NHTSA Complaint #10268527 — 2007 NISSAN QUEST

I OWN A NISSAN QUEST WITH THE MICHELIN PAX RUN-FLAT TIRE SYSTEM. THE PAX RUN-FLAT TIRE SYSTEM IS A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. I PURCHASED THE CAR IN NOVEMBER 2007. BY 13 MONTHS, AT 18,000 MILES, 2 OF THE TIRES HAD WORN TO THE POINT WHERE THE DEALER SAID THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AT 20,600 MILES WE HAD ALL 4 TIRES REPLACED. IN 32NDS OF AN INCH, SEARS MEASURED THE TREAD AT : LEFT FRONT - 1,0,0, RIGHT FRONT - 2,2,1, RIGHT REAR - 3,3,4, LEFT REAR WAS SIMILAR TO RIGHT REAR BUT HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED DUE TO A NAIL IN IT. MICHELIN HAD TO COURIER A COMPLETE TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY TO MY HOME ON THE NAILED TIRE BECAUSE THERE IS NO TIRE DEALER WITHIN 20 MILES OF US IN DOWNTOWN CHICAGO THAT CAN WORK ON THE PAX TIRES OTHER THAN PERHAPS A HONDA DEALER WHO TOLD US THEY WOULD NOT WORK ON A NISSAN. OUR NISSAN DEALER IS NOT EQUIPPED TO WORK ON THIS TIRE. OUR SITUATION IS NOT UNIQUE. A WEB SEARCH TURNS UP MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT PREMATURE WEAR AND BLOWOUTS WITH THE PAX TIRE SYSTEM. THERE ARE 2 CLASS-ACTION LAWSUITS RELATED TO THE PAX SYSTEM, ONE AGAINST HONDA AND MICHELIN AND ONE AGAINST NISSAN AND MICHELIN. WITH THE WHEELS ON OUR NEW CAR WE CAN ONLY HAVE PAX TIRES SO EITHER WE NEED TO SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE WHEELS, POTENTIALLY VOIDING OUR WARRANTY, OR CONTINUE TO REPLACE OUR TIRES EVERY 20,000 MILES, ASSUMING WE CAN GET THEM. IT TOOK A WEEK TO HAVE REPLACEMENT TIRES SHIPPED TO CHICAGO. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THAT THE PROBLEM WILL GET WORSE THE LONGER WE OWN THE CAR. MICHELIN HAS END OF LIFE THE PRODUCT AND ONLY MANUFACTURES NEW PAX TIRES FOR THOSE ALREADY ON THE ROAD. THIS DECLARATION WAS MADE BY MICHELIN A MERE 4 MONTHS AFTER WE PURCHASED OUR CAR NEW. THE MICHELIN PAX TIRE SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE RECALLED FOR HONDA ODYSSEY AND NISSAN QUEST VEHICLES FOR PREMATURE WEAR, DANGER OF BLOWOUTS AND LACK OF PEOPLE THAT CAN SERVICE THEM. NISSAN AND HONDA NEED TO BE FORCED TO REPLACE THE PAX WHEELS WITH WHEELS THAT CAN ACCEPT NORMAL TIRES. *TR