daryll40

Now is that really reality for most of us?

jmcraney

Jeff,
Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us. This sounds sort of far-out initially, but when gas prices go above $5 per gallon (probably next week), it may change quickly from far-out to mass appeal. It is a double edged sword in that it prolongs tire life and improves gas mileage. A high quality IR thermometer can be had for less than $150 and there are probably some adequate thermometers available for less than $50 and the skill for this type of "tuning" is within range for many people and can probably be accomplished in minutes. Of course this sort of thing must be done within reason - deviations of less than a few PSI from manufacturers recommendations - so that safety is not compromised.

I8ABMR

I agree. With the weight of the LS a 38 psi inflation is probably better than 33psi

Wsh

Hi, new user over here.
Landed here searching about the same problem.
Bought 4 Michelin like a year ago.
Now i noticed that the tread is losing chunks of tyre, this are not my pictures, but its the same problem:





Happening more in the outer side than in the inner of each FRONT tyres.
Alignment checked and ok, no under inflation, no air leak.
Went to Costco where i bought them (maybe a wrong choice) and they said to me that i was a common problem, and handed me a memo saying that its normal, and the chunks falling apart are the exterior layer, like the dry layer, and then below it it's the all season layer. It makes no sense to me, because the chunks are like the half of the tread depth, so when the layer belows gets cleared, its like half of the tyre has gone.

Still with the problem, i will contact Michelin asking them about this, i dont trust the costco guy.

daryll40

WSH, thanks for posting. This is complete and utter bull****. We outta sue Michelin.

caha14

I am amazed by this, particularly when juxtaposed with the stellar reviews these tires have on Tirerack. Go figure...

I never owned them for long enough for this to happen, but like I said, the drive quality was garbage. Road force was also pushing 30 lbs on most of them. Again, crap.

daryll40

I think there is a valuable lesson to be learned here, especially for folks owning cars (like the LS) that are sold in relatively small numbers. The lesson is that what's good for the masses might not be good for a specific instance. The LS is very very heavy as "conventional" (non SUV) passenger cars go. I am thinking that perhaps this tire is great for something smaller and lighter like a GS or ES, but not for the big LS. So the Tire Rack reviews don't really apply here. I feel ripped off, and I bought ANOTHER MICHELIN to boot (because the different Michelin was still the best alternative, I think). Is it worth it to try to fight a big company for $1000? Probably not. So I'll suck it up and move on but I am pissed and hope that some hungry trial lawyer creates a class action. (Although my experience is that the customer gets a scrap and the trial lawyers get the juicy steak in class actions...but at least it punishes the offending company).

caha14

You may very well be right, but from what I can remember, the load rating for the tire is the same as for the other LS tires. That kind of wear is really hard to come to terms with (if you can call it wear... it's more destruction than anything else - it just screams 'defect').

Pardon me if I missed this, but have you already been in touch with Michelin? They were very helpful in my case. I called first and the Parts Director called afterwards (referencing my case number), and the tag team approach worked. They took their crappy Pilot Sport Plus tires back.

daryll40

Maybe you can help me. I sort of feel trapped. First of all, this is my second set of PILOT A/S tires. I got these 5000 miles ago on a pro-rated thing after the first set wore out/defected in 14000 miles. Even then I felt that I was somewhat cheated having to pay still too much for the new ones. At the time, Michelin wouldn't even talk to me...I had to go thru the dealer.

So maybe you have a direct number/source for me to call?

That being said, it's after-the-fact as I've already purchased and had installed the new tires. I do have three PILOT A/S tires in my garage. One has premature wear but the rear ones (5000 miles) would be OK for resale. But honestly what am I going to get for them? They cost $50 each to ship. The fourth was destroyed by a monster pothole that triggered the whole "I'm not throwing good money after bad" thinking that caused me to abandon these tires.

caha14

I hear you, the situation is a bit more complicated. I called their main customer service number which I got off their website. They were very emphatic on needing to hear from the "dealer" to get some specifications off the tires (I forget the exact term they used), though the person on the phone very carefully documented all the details I shared.

In my case, the "dealer" was my Lexus dealership which was NOT the Michelin dealer (what they wanted). In spite of that, they most certainly listened to the Lexus dealership's representative and made the swap happen, fully refunding my dealership for the original tires. I do wonder if I just got lucky, because nobody at the dealership believed I would ever accomplish that with Michelin. However, it is worth another try for you, even if you've already had a replacement. The tires are crap, evidently, and as long as you keep it civil and factual, I don't see what you have to lose.

I'm just having Primacy MXM4 tires installed on my OEM 19" wheels and hope all goes well, as that tire is more in the family of the Michelin OEMs that Lexus puts on the 18" LS.

Where did you buy your tires again?

daryll40

The Lexus dealer isn't going to go to bat for me, nor would it be right to even ask. I don't take the car there for anything but rare warranty work. They didn't sell the the tires. The Michelin dealer, a Mickey Mouse hole-in-the-wall dealer did get me a pro-rate on the first set of defective Pilot A/S, but I ended up buying the new tires from Sam's Club, because I figured this time around I'd buy from a giant gorilla who might have some clout if (when) THESE tires don't go the 55K warranty. So I'm just beat. But thanks for the info. Perhaps our posts will save someone else from the good TIRE RACK rating that is misleading for the LS460.

caha14

The only reason my Lexus dealership was involved (and a part of my story above) is because they sold me the tires; the nuance was that they are not a Michelin dealer, but rather, a reseller.

If you went to Sam's, I would like to think they can help you. What kind of luck have you had with them?

daryll40

I don't know! I only bought these REPLACEMENT FOR THE PILOT A/S tires there last week. My first experience buying tires from Sam's. Check back with me in a year or two (hopefully not before) and I'll let you know! I will say they really knew to baby my car. Not a scratch on the wheels and the tech even knew not to slam the trunk. So they're off to a good start with this luxury car owner.

daryll40

I might add (piqued by the other current post) that apparently, at no charge, Sam's Club correctly reset the TMPS thingie. It works fine...I never even gave it a thought, actually until now.

Franco240

Michelin Primacy MXM4 tires are THE best choice for the LS460. I have them on mine, installed by dealer 6 months ago. They drive like a dream. Tires are showing no wear at this time also. It is the recommended tire for the LS.