NHTSA Complaint #10782291 — 2006 FORD EXPLORER

TRANSMISSION FAILURE RESULTING FROM MICHELIN INCORRECTLY MARKING TIRE SIZES: I HAD FOUR MICHELIN CROSS TERRAIN P235/70R16 TIRES ON MY SUV. TWO WORE OUT AND WHERE REPLACED WITH MICHELIN LATITUDE P235/70R16 TIRES AS THE CROSS TERRAIN MODEL WAS DISCONTINUED. THE SUV THEN STARTED HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ESPECIALLY WHEN ACCELERATING AND THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE NEW TRANSMISSION IMMEDIATELY STARTED HAVING SIMILAR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ALSO. AFTER MULTIPLE SPECIALISTS EXAMINED THE SUV, THE PROBLEM WAS ISOLATED TO THE 4X4 MODULE ENGAGING THE TRANSFER CASE DURING ACCELERATION. IT WAS DETERMINED BY MEASURING THE TIRES THAT THE VEHICLE IN FACT HAD SETS OF TIRES WITH DIFFERENT CIRCUMFERENCES, EVEN THOUGH THE TIRES WERE MARKED AS BEING THE SAME SIZE. WHEN THE CIRCUMFERENCES OF THE TIRES ARE NOT THE SAME IT CAUSES THE 4X4 MODULE TO BELIEVE A SLIPPING CONDITION IS PRESENT AND ENGAGE THE TRANSFER CASE. THE CONTINUAL ENGAGEMENT OF THE TRANSFER CASE RESULTS IN DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSIN. I CONTACTED MICHELIN CONSUMER CARE FOUR TIMES OVER A TWO MONTH PERIOD ONLY TO BE TOTALLY IGNORED. MICHELIN HAS SOLD TIRES THAT ARE MARKED INCORRECTLY AS TO SIZE, WHICH RESULTS IN DAMAGE TO YOUR SUV, AND THEY REFUSE TO ACCEPT ANY LIABILITY.