MICHELIN TIRES Complaints

MULTIPLE TIRES EXPERIENCED SIDEWALL BLOW-OUT ON MICHELIN 255/80 R 22.5 XRV. I HAVE A 2002 FLEETWOOD DISCOVERY MOTORHOME WHICH I PURCHASED NEW. IT HAS JUST OVER 17,000 MILES ON IT. TO DATE I HAVE EXPERIENCED FOUR OUT OF SIX TIRE SIDEWALL FAILURES WHICH MICHELIN DESCRIBES AS A "ZIPPER RIP". THE FIRST BLOW-OUT WAS ON THE LEFT FRONT ON 5/13/2005 @ 15,025 MILES. THE MOTORHOME WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE UNTIL MY MOST RECENT TRIP. ON THIS TRIP I EXPERIENCED THREE MORE BLOW-OUTS WITHIN 36 HOURS OF WHICH 11 HOURS WERE SPENT STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AWAITING SERVICE AND 5 HOURS SLEEPING. THE SECOND BLOW-OUT WAS THE INSIDE LEFT REAR WHICH OCCURRED ON 10/30/2005 @ 17,133 MILES, THE THIRD BLOW-OUT WAS THE INSIDE RIGHT REAR WHICH OCCURRED ON 10/30/2005 @ 17,483 MILES AND THE FOURTH BLOW-OUT WAS THE OUTSIDE LEFT REAR WHICH OCCURRED ON 10/31/2005 @ 17,760 MILES. TO PREVENT A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL I ROTATED THE "NEW REPLACEMENT" FOR THE RIGHT REAR (INCIDENT #3) TO THE RIGHT FRONT TO PREVENT A FRONT TIRE FAILURE. EACH BLOW-OUT RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO MY MOTORHOME. I HAVE SUBSTANTIAL PHYSICAL DAMAGE TO BOTH REAR FENDER SKIRTS AND A CARGO BIN. ONE INSTANCE CAUSED ME TO GO ONTO THE SHOULDER AND HIT A MILE MARKER WHICH SCRATCHED THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE COACH FOR SEVERAL FEET. THE SAME INCIDENT KNOCKED OUT MY INSTRUMENTATION ON THE DASH RENDERING ALL GAUGES INOPERABLE. I KEEP THIS MOTORHOME IN AN ENCLOSED GARAGE AND AM VERY PROFICIENT AT MAINTAINING PROPER TIRE INFLATION. AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT I WEIGHED MY MOTORHOME FULLY LOADED ON A CAT CERTIFIED SCALE TO ENSURE PROPER LOAD. BASED ON THE TIRE AND THE MOTORHOME MANUFACTURER'S WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS I WAS WITHIN LOAD SPECIFICATIONS. I CONTINUE TO HEAR NUMEROUS REPORTS FROM FELLOW RV ENTHUSIASTS CONCERNING THE XRV AND XZE TIRES FAILING AS DESCRIBED. I BELIEVE THIS PRODUCT TO BE A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. *NM

DRIVING VW JETTA BOUGHT NEW EARLY 2005 ON A SURFACE STREET IN WESTERVILLE. DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE DISINTEGRATED, CAUSING FOUR OR MORE HOLES (2" X 2") ON OUTER SIDE TIRE WALL. TIRE MADE BY MICHELIN; WE WILL KEEP TIRE OR AT LEAST RETAIN PHOTOS OF IT. CAR WAS TRAVELING AT 35-40 MPH DRIVEN BY MY WIFE. CONTROL WAS MAINTAINED UNTIL CAR STOPPED. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MICHELIN LIBERATOR ALTERRAIN TIRES EXPLODED WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH. THE LOCATION WAS ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AT 35 MPH. THE SECOND ONE WAS ON THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE AT 70 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS A 15 PASSENGER VAN. THERE WAS ONE INJURY. THE TIRES BLEW OUT AT 50-60 MILES APART IN THE DESSERT. THE CONTACT TALKED TO MICHELIN ABOUT AFOREMENTIONED TIRES. MICHELIN DEMANDED THAT THE TIRES BE MAILED TO THEM. A LAWYER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO NOT TO MAIL THE TIRES TO MICHELIN. THE FAULTY TIRES WERE REPLACED WITH A DIFFERENT BRAND OF TIRES. THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THERE WAS ADDITIONAL DAMAGES TO THE VAN . THE TIRE LINE IS LT 225/75R16. *AK

