MICHELIN TIRES Complaints

I HAPPILY BOUGHT A NEW SEBRING CONVERTIBLE IN JULY 2002. I BOUGHT THE "COMPLETE" 7/70 EXTENDED WARRANTY BECAUSE I AM A SINGLE WOMAN AND DO NOT WANT TO WORRY ABOUT REPAIRS. DURING 2003 AND 2004, I EXPERIENCED FREQUENT "SOFT" TIRES. DURING A RAIN STORM, I HYDROPLANED ON HIGHWAY 41 AND LOST CONTROL. LUCKILY, THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO ANYONE OR THE CAR. ONLY MY NERVES. I WOULD TEST AND FILL THE TIRES FREQUENTLY. I WAS FRIGHTENED TO DRIVE DURING RAIN/SNOW BECAUSE I DID NOT FEEL CONTROL DUE TO THE TIRES NOT GRIPPING THE HIGHWAY. I WAS TOLD I NEEDED NEW TIRES AND THAT THEY WERE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I BOUGHT NEW TIRES IN DEC. 2005 AT SEARS, HAD THE ALIGNMENT PERFORMED. I CONTINUED TO HAVE SOFT TIRES. SEARS REPLACED THE TIRE VALVES, AND HAD TO SMOOTH THE RIMS TWICE. I NOW HAVE TO CHECK AND FILL THE TIRES WITH AIR 2 - 3 TIMES A WEEK. I SPOKE TO THE LOCAL DEALER AND WAS TOLD "THIS IS A FREQUENT COMPLAINT OF THE SEBRING CONVERTIBLE RIMS)AND WAS TOLD TO CALL CHRYSLER. AFTER BEING ON HOLD 30 MINUTES, I GOT THROUGH TO CHRYSLER, AND WAS TOLD THAT ALTHOUGH CHRYSLER RECOGNIZES THIS DEFICIENCY IN THE RIMS, THEY WILL NOT COVER THIS BECAUSE I DID NOT REPORT THE PROBLEM WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD. HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE RIMS AND NOT THE TIRES? I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE TIRES!!! PLEASE CHECK THE ACCIDENT RECORD OF CHRYSLER SEBRINGS DUE TO LOSS OF CONTROL. *JB

AROUND MARCH 2005 ON A SPRING BREAK, TOOK MY 2002 FORD EXPLORER IN ABOUT 15 MILES OUT MY TOWN, ONE OF THE TIRES, THE RUBBER JUST SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE , CAUSING THE TRUCK TO MOVE IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, BUT THANK GOD I WAS ABLE TO STEER TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD SINCE I JUST STARTED TO SPEED UP THE VEHICLE IT DID NOT FLIP THE TRUCK,BUT CAUSED DAMAGED INSIDE THE TRUCK WHERE THE WHEEL IS LOCATED, ALL BECAUSE A PIECE OF THE RUBBER SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE. THE EXPENSE WAS LESS THAN $200.00 BUT THE DRAMA WAS PRICELESS, AND THE KIDS ALL WERE CRYING .I NEED INFORMATION ON THE RECALL TIRES OF MY TRUCK. THANK YOU. *JB

WHILE TRAVELING IN OUR 2000 DUTCH STAR MOTOR HOME, DIESEL PUSHER, THROUGH HOUSTON TX, ON MARCH 23, 2006, WE EXPERIENCED AN INNER REAR TIRE BLOWOUT ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS TIRE HAS A "ZIPPER" FRACTURE OF 14 INCHES ON THE SIDEWALL. WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE A SAFE STOP AND EXITED FROM THE HIGHWAY. WE HAD THE TIRE REPLACED WITH A MATCHED MICHELIN TIRE. ON APRIL 1, 2006 WHILE TRAVELING THROUGH ELMIRA NY (1600 MILES LATER) ON INTERSTATE 86, WE EXPERIENCED ANOTHER BLOWOUT ON THE INNER REAR TIRE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE MOTOR HOME. WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE A SAFE STOP. HOWEVER THE REAR LEFT FENDER SKIRT WAS BLOWN OFF BY THE RUPTURING TIRE. THIS "ZIPPER" FRACTURE WAS 12 INCHES IN THE IDENTICAL TIRE POSITION AS THE FIRST RUPTURE. WE WERE UNABLE TO GET AN IDENTICAL REPLACEMENT TIRE FOR THE BLOWN TIRE AND WE MADE THE DECISION THAT ALL FOUR REAR TIRES SHOULD BE REPLACED SINCE IT IS NOT ADVISABLE TO HAVE MISMATCHED TIRES. WE REPLACED THESE REAR TIRES WITH AN H RATED TIRE BY GOODYEAR 275/70R 22.5 G670 RV. IN 2004, NEWMAR (MANUFACTURER OF DUTCH STAR MOTOR HOMES) HAD A RECALL AND REPLACED ONLY THE FRONT TIRES ON THIS MOTOR HOME WHICH WAS BUILT ON A FREIGHTLINER FRAME. THE NEW TIRES WERE MICHELIN XZA1 275/70R 22.5 WHICH IS HIGHER RATED THAN THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES. PREVIOUSLY, WE HAVE HAD THIS MOTOR HOME WEIGHED ON AT A FAMILY MOTOR COACH ASSN. (FMCE) RALLY. THE FOUR CORNERS WERE WEIGHED AND WE WERE WITHIN THE RECOMMENDED GVW (GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT) OF 27,900 LBS. WE WERE NOT OVERLOADED. THE TIRE PRESSURE ON THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES WAS 105 LBS. EACH WHICH WAS RECOMMENDED. IT IS OUR OPINION THAT THE TIRE FAILURE ON THIS UNIT WAS DUE TO HAVING INADEQUATE REAR TIRES AND THAT WHEN THE RECALL TOOK PLACE IN 2004, THE REAR TIRES SHOULD HAVE ALSO BEEN REPLACED AT THAT TIME. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE IN A PARKING LOT, THE VEHICLE'S TIRE WAS OBSERVED TO BE RELEASING AIR FROM THE STEM. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO PUT AIR INTO THE TIRE, THE AIR WAS RELEASING FROM THE STEM FASTER THAN THE TIRE COULD BE FILLED WITH AIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO COSCO WHERE ALL 4 TIRES HAD BEEN PURCHASED 2-3 YEARS AGO. THE TIRE'S STEM WAS REPLACED. A REPRESENTATIVE AT THE COSCO MENTIONED THAT THE TIRE REPAIRED WAS FROM A DEFECTIVE BATCH OF TIRES. ON 7/23/06, WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON A HIGHWAY, A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER ANOTHER TIRE WAS FLAT AND OBSERVED TO BE RELEASING AIR EXPEDIENTLY FROM THE STEM.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH, THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE LOST AIR. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OFF THE ROAD, AND AN ATTEMPTED WAS MADE TO REFILL THE TIRE. THE STEEL BELT WAS OBSERVED TO BE BROKEN. THERE WERE BLISTERS ON SIDEWALL; BLISTERS WERE ON OTHER 3 TIRES ALSO.

