MICHELIN TIRES Complaints

DURING VISIT FOR ROTATION AND REBALANCE (AT 11,500 MILES ON TIRES, 3 YEARS OLD), TIRES SHOWED CHUCKS OF RUBBER MISSING AND NUMEROUS SMALL SEPARATIONS IN TREAD. I CALLED THE MANUFACTURER (MICHELIN), BUT THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE THE TIRES, SO I REPLACED THE TIRES WITH ANOTHER BRAND. *NM

DT: 2000 NEWMAR DUTCH STAR MOTOR HOME. THE CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE HAS MICHELIN TIRES, 255/80R22-5XRV. THE PASSENGER'S SIDE FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT ON THE SIDEWALL AT 15,000 MILES. THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR INSIDE TIRE BLEW OUT AT 23,800 MILES. THE FRONT TIRES WERE RECALLED AND THEY WERE REPLACED. THE REAR TIRE WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. THE REAR TIRE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED TO SEE WHY IT BLEW OUT. *AK

2002 LINCOLN TOWN CAR RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT.*MR THERE WAS A NAIL FOUND IN THE TIRE, THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE TIRE SHOULD HAVE JUST GONE FLAT AND BLOW OUT. *JB

STRONG STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION ON 2004 HYUNDAI ELANTRA AT SPEEDS OVER 60 MPH. HAVE TAKEN CAR TO DEALER 5 TIMES, IN WHICH THEY HAVE ROTATED WHEELS, BALANCED TIRES, ROAD FORCE BALANCED TIRES, WITH NO IMPROVEMENT. NUMEROUS OTHER ELANTRAS FROM 2001-2005 SUFFER FROM THIS PROBLEM AS A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH WILL YIELD MANY. HYUNDAI WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A TSB FOR THIS ISSUE. WILL FILE FOR LEMON LAW IF NOT FIXED ON 6TH ATTEMPT. *NM

ON FEBRUARY 16 OF THIS YEAR, I HIT SOME BLACK ICE THAT CAUSED ME TO HIT A CURB SIDEWAYS. THE IMPACT KNOCKED THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL OFF. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE KEN GARFF SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT THE SOUTHTOWNE LOCATION IN SANDY, UT WHERE IT WAS "REPAIRED". A FREE LOANER CAR WAS GIVEN TO ME, AND THE CHARGES WERE COVERED BY MY INSURANCE. AT THAT TIME THE CAR HAD APPROX 3700 MILES ON IT. SINCE THAT REPAIR I HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR APPROX 5000 MILES. I HAD THE 7500 MILE SERVICE COMPLETED AT THE KEN GARFF DOWNTOWN SLC LOCATION AROUND JULY 15TH. AT THAT TIME, IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY CHECK THE CAR OVER FOR ANY AND ALL SAFETY ISSUES. ON AUGUST 15TH, I DROVE FROM ELKO, NV TO LAKEWOOD, CO, WITH MY 14 MONTH OLD BABY. THE 750 MILE DRIVE TOOK US VIA I-70 AND THE MOUNTAINS OF COLORADO. ON AUG 16TH, I DROVE 1 BLOCK FROM MY PARENT'S HOUSE TO A STORE, WHEN I WAS PULLING OUT OF THE PARKING PLACE THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE. I GOT OUT TO SEE WHAT THE TROUBLE WAS AND THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL WAS LYING COMPLETELY SIDEWAYS. A BOLT HAD COME OUT OF THE A FRAME AND THEREFORE THE WHEEL FELL OFF. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO RICKENBAUGH VOLVO IN DOWNTOWN DENVER TO BE REPAIRED. *NM

