NHTSA Complaint #10098755 — 2001 COACHMEN SANTARA

I HAVE A 2000 COACHMEN MOTORHOME WHICH CAME WITH MICHELIN XRV TIRES ON IT. SPECIFICALLY 235/80R 22.5. I HAVE HAD ONE TIRE BLOW OUT WHILE DRIVING AND ANOTHER TIE WAS DISCOVERED TO HAVE WHAT APPEARED TO BE A "WIDE PLY GAP" ON THE SIDEWALL SO I REMOVED IT. ON THE FIRST TIRE, WHICH BLEW OUT, I CALLED MICHELIN AND THEY WERE IMMEDIATELY DEFENSIVE. EVEN THOUGH I WAS NICE THE LADY DIDN'T LIKE MY PERSISTENCE AND HUNG UP ON ME. THE MICHELIN CALL CENTER TOLD ME THAT 70% OF MOTORHOMES ARE OVERLOADED AND THAT MINE WAS PROBABLY OVERLOADED ALSO. SHE REFERRED ME TO A DEALER IN SALT LAKE CITY. I WENT TO A DEALER WHO HAD THE MICHELIN REP LOOK AT IT. HE SAID IT WAS THE RESULT OF AN IMPACT BUT HE GAVE ME A $100 CREDIT. IN AUGUST I FOUND A BUBBLE ON ANOTHER TIRE AND TOOK IT TO A GOODYEAR DEALER WHO SAID IT LOOKED LIKE A WIDE PLY GAP AND REFERRED ME TO A MICHELIN DEALER IN THE AREA. THAT DEALER LOOKED AT IT AND SAID HE SEE THIS FREQUENTLY AND ADVISED ME TO GET THESE TIRE OFF MY RV ASAP. I COULD NOT REPLACE IT AS HE HAD QUIT STOCKING THE TIRES BECAUSE THEY WERE SO BAD. I CALLED MICHELIN AND GOT THE SAME 70% OVERLOADED STORY A FEW MONTHS LATER AND WAS REFERRED TO A LOCAL DEALER. THIS TIRE HAD NOT BLOWN OUT SO I KNEW I WOULD GET THE TIRE REPLACED AS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT. WITH NO INDICATION OF ANY IMPACT ON THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE THE NEW MICHELIN DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS A RESULT OF IMPACT. I OBJECTED AND HE GOT HOSTILE. AS HE HELPED ME PUT THE TIRE BACK IN THE RV HE SMASHED HIS FINGER SEVERELY: ). THAT WHAT HE GETS FOR LYING! I TALKED TO A MOTORHOME DEALER AND HE TOLD ME OF THE PROBLEMS IN THE INDUSTRY WITH MICHELIN XRV TIRES SO, I WANT THEM ALL REPLACED. *JB