MICHELIN TIRES Complaints

MY MICHELIN CROSS TERRAIN TIRE BLEW OUT AT THE SIDEWALL. IT WAS A CLEAR SUNNY DAY, 30 MPH, ON A SMOOTH HIGHWAY. I CHECK MY TIRE PRESSURE REGULARLY SO I KNOW THE TIRE WAS PROPERLY INFLATED. I CONTACTED MICHELIN AND THEY REFERRED ME TO MELODY LAKES TIRE AND AUTO. MY WIFE CALLED AND THE RECEPTIONIST TOLD HER IT WOULDN'T DO ANY GOOD TO COME IN BUT SHE COULD. THE RECEPTIONIST TOLD MY WIFE THE PROBLEM WAS "HEAT INFRACTION?" AND IT WAS NOT COVERED. IT IS INCREDIBLE TO ME A RECEPTIONIST, OVER THE PHONE, CAN DIAGNOSE TIRE PROBLEMS. MICHELIN, NOR THE DEALER HAD ANY INTENTIONS TO DETERMINE WHY A BLOWOUT OCCURRED, LET ALONE TRY TO FIX IT. I WILL FORWARD THIS COMPLAINT TO THE NHTSA AND HOPEFULLY YOU WILL HAVE TO LISTEN TO THEM. I HAVE 4 MORE OF THOSE DEFECTIVE TIRES WHICH I HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THEY WILL BLOW!! UPDATED 02-01-08. *KB

IN NOVEMBER 2005, WE PURCHASED THE 2006 HONDA ODYSSEY TOURING MINI-VAN. UPON QUESTIONING THE PAX TIRE SYSTEM (A SELLING POINT FOR THE TOURING EDITION), WE WERE TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT REPLACEMENT WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY 10-15% ABOVE SIMILAR TIRES. AT APPROXIMATELY 27,500 MILES (JUST 16 MONTHS AFTER OUR PURCHASE AND REGULAR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE), WE WERE TOLD BY THE HONDA SERVICE TECHNICIANS THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE ALL 4 OF OUR TIRES REPLACED DUE TO EXCESSIVE WEAR (3/32 TREAD). UPON CALLING AROUND TO SEVERAL DEALERSHIPS IN OUR AREA WE DISCOVERED THE COST TO REPLACE ALL 4 OF THE TIRES WAS $1200. MUCH, MUCH MORE THAN 10-15% ABOVE A REGULAR SET OF SIMILAR TIRES. WHILE WE WERE MADE AWARE THE ADDITIONAL COST IN TIRE REPLACEMENT, WE WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE HIGHER FREQUENCY THIS WOULD OCCUR. IN FACT WE WERE ASSURED BY A CERTIFIED HONDA TECHNICIAN THAT THE TREAD WEAR OF THE MICHELIN PAX TIRES WAS SUPERIOR TO THAT OF SIMILAR MINI-VAN TIRES. IF WE HAD KNOWN THAT THERE WOULD BE A $1200 MAINTENANCE COST IN THE TIRES ALONE EVERY 1-1.5 YEARS, WE WOULD NEVER HAVE PURCHASED THE TOURING EDITION OF THIS VEHICLE. WE CONTACTED MICHELIN WHO TOLD US TO HAVE THE TREAD CHECKED/VERIFIED BY A CERTIFIED PAX DEALER, AND THEY WOULD HAVE A CASE OPEN. UPON VERIFICATION OF EXCESSIVE WEAR BY DISCOUNT TIRE, MICHELIN OFFERED A 35% DISCOUNT ON THE REPLACEMENT OF THE PAX TIRES. UNSATISFIED, WE PROCEEDED TO CONTACT HONDA'S CORPORATE OFFICE IN AN EFFORT TO HAVE THE EX MODEL WHEELS PUT ON THE VEHICLE (AT HONDA'S EXPENSE). THE CORPORATE OFFICE REFERRED US BACK TO OUR LOCAL DEALERSHIP, WHO CLAIMS THE LIGHTER EX MODEL WHEELS CANNOT BE PUT ON THE HEAVIER SUSPENSION SYSTEM OF THE TOURING EDITION. OUR CURRENT OPTIONS ARE TO REPLACE WITH ANOTHER SET OF PAX TIRES AND HOPE WE DON''T FACE THIS EXCESSIVE EXPENSE AGAIN IN ANOTHER 12-15 MONTHS OR REPLACE WITH AFTER MARKET WHEELS AND TIRES.

MICHELIN SYMMETRY P205/65 R15 BLEW OUT AT HIGHWAY SPEED. SIDEWALL WAS COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE REMAINDER OF THE TIRE. PICTURES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD E450. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL FOUR OF HIS MICHELIN LT 225 75R/16 TIRES HAD LARGE CRACKS IN THE SIDEWALLS. THE TIRE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE CRACKS WERE DUE TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. THE DOT NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 41,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

05/25/07 DEFECTIVES MICHELIN TIRES CUSTOMER STATES THAT THE TIRES LIFE WAS ONLY 1/2 THE TIME EXPECTED**CC THE CONSUMER PROVIDED A COPY OF THE INVOICE FOR TIRES AND A COPY OF THE TIRES MAKE, MODEL, AND SIZE. THE CONSUMER NOTICED A BULDGE ON THE SIDEWALL OF THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. *TR