LTR FWD EMAIL FM CONSUMER RE DEFECTIVE MICHELIN CROSS TERRAIN P235/70R-16 TIRES FOR A 2004 FORD EXPLORER, REQUEST A DEFECT INVESTIGATION, DOT/I32005-5097. *TS WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE. A SOON AS THE CONSUMER PULLED OF THE ROAD THE TIRE BLEWOUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TIRE DEALER. THE TIRE TECHNICIAN CONCLUDED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WHICH RESULTED IN INTERIOR LINER SEPARATION AND SIDEWALL SEPARATION. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURE BUT THEY REFUSED TO PROVIDE ANY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. THE CONSUMER HAD TO PAY A PRO-RATED PRICE FOR A NEW TIRE. THIS TIRE WAS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT O THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT THE OTHER THREE TIRE WILL FAIL IN THE SAME MANNER. *NM

DT: CONTACT STATED THREE VALVE STEMS FAILED. THE FIRST ONE WAS THE RIGHT REAR. IT WAS PUSHED OVER TO THE SIDE. THE OTHER TWO FAILED WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT 65 MPH, AND WITHOUT WARNING, BOTH THE LEFT REAR AND THE RIGHT FRONT FAILED. HE WAS ABLE TO GET VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD. AAA CAME AND CHANGED THE TIRES THAT WERE FLAT. AALSO, AND CHANGED THE STEMS ON THE OTHER TWO TIRES. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. MICHELIN, TIRE SIZE LT225/75R16 . *AK

DAD: THE CONSUMER OWNS 2004 FORD CHASSIS. THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WERE THREE FLATS ON VEHICLE OVER THE PERIOD OF ONE YEAR. THE CONSUMER HAD THE TIRES INSPECTED AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VALVE STEMS USED WERE MADE OF RUBBER. THE SERVICE DEALER STATED THE TIRES FOR THIS TYPE OF MOTOR HOME SHOULD HAVE THE METAL VALVE STEMS BECAUSE THE RUBBER VALVE STEMS WERE NOT RECOMMENDED. THE CONSUMER HAS NOT CONTACTED THE FORD MANUFACTURER. HE HAS CONTACTED MICHELIN AND THEY STATED THAT IT WAS NOT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TIRE MANUFACTURER BECAUSE THEY DID NOT INSTALL THE VALVE STEMS ON THE TIRES.*AK *JB

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A ROAD AT 30-35 MPH WHEN I HAD A SIDEWALL BLOW OUT IN MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE, THE BLOW OUT CAUSED MY AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY WHICH HAD KNOCKED ME UNCONSCIOUS FOR A FEW MOMENTS. AFTER CONTACTING HYUNDAI, THEY ADMITTED THEY HAVE HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING BEFORE ON THEIR 2005 SONATAS, THEY HAVE NOT HOWEVER ISSUED A RECALL OR A NOTICE TO CONSUMERS WARNING THEM OF THE POSSIBLE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. AFTER BEING UNCONSCIOUS, I HIT 3 PARKED CARS AND PROCEEDED TO ROLL MY CAR UPSIDE DOWN. *NM

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES PER HOUR IN PERFECT WEATHER, MY W/W MICHELIN XZ4 215/70/15M/S BLEW OUT ON MY GRAND MARQUIS FROM THE CENTER/TOP OF THE TIRE(NOT SIDEWALL). THERE WERE NO ROAD HAZARDS. THE TIRE HAS A LARGE GASH, AND EXTENSIVELY SPLAYED STEEL BELTS EXPOSED/TORN. LUCKILY I WAS ONLY A BLOCK FROM HOME AND WAS ABLE TO GET HOME TO CHANGE IT. I'VE NEVER SEEN EXTENSIVE TIRE DAMAGE LIKE THIS BEFORE AND AM CONCERNED B/C ALL THE TIRES ON THE CAR ARE THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL. IS THERE A DEFECT IN THE MICHELIN XZ4 SERIES?*JB

SEVERE SIDEWALL BLOWOUT OF A 3 YEAR OLD MICHELIN WEATHERWISE WITH APPROX 30K MILES ON IT. THE TIRE HAD AN EVEN TREAD WEAR PATTERN, AS IT HAD BEEN ROTATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDATIONS. I WOULD LIKE TO EMAIL YOU PHOTOS OF THE BLOWN TIRE. BOTH WEATHERWISE TIRES ON THE FRONT OF MY 99 FORD WINDSTAR HAVE SINCE BEEN REPLACED. *NM

I PURCHASED FOUR NEW MICHELIN HYDROEDGE TIRES FOR MY WIFE'S CAR IN FEBRUARY 2005. BGOD HAEX 2004 215/65/R1698T. TWO HAVE BLOWN, LITERALLY, APART ON HER FORD WINDSTAR 2004 MINIVAN - SEL MODEL. I HAVE RETURNED THEM TO COSTCO AND THEY HAVE REPLACED ALL FOUR WITH A LESSER MICHELIN TIRE. TIRES WERE FILLED W/ NITROGEN. BOTH BLOWOUTS WERE IN THE "HEAT OF THE DAY." NO DEATHS OR ACCIDENT, BUT SECOND BLOW UP OCCURRED AT 65 MILES PER HOUR. *NM