE TIRE CAN BE DRIVEN FLAT FOR 125 MILES; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT DROVE 300 MILES. HE CALLED THE NISSAN MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO POCA, WV TO A MICHELIN REPAIR SHOP. THE SHOP HAS HAD THE VEHICLE FOR MORE THAN 35 DAYS AND HE DOES NOT KNOW WHEN IT CAN BE RETRIEVED. THE SHOP DOES NOT HAVE THE TIRES AND THE LINER THAT ARE NEEDED TO REPAIR THE TIRE. THE TIRE SIZE AND DOT NUMBER WERE UNKNOWN; HOWEVER, HE PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING NUMBERS: 225-700R48OA, MXV4. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,400. UPDATED 3/5/09 *CN THE TIRE WAS LOOSING 3-4 POUNDS OF A AIR A WEEK. THE DEALER PLUGGED THE TIRE, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER LEARNED THAT THE PARTICULAR TIRE HE HAS COULD NOT BE PLUGGED. IT HAD TO BE REMOVED FROM THE RIM AND REPAIRED FROM THE INSIDE, REBALANCED AND REMOUNTED. UPDATED 03/10/09. *JB

MICHELIN WEATHERWISE II B. TIRES HAVE POOR WET SURFACE BRAKING PERFORMANCE. VEHICLE NEEDS EXTRA DISTANCE TO STOP WHEN BRAKING ON WET ROADS. *TR

REFER TO OPEN NHTSA ACTION NUMBER PE94071. CUSTOMER OWNS A 1996 CADILLAC SEDAN DEVILLE WITH 93,884 MILES. CAR WAS ORIGINALLY EQUIPPED WITH MICHELIN XW4 TIRES FROM MANUFACTURER IN SIZE P225/60 R16 97S WITH A THIN WHITEWALL. ALL 4 TIRES REPLACED WITH SAME MICHELIN XW4 TIRES AT AROUND 50,000 MILES IN 2002, DUE TO AGE AND WEAR. ALL THE NEW TIRES HAD DOT CODE: B93V 222X 0902, AND ARE MARKED MADE IN USA. IN 2006, WHILE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 40 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE HAD A SUDDEN BLOWOUT. THIS BLOWOUT CREATED A HOLE FROM JUST PAST THE TIRE BEAD TO THE BEGINNING OF THE TREAD, MAKING A FLAP ABOUT THE SIZE OF YOUR PALM, STILL ATTACHED TO THE SIDE OF THE TREAD. TIRE REPLACED WITH A MATCHING XW4 WITH DOT CODE: B33V 222X 1105, MARKED MADE IN CANADA. AT THAT TIME, THE XW4 WAS DISCONTINUED BY MICHELIN, SO HAD TO FIND IT AS NOS (NEW OLD STOCK) VIA MAIL ORDER DISTRIBUTOR. IN SEPT. 2008 AT AROUND 93,800 MILES, THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE XW4 TIRE WAS NOTICED TO HAVE A SMALL BUBBLE IN THE SIDEWALL, NEAR THE TIRE BEAD AND IN THE WRITING AREA FOR THE TREAD AND SIDEWALL DESIGNATIONS. HAVE PICTURES SHOWING THIS BUBBLE, WHICH IS ABOUT 3 INCHES LONG AND 1.25 INCHES WIDE. SUBMITTED CLAIM TO MICHELIN AND REPLACED THE TIRE WITH A MICHELIN SYMMETRY, WHICH ALMOST EXACTLY MATCHED THE XW4 IN TREAD AND SIDEWALL APPEARANCE. WHEN TIRE WAS DISMOUNTED FROM THE RIM, THE BUBBLE STAYED INFLATED?! MICHELIN CAME BACK SAYING THE TIRE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, AS IT WAS A FEW MONTHS PAST THE 6 YEAR WARRANTY. AT THE SAME TIME, THE 2 REMAINING XW4 TIRES ON THE BACK EXHIBITED SIGNIFICANT CRACKING RIGHT WHERE THE TREAD MEETS THE SIDEWALL, AROUND THE ENTIRE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE TIRE. APPEARS TO BE TREAD SEPARATION. THESE 2 REAR TIRES ALSO HAVE A DOT CODE: B93V 222X 0902, AND MARKED MADE IN USA. REAR TIRE TREAD DEPTHS MEASURED 9/32 INCHES, FRONT DRIVERS SIDE 6/32 INCHES, AND NEWER XW4 ON FRONT PASSENGER SIDE MEASURED 9/32 INCHES. ALL TREAD DEPTHS MEASURED THE SAME ACROSS THE ENTIRE WIDTH OF THE TREAD. *TR

ON 12-31-08 HAD LOW TIRE LIGHT IN TRUCK. WENT TO TIRE KINGDOM AND WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD A BAD STEM ON DRIVERS REAR TIRE. ITEM WAS REPLACED. ON 1-2-08 LOW TIRE LIGHT AGAIN AND RETURNED TO TIRE KINGDOM. THIS TIME IT WAS THE TWO FRONT TIRES LEAKING AIR FROM THE STEMS. ON 1-4-08 I RESPONDED BACK TO TIRE KINGDOM AFTER READING THAT THE FORD F-150 WAS ONE OF THE TYPES OF VEHICLES THAT MIGHT HAVE FAULTY STEMS. I CONTACTED YOUR OFFICE AND WAS TOLD TO MAKE SURE I GET THE OLD STEMS REPLACED ON MY LAST TWO TIRES FOR SAFETY REASONS. I HAVE THE TWO STEMS NOW. THE ONE THAT WAS ON MY PASSENGER REAR HAS A CRACK STARTING ON IT. THE SPARE SEEMS FINE BUT WAS CHANGED ANYWAY. THE NUMBERS ON BOTH OF THE STEMS IS "TR 414" THIS IS ONE OF THE NUMBERS LISTED BY THE DILL COMPANY AS BEING DEFECTED. *TR

