MICHELIN TIRES Complaints

TIRES ON THE MERCEDES CLK320 ARE NOT DESIGNED TO LAST VERY LONG AND BECOME "BALD" QUICKLY CREATING DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE MANGER AT THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP THE TIRES SUPPLIED WITH THE CAR ARE RATED FOR ONLY 8,000 TO AT BEST 11,000 MILES. THEY TIRES CAN NOT HANDLE SIMPLY BRAKES IN THE ROAD AND RIP APART VERY EASILY. I KNOW OF SOMEONE ELSE WITH THIS CAR THAT HAS EXPERIENCED THE SAME DANGEROUS CONDITIONS. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE HAVE CRACKS ALL THE WAY AROUND THE TREAD AND UP THE SIDEWALL. THE TIRES WERE PURCHASED WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD 88000 MILES ON IT, AND THE CRACKS WERE OBSERVED WHEN THE VEHICLE REACHED 108000 MILES. THE TIRES WERE TAKEN TO THE SERVICE RETAILER FOR REPAIR WHO DETERMINED THE CRACKS WERE A RESULT OF NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35MPH, ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE TIRE BLEW FROM THE SIDEWALL. THE TIRE RECEIVED REGULAR PRESSURE INSPECTIONS. IT WAS REPLACED WITH THE SPARE UNTIL THE VEHICLE CAN BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE TIRE WAS MICHELIN 225/60R16 ALL SEASON.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE PASSENGER FRONT TIRE CONTINUALLY LOST AIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION OF THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER DID NOT DETECT A PROBLEM WITH THE TIRE OR WHEEL AND NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THIS WAS THE ORIGINAL TIRE THAT WAS ON THE VEHICLE WHEN PURCHASED. UPDATED 03/17/06. *JB

A MICHELIN HXMXM4 225-50-17 INSTALLED ON MY FORD FUSION 2006 JUST LOST ALL THE TREAD AREA AFTER JUST SOME 1500 MILES ON IT. I CALLED FORD AND MICHELIN AND I GOT NO ANSWER. SINCE THE TIRES ARE MADE IN THE USA AND FORD IS A US BRAND, I WOULD LIKE TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT. I HAVE PLENTY OF PICTURES I MIGHT SEND TO YOU IN CASE YOU NEED THEM. I HAVE CALLED MICHELIN, BECAUSE THIS IS A BRAND NEW TIRE, SO THERE IS NO TIRES ON ANY DEALER, AND ALSO, TO ASK THEM TO HONOR THE WARRANTY BUT IT SEEMS THAT NO ONE WANTS TO HELP OUT AND THEY SAY IT MUST BE MY FAULT AND NOT MICHELINS FAULT SINCE THEIR TIRE HAVE NEVER EVER HAD SUCH TYPE OF PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *JB

1 TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 26 IN SOUTH CAROLINA IN 38 FT RV 2 LEFT FRONT BLOW OUT 3 NEW TIRE XZE INSTALLED ONSITE. *NM

ORIGINAL TIRES ON MY HYUNDAI TIBURON-MICHELIN PILOT, HX MXM4 RADIAL XSE 215/45/17 DEVELOPED SIDEWALL BUBBLES AT LESS THEN 1500 MILES. AUTHORIZED MICHELIN DEALERS SAID IT WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE/COMPLAINT AND COMPANY CLAIMED IT WAS A ROAD HAZARD AND NOT COVERED UNDER THE TIRE WARRANTY. TIRE DEALERS TOLD ME THAT ON THIS TYPE OF TIRE THE SIDEWALLS CANNOT STAND THE STRESS OF ORDINARY DRIVING . *JB

