MICHELIN TIRES Complaints

MY WIFE HAS A MINIVAN THAT I HAD THE TIRES REPLACED ON WITHIN THE PAST TWO YEARS. I PURCHASED A SET OF 4 HIGH QUALITY MICHELIN TIRES WITH 75K WARRANTY FROM SEARS AT FAIR OAKS MALL IN FAIRFAX, VA. EARLIER THIS YEAR MY WIFE HAD A BLOW OUT AND I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO SEARS FOR THEM TO INSPECT THE TIRE. ONCE THEY REMOVED THE TIRE THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF A PUNCTURE ANYWHERE ON THE TREAD OR SIDEWALL - I WAS A TIRE REPAIR TECHNICIAN BACK WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE. I ASKED THE TECHNICIAN WHY THE TIRE WOULD HAVE BLOWN IF THERE WAS NOT A PUNCTURE, HE DIDN'T HAVE AN EXPLANATION. I ASKED IF THAT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE MANUFACTURER WARRANT AND THEY SEEMED UNWILLING TO HELP. I ENDED UP BUYING ANOTHER TIRE FOR $150.00. THEN JUST THIS WEEKEND AS I WAS DRIVING I HEARD A HISSING SOUND COMING FROM THE LEFT FRONT TIRE. WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE I NOTICED THE TIRE WAS LEAKING AIR FROM THE VALVE STEM. I TOOK THE TIRE IN TO HAVE THE VALVE STEM REPLACED AND THEY MENTIONED TO US THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON VALVE STEMS. I BELIEVE THE PREVIOUS INCIDENT WAS ALSO CAUSED BY A VALVE STEM ISSUE SINCE THERE WAS NO OTHER INDICATION OF A PUNCTURE. I'M PLANNING TO HAVE ALL OF THE VALVE STEMS REPLACED ON THE REMAINING TIRES SO THAT MY WIFE WILL NOT SUFFER A BLOW OUT WITH OUR 3 CHILDREN IN THE VAN. I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A GREATER CAMPAIGN ON THIS ISSUE TO INCREASE AWARENESS AS IT COULD POTENTIALLY IMPACT ALL 4 TIRES ON A VEHICLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE VEHICLE HAS FOUR MICHELIN TIRES, SIZE P185/65S14 (NA). IN MAY OF 2008, WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH IN A PARKING LOT, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED A FLAT TIRE ON HER VEHICLE. THE TIRE STORE STATED THAT THE VALVE STEM WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE AND MADE THE REPLACEMENT . THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VALVE STEM, ALONG WITH TWO OTHER TIRE STEMS WERE DEFECTIVE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,500. UPDATED 07/29/08. *LJ UPDATED 07/29/08

POOR MANUFACTURED MICHELIN TIRES. BECOMING UNSAFE TO DRIVE AFTER 20,000MILES MICHELIN ENERGY LX4 PAX 235/710R-460 104T RB. *TR

RIGHT REAR BLOWOUT DRIVING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY. THE BLOWOUT WAS ON THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE AND I DIDN'T HIT ANYTHING. I JUST HEARD A LOUD POP! THE TIRE SIZE IS P205/60R16 . THIS IS ON MY 2006 MAZDA WITH ONLY 25,000 MILES. THE TREAD IS EXCELLENT. I HAVE READ OF HUNDRED OF CASES WHERE MICHELIN TIRES ARE BLOWING OUT ON NEWER CARS. WHAT THE STORY. ARE YOU GUYS SUPPOSED TO PROTECT THE CONSUMER OR NOT ????? *TR

PREMATURE TIRE WEAR ON NISSAN QUEST 2007 VAN EQUIPPED WITH MICHELIN PAX RUN FLAT TIRES AT 18,500 MILES. *TR

AFTER HAVING 3 OUT OF 4 NEW TIRES GO FLAT DUE TO BAD VALVE STEMS, I ASKED THE DEALER TO CHECK THE VALVE STEM ON THE FOURTH TIRE, THAT HADN'T GONE FLAT YET. THE VALVE STEM WAS ALSO BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, WHICH THE DEALER DID FOR FREE. HE STILL IS UNAWARE OF ANY RECALL PROBLEMS WITH VALVE STEMS. THANKFULLY, I HAD HIM CHECK THE FOURTH TIRE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT RUSH HOUR MY FRONT RIGHT TIRE WENT FLAT. THIS IS THE THIRD TIRE OUT OF FOUR THAT HAVE GONE FLAT! THE LOCAL POLICE CHANGED IT FOR ME. I TOOK THE TIRE BACK TO WHERE I BOUGHT IT AND THEY SAID THE VALVE STEM WAS DRY ROT!! ANOTHER ONE. AFTER EXPRESSING MY CONCERN ABOUT HAVING 3 OUT OF 4 TIRES WITH BAD VALVE STEMS, THEY SAID THAT SOMETIME THIS HAPPENS. BECAUSE I HAD DRIVEN ON THE TIRE TO GET TO SAFE SPOT, I HAD TO BUY ANOTHER NEW TIRE. COST @128.31. *TR

