NHTSA Complaint #756001 — 2000 BMW 740IL

TRAVELING AT 65MPH ON FREEWAY, TIRE BLEW OUT ON INNER SIDE. HAD TO PULL OVER ON LEFT SIDE OF FREEWAY. HIGHWAY PATROL HAD TO STOP TRAFFIC ON FREEWAY AND HAD ME DRIVE ON FLAT TIRE TO NEAREST EXIT TO A SAFE SPOT FOR CHANGE OFF TIRE. TIRE DEALER FOUD A SMALL NAIL ON FACE OF TIRE. CALLED MICHELIN AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS TYPE OF TIRE WOULD BLOW OUT WHEN AIR GOT LOW AND TIRE WAS ON FREEWAY BECAUSE TEMPERATURES GOT UP TO 250 DEGREES ON INSIDE OF TIRE. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS NOT CONSIDERED A TIRE FAILURE AND WAS NOT COVERED UNDER ANY WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD THAT AS A COURTESY THEY WOULD ALLOW ME 50% OFF A REPLACEMENT. I CONSIDER THIS A VERY SERIOUS TIRE FAILURE.*AK I WAS PUT IN A DEADLY SITUATION AND HAD TO BE EXTRICATED BY THE HIGHWAY PATROL BECAUSE THE BLOW OUT DID NOT ALLOW ME TO SAFELY GET OUT OF THE LEFT LANE AND OUT OF HARMS WAY. IF A TIRE BLOW OUT ON THE FREEWAY IS THE EXPECTED RESULT OF A SLOW LEAK FROM A SMALL NAIL, THIS TIRE SHOULD BE RECALLED. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP AT MICHELIN (PHONE 800-847-3435) TOLD ME THAT IF I MADE ANY FURTHER COMPLAINTS TO THE CAR DEALER OR ANYONE ELSE, THEY WOULD DISALLOW THE 50% DISCOUNT ON THE REPLACEMENT TIRE. THIS ALONE SHOULD TELL YOU THAT THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM HERE. (DOT NUMBER: UCX289 TIRESIZE: 235 60 16)