NHTSA Complaint #10347793 — 2007 FORD FUSION

IN FEB 2008 I BOUGHT A NEW 2007 FORD FUSION. THE PROBLEM I'M HAVING IS WITH MICHELIN TIRES (225/50R17). THREE OF THE FOUR TIRES HAVE DEVELOPED BUBBLES AND HAD TO BE REPLACED WITHIN THE PAST YEAR. THE FIRST WAS JULY 19, 2009, THE SECOND WAS JULY 2, 2010 AND THE THIRD WAS AUGUST 4, 2010. I CONTACTED MICHELIN WHO GAVE ME THE RUN-AROUND BUT NO SOLUTION. I TOOK THE LAST TIRE TO A MICHELIN DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT MICHELIN WOULDN'T GIVE ME ANYTHING BECAUSE AN AUTHORIZED DEALER DIDN'T REPLACE THE TIRE. HOW CAN I GO AROUND FINDING A PARTICULAR DEALER WHEN I'M SETTING ON THE INTERSTATE WITH A FLAT TIRE? I WENT TO THE FIRST PLACE I FOUND WHO COULD REPLACE THE TIRE. EACH TIME I WAS OUT OF TOWN WHEN THE FAILURE HAPPENED, THE FIRST TWO TIMES I WAS EVER OUT OF STATE SO IT'S NOT LIKE BEING AT HOME WHERE YOU CAN LOOK IN THE YELLOW PAGES OR SURF THE NET AND FIND AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE AUTHORIZED DEALER THAT I CONTACTED AFTER THE 3RD FAILURE SAID IT WAS DUE TO IMPACT FROM POTHOLES. DUH! IT'S SUMMERTIME. POTHOLES HAVE BEEN REPAIRED. I FEEL THAT MICHELIN (AND REPRESENTATIVES) HAVE FAILED ME AS A CONSUMER. THEY CLAIM TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY DO - STAND BEHIND BECAUSE THEY SURE DON'T STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND HANDLE THE PROBLEM. I FEEL THAT I HAD 4 DEFECTIVE TIRES EITHER MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT OR DRY ROT OR SOMETHING. I HAVE NEVER IN THE HISTORY OF DRIVING (40+ YRS) HAVE I REPLACED A TIRE FOR A BUBBLE IN IT AND NOW 3 IN LESS THAN A YEAR????? NO MORE MICHELIN FOR ME. *TR