GOING HOME FROM WORK NEAR DUSK ON THE FREEWAY, MY CAR BEGAN TO VEER TO THE LEFT THEN THE RIGHT MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE CAR. I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR (ONLY A YEAR AND A HALF OLD) SO I HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT COULD BE. I BEGAN TO GET VERY NERVOUS ESPECIALLY WITH TRAILER TRUCKS DRIVING NEAR ME. AS I BEGAN TO PULL OVER I HEARD A LOUD NOISE COME FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE. ONCE STOPPED, I QUICKLY WENT TO INSPECT THE PASSENGER SIDE WHERE I SAW THAT MY TIRE HAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE TREAD. AT THIS POINT, I REALLY GOT SCARED JUST THINKING OF WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO ME IF I HAD COMPLETELY LOST CONTROL. THE GOOD THING IS THAT I AM USUALLY A SAFE DRIVER. I ASSUME THAT IF I WERE DRIVING IN EXCESS OF SPEED I WOULD NOT BE HERE NOW. AFTER TEN MINUTES OF RECOVERY, I PROCEEDED TO CHANGE THE TIRE. I WAS NEAR A SAM'S SO I DECIDED TO SEE IF I COULD HAVE SOMEONE LOOK AT THE TIRE AND HAVE IT CHANGED BUT IT WAS LATE (8 PM) AND THEY WERE CLOSED. *NM

TIRE TREAD CAME OFF OF A MICHELIN LTX M/S P235/75R15, LEFT REAR ON A 1997 FORD EXPLORER, CAUSING VEHICLE TO LOSS CONTROL ON INTERSTATE, COMING TO REST IN THE TRAVEL LANES AND WAS STRUCK HEAD ON BY A TRACTOR TRAILER. *JB

AFTER OWNING THE CAR AND DRIVING IT FOR LESS THAN 100 MILES, THERE WAS A NOTICEABLE VIBRATION ON THE AROUND 60-75 MPH. THE TIRES WERE RE-BALANCED AND THE CONDITION REMAINS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALER AND RE-BALANCED AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUES. WHEN I RETURNED AGAIN TO THE PURCHASING DEALER FOR THIS PROBLEM FOR A THIRD TIME, I WAS PROVIDED A LOANER VEHICLE (GLS V-6) AND IT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT MORE EVIDENT. WHEN I RECEIVED MY VEHICLE, THE PROBLEM REMAINS. *JB

I PURCHASED A NEW 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA GLS WITH MICHELIN TIRES. THE TIRES ARE WEATHER CRACKING ALREADY AFTER ONLY HALF A YEAR AND WITH 4350 MILES. *NM

I HAD A MICHELIN LOW PROFILE TIRE LOSE PRESSURE AND IT FAILED AT 30 MPH. THE ENTIRE SIDEWALL SEPARATED IN ONE PIECE FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE. I HAD JUST EXITED I-10 AND IF THE TIRE HAD FAILED AT 60 MPH IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUS AND LIFE THREATENING. I HAVE THE TIRE (7600 MILES) AND PICTURES. THESE TIRES ARE DANGEROUS. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO LOOK AT ONE AND DETECT A LOSS OF AIR PRESSURE. THERE IS NO WAY TO TELL FROM THE CARS INSTRUMENTATION IF A TIRE IS LOSING PRESSURE UNTIL IT FAILS AND COMES APART. *NM