I WAS RUNNING ERRANDS AND COULD FELL THE CAR START TO PULL AND FELT THEY CALLED AND SAID THAT THE VALVE STEM WAS BAD ON THIS TIRE. THEY WERE ABLE TO REPLACE THE VALVE STEM AND THE TIRE WASN'T DAMAGED. THE COST TO REPLACE VALVE STEM WAS $23.31. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE THE TIRE WENT FLAT. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF TO A SAFE PLACE, BUT DAMAGED THE TIRE BY DRIVING ON IT. THE LOCAL POLICE CHANGED THE TIRE FOR ME. I TOOK THE TIRE BACK TO WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED. THEY SAID THE VALVE STEM WAS BAD. I HAD TO BUY A NEW TIRE AT FULL PRICE. *TR

I PURCHASED A NEW MAZDA 6 AND IT CAME FROM THE FACTORY WITH MICHELIN TIRES. THE PROBLEM WAS IMMEDIATE WITH A SEVERE ROUGH RIDE WHEN THE TIRES WERE COOL THUS CAUSING STEERING PROBLEMS. I RARELY DRIVE THIS VEHICLE (7,000 MILES PER YEAR) AND WAS SHOCKED TO FIND SIDEWALL BULDGES AND TIRE SEPARATION ON THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. A FEW WEEKS LATER, I NOTICED THE LEFT FRONT TIRE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. SINCE DAY ONE, ALL 4 OF THE TIRES WOULDN'T HOLD THEIR TIRE PRESSURE (EVEN WITH NO LEAKS) WHICH COULDN'T BE FIGURED OUT BY "PROFESSIONALS." I RETURNED MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY TOLD ME TO IMMEDIATELY GET MY CAR INTO A MICHELIN TIRE CENTER. I WAS TOLD THAT THE DAMAGE HAD BEEN CAUSED BY A LOW SPEED IMPACT AND A GASH IN THE TIRES AND WOULD HAVE TO BUY 4 NEW TIRES ($190 PER TIRE). THIS WAS DEFINITELY NOT CAUSED BY AN IMPACT OR A GASH SO I TOOK THE CAR TO ANOTHER MICHELIN CENTER. THEY TOLD ME THIS TIME THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY HIGH SPEED IMPACT BUT THAT THERE WAS NO GASH AND I WOULD HAVE TO BUY THEIR TIRES ($199.42 PER TIRE). FINDING THEIR STORIES NOT MATCHING UP, I TOOK IT TO A THIRD MICHELIN CENTER. THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY HITTING A CURB! THE EMPLOYEE THEN TOLD ME THAT IT WAS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT THE TWO BULGED TIRES ON EITHER SIDE COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY HITTING A CURB OR HIGH/LOW SPEEN IMPACT AFTER AN INSPECTION. HE RECOMMENDED A DIFFERENT TIRE, NOT A MICHELIN. I ENDED UP BUYING NEW TIRES COSTING ME A GRAND TOTAL OF ALMOST $1,000. I INSISTED ON THE OLD TIRES WHICH THE TIRE CENTER DIDN'T WANT TO READILY GIVE BACK TO ME. UPON INSPECTION, THERE WAS NEITHER GASH NOR TREAD WEAR AS THEY HAD LESS THAN 20,000 MILES. AT ALL THREE MICHELIN DEALERS, THEY REFUSED TO COVER THEM UNDER WARRANTY. IT SEEMS OBVIOUS THAT THESE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS FROM DAY ONE. I AM WRITING TO YOU SO THAT THIS MAY PREVENT AN ACCIDENT OR DEATH SINCE I AM SO LUCKY TO HAVE "CAUGHT" THE PROBLEM BEFORE ANYTHING SERIOUS HAPPENED. MICHELIN TIRES NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE! *TR