Michelin tire warranty - NJFBOA - Home of New Jersey's Camaros and Firebirds

Blackbirdws6 · 04-09-2014, 12:02 PM

I noticed last weekend that my Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires on the G8 have developed cracks at the top of the sidewall and into the tread at the corner of the tire. Each tire had this issue and the problem was seen on all four tires all around the circumference. Many of the cracks were large enough to stick the tip of a ball point pen in. While I don't think I was in any immediate danger, I do drive this vehicle aggressively from time to time. Plus, I paid some good coin for supposedly a superior tire. I've never experienced dry rot or any other issues from other tire manufacturers.

I called Michelin and they indicated they may provide a pro-rated warranty on the tires. I bought these about 3 years ago and put around 30k on them. I had to visit an authorized Michelin dealer to have the tires inspected to start the process.

I took the car over to a local STS, the tires were inspected and tread life was about 50% on average (less so on the rear

). Michelin is going to offer a 50% discount on the price of a new set of tires. I will need to cover mounting/balancing, etc. The tire I have has been discontinued and a new version has taken its place. This didn't sound so bad until they priced the tire at MSRP ($309 per). I checked out tire rack and they are $70 cheaper. I have normally price matched tires and agreed to a higher value to account for shipping. Apparently for the warranty, they work off of MSRP. I thought this was bogus and spoke to Michelin myself but they confirmed this was the case.

Basically, the difference to me would be about $120.

Anyone ever dealt with this?

WildBillyT · 04-09-2014, 12:51 PM

Can you pay for the tires yourself and have Michelin reimburse you?

Yes, I know you risk being denied.

redsoxsstink · 04-09-2014, 12:57 PM

oddly enough.... i have the same tires and was just looking at mine.. mine seem to have having the same issues, not as severe but looks like the are starting to "crack"

BonzoHansen · 04-09-2014, 01:24 PM

sounds about right. but i don't expect those issues from a Michelin. a pirelli or other brands, yes.

Blackbirdws6 · 04-09-2014, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WildBillyT

Can you pay for the tires yourself and have Michelin reimburse you?

Yes, I know you risk being denied.

I asked that and Michelin said no. I made the argument that if I paid less for the tires, Michelin would have less to reimburse. That didn't compute.

Quote:

Originally Posted by redsoxsstink

oddly enough.... i have the same tires and was just looking at mine.. mine seem to have having the same issues, not as severe but looks like the are starting to "crack"

Keep an eye on it. I suppose I could keep driving until these are worn but I really don't want to risk the car/myself/passengers/etc over a few bucks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BonzoHansen

sounds about right. but i don't expect those issues from a Michelin. a pirelli or other brands, yes.

Agreed.

BonzoHansen · 04-09-2014, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackbirdws6

I asked that and Michelin said no. I made the argument that if I paid less for the tires, Michelin would have less to reimburse. That didn't compute.

because they do not reimburse based on sale price, they reimburse the pro-rated dealer cost.

Another non-sts michelin dealer might be able to do better on your price. just sayin....

Blackbirdws6 · 04-09-2014, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BonzoHansen

because they do not reimburse based on sale price, they reimburse the pro-rated dealer cost.

Another non-sts michelin dealer might be able to do better on your price. just sayin....

I called around and get the same story. Oh well.

edpontiac91 · 04-09-2014, 05:43 PM

I worked for Sears Automotive for awhile and that is how they play the game. Give you a discount, BUT they work off the LIST PRICE. I would advise you to NOT do any hard driving with this set and look around for a comparable brand and deal with Tire Warehouse and let them advise the best tire for you based on what type of driving you intend to do with them. My son Darren went with a 20" set of rims that were take offs from a Camaro From SLP and went with a set of Hancock Performance Tires (slightly wider in the rear/had to roll the fender lip a little) and is quite pleased with them. He said the ride was much better and they handled better also.

Blackbirdws6 · 04-09-2014, 06:25 PM

I don't have an issue with the performance of the tire, just the durability. The tires have very good wet and dry traction but the dry rot is unacceptable.

BigAls87Z28 · 04-09-2014, 07:11 PM

30k on a set of Y rated Michelin Pilot A/S and still 50% life left? Not bad.

Michelin has been getting tighter on their warranty stuff recently.

The discount is eating into the profit of the tires. So if they are, let's say, $200 a tire from STS. The tire cost them $150. Michelin is going to cover half of your tire and you pay $100 for it, plus another $35 to have it installed.
STS gets $35 for the labor, $100 for the tire, $75 back from Michelin, so they are actually at $205 for the total ($75 they see on the back end), a profit of $55 bucks.
If you cut into YOUR price for the tire, that eats into the total dollars they will make. If they discount the tires $35 a tire, that eats right out of the profit of the shop.

Blackbirdws6 · 04-09-2014, 07:26 PM

Michelin is not covering any cost for the labor for mount and balance. That's all on me after they cover half of the tire at msrp.

coolmanvette75 · 04-09-2014, 07:51 PM

They should just refund you half the msrp and let it go at that. I would look into different brands. Michelin's quality has been getting really ****** lately. I see cracked Michelin tires all the time at work...

sweetbmxrider · 04-09-2014, 09:50 PM

I see dry rot on all tires.

Blackbirdws6 · 04-09-2014, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coolmanvette75

They should just refund you half the msrp and let it go at that. I would look into different brands. Michelin's quality has been getting really ****** lately. I see cracked Michelin tires all the time at work...

I don't have an issue paying for the mount/balance, folks have to eat. I was only questioning using msrp versus what it would cost almost anywhere else. The warranty is only valid if I stick with a Michelin so I will get the new version and hope for the best.

SilverDropTop · 04-14-2014, 10:22 PM

Thats some bs. On another note, i did the camaro 20" upgrade and went with the toyo proxes 4 plus. They have a 560 treadwear, work great in rain and dry, and are nice and quiet. They were alot less $$ than the michelin's and I couldn't be happier with them. Just something to consider.

Blackbirdws6 · 04-15-2014, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilverDropTop

Thats some bs. On another note, i did the camaro 20" upgrade and went with the toyo proxes 4 plus. They have a 560 treadwear, work great in rain and dry, and are nice and quiet. They were alot less $$ than the michelin's and I couldn't be happier with them. Just something to consider.

Thanks for the feedback. I had the tires replaced yesterday with their latest max performance all season tire (AS3). I needed to stay with Michelin in order for the warranty deal to be available. I was able to work out the price and as luck would have it, a Michelin rebate became available yesterday. The rebate gets you $70 off a purchase of 4 new tires. The terms and conditions do not restrict eligibility since these were a warranty replacement but we will see what happens. I didn't check the old tires but these new ones are made in the USA which is nice. New tires always ride nice and so far, these are no different. Time will tell if these have the same issue as the old model.

1320B4U · 04-15-2014, 08:48 AM

My bfg's a/t's also started the cracking around the tread too. Good it worked out for you.