MY WIFE AND I PURCHASED A NEW HONDA ODYSSEY VAN IN 2005 WHICH WAS EQUIPPED WITH PAX RUNFLAT TIRES. AT THE TIME, WE WERE TOLD THAT THE TIRES WOULD WEAR LIKE REGULAR NON RUN-FLAT TIRES, AND WOULD BE 10-15% MORE EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE. WE WERE ALSO TOLD THAT ALL HONDA DEALERS WOULD HAVE THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT TO SERVICE THESE SPECIAL TIRES. NONE OF THESE STATEMANTS HAS PROVEN TO BE TRUE. THE TIRES ARE ALL WORN OUT AT 31K MILES, AND WE WERE QUOTED A PRICE OF $1300 PLUS TAX TO HAVE THEM REPLACED. WORSE YET, OUR NEARTEST DEALER (FLAGSTAFF HONDA) DOES NOT HAVE THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT TO SERVICE THEM 2 YEARS AFTER THEIR RELEASE. TO MAKE THINGS WORSE, WE NOW HAVE A FLAT AND GETTIGN IT FIXED WILL REQUIRE US TO DRIVE 50 MPH ON A BUSY INERSTATE (WHERE EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING 80+MPH) WHICH I REFUSE TO DO. BECAUSE OF ALL THESE PROBLEMS, I HAVE ELECTED TO PURCHASE NEW RIMS, TIRES AND PRESSURE SENSORS (PLUS A SPARE TIRE) ALL OF WHICH WILL COST OVER $1000. I CONSIDER THIS TO BE A DEFECT AND THE TIRE SYSTEM WAS NOT FAIRLY EXPLAINED, WITH ALL IT'S SHORTCOMINGS OR WE WOULD HAVE NEVER PURCHASED THIS MODEL.

MICHELIN TIRES CUSTOMER STATES THAT THE TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE AND HAS BEEN REPLACED MANY TIMES**NAR**CC THE CONSUMER STATED MOST OF THE TIRES SUFFERED TREAD SEPARATION. THE CONSUMER STATED MICHELIN HAS DISCONTINUED THE TIRES, WHICH LED HER TO BELIEVE THEY KNEW THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TIRES. *JB THE CONSUMER STATED THE FLAT TIRE THAT WAS REPAIRED WAS NOT DONE PROPERLY. THE PATCH WAS APPLIED WITHOUT BUFFING THE TIRE TO ENSURE THE REAPER WOULD ADHERE. UPDATED 06/06/07. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC ENVOY XL. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE TREAD ON THE MICHELIN CROSS-TERRAIN TIRES SEPARATED. A MICHELIN DEALER INSPECTED THE TIRE, BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THERE WERE NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF ANY FOREIGN OBJECTS PUNCTURING THE TIRE. THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR. THE DOT NUMBER AND VIN WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 36,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 LINCOLN TOWN CAR. THE DEALER NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE'S TIRE (MICHELIN XW4) IS AT THE 50% MARK AND THE SIDE WALLS ARE CRACKING. THE DOT NUMBER, PURCHASE DATE, ENGINE SIZE, TRANSMISSION TYPE, AND CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN. THE CONSUMER STATED REQUESTED 50% REIMBURSEMENT FOR DEFECTIVE TIRES. UPDATED 11/1/07 *TR UPDATED 12/12/07 *BF

PAX TIRES FALL APART AND THE DEALER DID NOT SERVICE THEM WELL. TREAD FAILURE 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RUBBER FELL OFF, DOWN TO THREADS. DEALER CLAIMED THAT RUNNING INTO A CURB COULD CAUSE THIS TO HAPPEN. TIRES FAILED BEFORE 30 THOUSAND MILES. COST APPROXIMATELY $100 MORE THAN NORMAL TIRES. HONDA PROVIDED NO OTHER OPTIONS TO TIRE PROBLEM, MONOPOLY ON THE MANUFACTURER OF TIRE, MICHELIN. MONOPOLY ON SERVICE TO VEHICLE WHERE LITTLE OTHER DEPENDENTS ARE AVAILABLE TO REPLACE TIRE. DISCOUNT TIRE IS THE ONLY OTHER PROVIDER. HONDA DOES NOT RECOGNIZE ANY OTHER OPTIONAL TIRES FOR USE ON THEIR ODYSSEY. DISCOUNT TIRE PROPOSES A REPLACEMENT WITH A 18 INCH Z RATED TIRE THAT MIGHT LEAVE VEHICLE WITH A DASH WARNING THAT CANT BE TURNED OFF OR DISARMED. TIRE PRESSURE SYSTEM ALSO IS NOT ACCURATE OR RELIABLE. NO RESTFULLY OPTIONS BY OWNER. WEATHER CHANGES SET OFF THE TIRE PRESSURE ALARM THAT CAN ONLY BE RESET BY DEALER. ONE OF THE PAX FEATURES WAS TO REPLACE A SPARE BECAUSE OF WEIGHT. A PAX TIRE IS 25 LBS MORE PER TIRE THAN A NORMAL TIRE THUS NULLIFYING ANY BENEFITS. COST IS A HUNDRED DOLLARS MORE PER TIRE AND RELIABILITY IS LESS. SERVICE ABILITY IS LESS. A DEALER THIS LAST TIME WAS UNABLE TO BREAK THE BEAD ON THE TIRE. THE TIRE BEFORE THAT THEY HAD TO REPLACE TIRE AND RIM 2 TO 3 WEEKS TO GET IT DONE. THIS TIME TWO WEEKS HAS PAST AND THE SERVICE NOT DONE FAILED DUE TO MECHANICAL FAILURE ON THERE NEW $30K000 TIRE MACHINE. *AK