Response From Michelin Tires Concerning Fresh Tires

[Ron]

I received the following 2 E-mail's from Michelin today concerning the Michelin XPS Rib, size LT245/75R16E, I contacted Michelin having concern in purchasing the tires if they are over 6 months old from date of manufacture.

Thought I would share the 2 following E-mail response's from Michelin Tire.

Ron

1st E-mail:

Mr. Cabral,

Thank you for your email. We welcome the opportunity to serve you. The XPS
Rib is available to order and not discontinued. We do not ship tires older
than 3 years old. The 6 year limited warranty on the tires start from the
date of purchase not the manufacture date. You would not be guaranteed
tires newer than 6 months old because we may not have ran that size in the
last 6 months. The tire would be a great choice for your class B
Van/Camper.

2nd E-mail:

Mr. Cabral:

Thank you for your latest email.

Let us begin with the Michelin XPS Rib in size LT245/75R16 E (Part Number
2684. This tire is "not" discontinued with plenty of stock in each of our
servicing warehouses. In other words, there are not even any backorders.

Next, tires in a retailer's inventory that have not previously been in
service that still have the manufacturer's label on the tread may be sold as
new whether 1, 2, 3, or more years old. Normally, tires up to 2-3 years of
age are shipped and considered to be "fresh" tires. There is no government
restriction or expiration date pertaining to new tire sales. With that in
mind, the Michelin brand limited warranty coverage begins on the date of
purchase and lasts until wear out or six years, whichever comes first. This
applies to any material or workmanship issue that may develop.

When tire wholesalers and retailers order tires from us, they do so by the
tire name, size, and part number. They do not have the option to order
tires by a production date.

At Michelin, we do not recommend that any tire 10 years of age or older be
placed into or remain in service regardless of the amount of tread
remaining. This is due to the concern about the age of the rubber. Please
note, this is a recommendation and is not binding to any retailer or tire
owner.

Should you have any further questions, please contact our office at
1-800-847-3435 (toll free) between 8:00AM and 8:00PM Eastern Time Monday
through Friday or between 9:00AM and 5:00PM Eastern Time on Saturday.


Sincerely,

Dave T.

Michelin North America
Consumer Care Department

[Mike]

I'm guessing you've seen this then?
http://www.aa1car.com/library/tire_expire.htm
Sounds like it's an issue that's been around for a while.
I personally never considered the "real" age of my tires,
but I plan on having a look tomorrow at all of them.

I also found this excerpt from the ABC News story.
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897

[Ron J. Moore]

Ron,

Thanks for providing this info - it really clarified this date confusion!! According to this, and looking at the treadwear of my current tires - I am good to go for awhile longer. Ron J.

[Ron]

Hi Mike & Ron,

Mike I did not see http://www.aa1car.com/library/tire_expire.htm, I just looked at it, thanks.

Ron, your more than welcome for the information.

Ron Cabral