Accord EX V6 Tire problem

My front right tire (stock Michelin) suddenly lost all of its air while
cruising along on a parkway. By the time I felt the loss (seconds) in my
steering and reaching the side of the road the tire was totally destroyed. I
changed it and took the tire to the nearest Michelin dealer thinking that it
would be replaced under the Michelin guarantee. The dealer examined the tire
and reported that there were no obvious reasons for the loss of air, no
punctures in the tread, valve appeared okay and concluded that somehow the
tire lost air due to some external force that could not be determined
because the tire was severely damaged. The sidewalls were shredded as if I
drove the car for a considerable distance on the flat tire. He spoke to
Michelin customer service and they offered to replace the tire for half the
cost ($100) of a new tire ($200). I think this is a very poor effort on
Michelin's part in support of their product. Since there is no evidence of a
puncture they are blaming the user for the failure instead of assuming the
doubt and replacing the tire, after all the tire could have failed due to
"poor workmanship or manufacturing defect"

Bottom line Michelin's guarantee is very explicit in stating what it will
"not" cover- everything or nothing depending on who reads it. If there is no
evidence of a puncture then Michelin assumes the tire is free of defects but
somehow was damaged from some external force ergo forget any guarantee.

At the end of the day I did not accept the Michelin offer because to do so I
would have had to sign a waiver of my rights giving up any recourse I may
have to recover my loss. I went to another Michelin dealer and purchased a
new tire for about the amount of the replacement tire offer from Michelin.
Has anyone experienced the tire guaranty mumbo jumbo and if so have you been
able to get some relief from the manufacturer???

BoB

 

Which, had you accepted,would have been $100.

I went to another Michelin dealer and purchased a

So, now you're at *two* trips to tire stores, and time at both, I'm
guessing.
For a hundred bucks?

What if the problem was with the _rim_? Why should Michelin be liable for
that?

 

You got the standard reply. I used to be a Firestone tire dealer. Now
days there isn't much that would be covered. About the only thing is
tread separation that has not resulted in total failure. Better to have
coverage with your car insurance. The guys I have delt with at State
Farm are much better at keeping their customers happy then any tire
company I know of. bob

 

It isn't about money but I am frustrated by the unresponsiveness of Michelin
to claim that it is not their problem. As an engineer I was never so certain
that the product I designed was never at fault and in 50 years of driving I
have never experienced a road hazard that completely destroyed a tire like
this one. Yes it could have been a faulty rim or any of many causes
including tire failure due to improper manufacture. But, I am dead in the
water unless I can afford a lawyer go to court and sue and maybe get the
tire replaced, so I am stuck replacing the tire at my cost and venting my
frustration for an unfair treatment of my problem.

BoB De

 

What's your problem? They offered to give you 50% off the purchase price of
a new tire, yet you're complaining that they should do more.

You're saying IF you had the money, you'd get a lawyer to sue them for the
full amount of a new tire. A little bit ludicrous if you ask me (you didn't,
but, that's the bonus side of usenet, you get more than you asked for [for
free too]).

If you're willing to replace the tire out of your own pocket, why not take
them up on their 50% offer. Then still whine and cry that you were held up,
by the big bad tire manufacturer.

 

One thing you can, and should do if you really want to maybe help your
fellow man, is go to http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/ and file a report
with the National HighwayTransportationSafetyAdministration. This link was
set up after the Firestone tire problems a few years ago, to provide a way
for the Feds to track problems. If yours is the only occurrence, most
likely nothing will happen, but if several occurrences are reported
something might happen. HTH jkd

 

I'd be frustrate too. You expect companies to stand behind products,
and with a very new one, assume the benefit of the doubt in favor of
the customer. Their offer of $100 was probably reasonable if the tire
were priced fairly by the dealer. $200 for that tire is way out of
line, I think. Or if they'd said half of the real cost, then you'd
only be out $50.

FYI, some years ago I hit a pick of metal on the interstate. I only
know this because at the last minute I saw it just before I hit it. It
had an angle and apparently angled up and cut through the sidewall of
my tire. As with you, by the time I got to the side of the road, the
tire was very chewed up. It was just happen chance that the place it
cut was about the only part that hadn't been totally destroyed. So it
is possible that you hit something.

 

To BoB:

I have no personal experience with using Michelin's warranty, but I would
not rely on the first dealer to have adequately represented your case to
Michelin's customer service.

I suggest you try contacting Michelin Customer Service directly, not just
through a Michelin dealer.

1-800-847-3435

Consumer Relations Department
P.O. Box 19001
Greenville, SC 29602-9001

It may not be too late to be compensated by Michelin for the cost of the
tire you purchased outright, in whole or in part.

If the tire which failed was supplied as original equipment, you might get
some advice or assistance by contacting your zone office of Honda of America
as well.

My suggestions assume you want to invest any more of your time in pursuing
this. You may prefer just to let it go, but if you can't do that, then I'd
communicate with those two offices directly.

- Don