I KNOW THAT THE CORRECT TIRE SIZE FOR THE HONDA ELEMENT IS 215/70-R16. I DECIDED TO TAKE MY BUSINESS TO SEARS AUTO CENTER, WHERE THEY INSTALLED THE MICHELIN HYDROEDGE 215/65-R16 TIRES. I WAS WONDERING IF THIS SIZE IS SAFE FOR THE PASSENGERS AND FOR VEHICLE PERFORMANCE. *TR

2007 FORD F150 WAS LEASED FROM ENTERPRISE LEASING ON MARCH 31, 2008 AT GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA. THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS) SHOWED LOW TIRE PRESSURE AT TIME OF LEASE DELIVERY. AGENT FOR ENTERPRISE HAD TIRES INFLATED AT TIME OF LEASE DELIVERY. WAS INFORMED BY ENTERPRISE THAT TIRES AND AIR PRESSURE WERE FINE. ON APRIL 6, 2008 (6 DAYS LATER), THE VEHICLE HYDROPLANED GOING 55 MPH IN 55 MPH ZONE ON STRAIGHT, LEVEL ROADWAY AND CRASHED ALMOST KILLING COMPLAINANT AND WIFE. DISCOVERED UNEVEN TREAD ON TIRES AND DEFECTIVE TIRE VALVE STEM ON FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE. *TR

I HAVE 2004 NISSAN MAXIMUM SE, I BOUGHT THE CAR MAY 2008 AND STILL DRIVING. I HAVE ISSUE WITH TRANSMISSION, IT JERKS WHEN GEAR IS CHANGING FROM 2 TO 3 AND INVERSE TOO. THE MILEAGE ON MY CAR IS ABOUT 61,000MI, THE MANUFACTURE WARRANT IS 60,000MI ON TRANSMISSION, HOWEVER, I TOOK THE CAR TO NISSAN DEALER AT 59,000MI, AND THEY TOLD ME THAT NO PROBLEM DETECTED ON MY TRANSMISSION AND I HAVE TO PAY $106. THE CAR STILL JERKS ON CHANGING GEARS. THIS THING DISAPPOINTS ME AND IT IS FRUSTRATION. PLEASE ADVICE. *TR

PURCHASED NEW 2007 ACURA RDX IN JULY 2007 WITH MICHELIN PILOT TIRES. ON 5/5/08 WITH LESS THAN 14,000 MILES, EXPERIENCED SIDEWALL BLOWOUT ON I-270 IN MARYLAND WHILE TRAVELING UNDER THE SPEED LIMIT (TRAFFIC). PURCHASED NEW TIRE AT ACURA. I WAS TOLD IT WAS CAUSED BY RUNNING OVER SOMETHING IN THE ROAD (WHICH I DON'T RECALL DOING). 8/22/08 NOTICED ANOTHER TIRE WAS LOW ON AIR. THERE WAS A SMALL HOLE IN THE TREAD AREA SO THE TIRE WAS REPAIRED AT LOCAL SHOP. AGAIN WAS TOLD I RAN OVER SOMETHING. ON NOVEMBER, EXPERIENCED BLOWOUT WITH A LARGE HOLE IN THE SIDEWALL WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON I-70 IN MARYLAND. BROUGHT CAR TO ACURA AGAIN AND WAS TOLD I WAS JUST UNLUCKY AND AGAIN, RAN OVER "SOMETHING" IN THE ROAD. AT THIS POINT, I HAD NOW REPLACED TWO TIRES AND HAD A THIRD REPAIRED. ON DECEMBER 5, I DROVE TO PENNSYLVANIA. THE CAR SAT PARKED ALL DAY. AT NIGHT, WHEN I WENT OUT, THE REMAINING TWO ORIGINAL TIRES WERE BOTH FLAT. I HAD TO STAY OVERNIGHT AND WAIT UNTIL MORNING. I FOUND A LOCAL TIRES PLUS AN PURCHASED FOUR NEW BRIDGESTONE TIRES AS I DID NOT FEEL THE MICHELINS WERE SAFE. IN 17 MONTHS, WITH 22,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE, I HAVE PURCHASED 6 TIRES AND SPENT OVER $1400. I DRIVE MOSTLY HIGHWAY ON WELL MAINTAINED AND HEAVILY TRAVELED ROADS. I DON'T SPEED OR DRIVE RECKLESSLY. THE VEHICLE IS KEPT IN MY GARAGE OVERNIGHT AND HAD BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY AT ACURA. IN OVER 30 YEARS OF DRIVING, I HAVE ONLY HAD ONE OTHER FLAT TIRE. I HAVE HAD 4 IN 7 MONTHS. ALL 4 OF THE ORIGINAL MICHELIN TIRES GAVE OUT. I AM FORTUNATE THAT I WAS NOT INJURED BUT I AM CONVINCED THE TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS. *TR

ALL 4 TIRE STEMS/VALVES WERE FRACTURED ... FORD DENIES A RECALL ... INTERNAL MEMO ACKNOWLEDGES A PRODUCT WIDE PROBLEM WITH TIRE CALVES FROM THAT FACTORY. *TR