MICHELIN IS AWARE THAT OLD, UNSAFE MICHELIN TIRES OUTSIDE MANUFACTURER'S SAFETY GUIDELINES ARE BEING PLACED ON VEHICLES BY THEIR AUTHORIZED TIRE DEALERSHIPS YET CLAIMS THAT THEY ARE NOT "LEGALLY CULPABLE" AND CAN DO NOTHING ABOUT THIS PRACTICE OR THE RESULTANT DEATHS AND INJURIES SUSTAINED BY END USERS. MY SITUATION IS AS FOLLOWS: WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH MY RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT ALMOST SLAMMING ME INTO ANOTHER CAR AND GUARD RAIL. SUBSEQUENTLY I LEARNED THAT THE "NEW" MICHELIN SYMMETRY TIRES I HAD PURCHASED AT AN AUTHORIZED MICHELIN DEALERSHIP 2-1/2 YEARS AGO WERE FIVE YEARS OLD WHEN THEY WERE PLACED ON MY CAR ACCORDING TO THE D.O.T. DATE ON THEM. MOREOVER THE OLD MICHELIN SYMMETRY TIRES THAT WERE PLACED ON MY VEHICLE WERE NOT "H" OR "V" RATED FOR SAFETY AS FORD/LINCOLN MANUFACTURER SPECIFIES. I CALLED MICHELIN AND TALKED WITH MULTIPLE INDIVIDUALS INCLUDING THEIR U.S. MANAGER OF CONSUMER RELATIONS. SHE ADMITTED THAT MICHELIN IS AWARE THAT UNSCRUPULOUS MICHELIN DEALERSHIPS SELL OLD, OUTDATED TIRES AND TIRES NOT PROPERLY SAFETY RATED FOR VEHICLES BUT CLAIMS THAT THERE IS "ABSOLUTELY NOTHING" THAT MICHELIN CAN DO ABOUT THIS PRACTICE. APPARENTLY MICHELIN BELIEVES THERE IS AN "ACCEPTABLE" NUMBER OF CONSUMER DEATHS AND INJURIES THAT WILL OCCUR YEARLY FROM FAULTY, DEFECTIVE MICHELIN TIRES. MICHELIN DISCLAIMS ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR SAFETY BREACHES AT THEIR DEALERSHIPS, PREFERRING TO MEET SALES GOALS AND NET PROFIT MARGINS, LOOKING THE OTHER WAY AND WINKING AT FRAUD AND DANGEROUS PRACTICES BY THEIR DEALERSHIPS, AND HIDING BEHIND "LEGALITIES" TO SHIELD THEM FROM ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY. I BELIEVE THAT THE RICO STATUTE CLEARLY APPLIES TO THEM AND SHOULD VIGOROUSLY BE PURSUED. MICHELIN KNOWS THAT UNSAFE PRACTICES ARE CONSTANTLY OCCURRING, BUT CHOOSES TO DO NOTHING TO STOP THE INJURIES OR THE DEATHS OR TO SANCTION OR POLICE THEIR DEALERSHIPS. HOW MANY MORE DEATHS AND INJURIES WILL OCCUR IF NOTHING IS DONE?????*JB

HAD A TIRE BLOWOUT ON A NEWLY PURCHASED 2006,, TOYOTA 4RUNNER WITH MICHELIN CROSS TERRAIN TIRES, P265/65-17R WITH 400 TOTAL MILES ON THE VEHICLE. BLOWOUT WAS FROM TREAD TO BEAD WITH NO SIGNS OF IMPACT DAMMAGE. PURCHASED REPLACEMENT TIRE. OLD TIRE NOT AVAILABLE - PICTURES ARE AVAILABLE. *AK

IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO SAFELY DRIVE THE TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2004 WITH THE MICHELIN 225/65/R17 TIRES SOLD AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT IN ANY KIND OF SNOW CONDITIONS. EVEN WITH AS LITTLE AS 1-2 INCHES OF SNOW THESE TIRES ON THE HIGHLANDER TRAP AND BUILD UP SNOW IN THE WHEEL WELL LEAVING THE DRIVER WITH NO STOPPING ABILITY.*AK