ON 15 JULY 2005 I HAD A MICHELIN XRV 255/80R22.5 TIRE SIDEWALL FAILURE ON MY MOTORHOME. I CONTACTED MICHELIN AND REPORTED THE FAILURE AND TOLD THEM I WAS NOT SEEKING ADJUSTMENT BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO REPLACE THE TIRES WITH A DIFFERENT BRAND. MICHELIN DID NOT SEEM A ALL INTERESTED IN CHECKING THE FAILED TIRE, SAID THEY HAD NO WAY OF PICKING IT UP. THIS IS JUST ONE OF MANY SIDEWALL FAILURES ON THE XRV TIRE. YOU CAN CHECK WEBSITE WWW.DISCOVERYOWNERS.COM AND SEE THAT THERE HAS BEEN MANY SIDEWALL FAILURES AND THIS IS JUST ON ONE BRAND OF MOTORHOME. THESE TIRES DEFINITELY HAVE A SIDEWALL DEFECT. I THINK THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. *NM

VOIDS AND PEELING OF TREAD ON ALL FOUR TIRES. IT APPEARED AS IF THERE WERE LARGE AIR BUBBLES TRAPPED IN THE TREAD AT MANUFACTURING. THIS WAS NOTICED AFTER HAVING ONLY 30,000 MILES ON TIRES. HAD TO REPLACE WITH ALL NEW TIRES DUE TO MFG. DEFECT. MICHELIN ONLY ALLOWED 50% TOWARD NEW TIRES. I WAS FORTUNATE NOT TO HAVE BEEN KILLED WHILE DRIVING WITH THESE TIRES. THIS HAS REALLY EMOTIONALLY UPSET ME CONSIDERING I HAD JUST DRIVEN FROM FL TO NH WITH THEM. *NM

DT: THE CALLER SAID THREE TIRES BLEW OUT. IT SOUNDED LIKE A GUN SHOT. THE CALLER SAID THE STEEL TREAD CAME OFF. WHEN SHE TOOK THE TIRES TO THE DEALER THE FORTH ONE HAD A BULGE ON THE TREAD , AND THEY TOOK IT OFF THE VEHICLE. THE CALLER SAID THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING STILL ALL THREE TIMES. THE TIRES HAD ABOUT 8000 MILES ON THEM, THE TREAD DEPTH WAS LIKE NEW. VEHICLE WAS ONLY DRIVEN LOCALLY. DEALER DID NOT WANT TO HELP HER, AND TOLD THE CALLER TO CALL THE MANUFACTURER. IN TURN, THE MANUFACTURER SAID THE TIRES WERE SOLD TO SEARS ONLY AND SHE NEEDS TO GO BACK TO THEM. THE TIRES ARE MICHELIN SEARS ROAD HANDLER LOAD RANGE E STEEL BELTED RADIAL, 950/R16.5; AND DOT # B7XL.*AK UPDATED 11/2/2005 - THE CONSUMER STILL HAS THE TIRE IN HER POSSESION. *NM

DT: THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WENT FLAT. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT IT WAS FLAT. CONSUMER COULD NOT FEEL THAT THE TIRE WAS FLAT. IF HE HAD DRIVEN ANOTHER 20 MILES ON THE HIGHWAY THE TIRE WOULD HAVE COME OFF OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE IT COULD NOT BE SENSED FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE TIRE WENT FLAT DUE TO A NAIL PUNCTURE.*AK THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE WAS WORN. THE CONSUMER STATED THE TIRES ARE LOW PROFILE TIRES. *JB

DT: CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FLEETWOOD DISCOVERY MOTOR HOME THAT HAS MICHELIN 255/80R22-5XRV TIRES. WHILE DRIVING THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. APPROXIMATELY A MONTH LATER TWO MORE TIRES BLEW OUT. THE CONTACT SHE DID NOT NOTICE ANY VIBRATION WHILE DRIVING. THERE WERE NOT ABNORMAL BULGES OR FLAT SPOTS IN THE TIRES. THE TWO TIRES WERE LOCATED ON THE REAR INSIDE DUAL. THE TIRES HAVE BEEN SENT BACK TO MICHELIN TO BE INSPECTED, THEY STATED UNDER INFLATION OR OVERLOADING T CAUSED THE TIRES TO BLOW OUT. THE TIRES REGULARLY SERVICED.*AK