1976 Lincoln Mark Iv

1ST TIRES TREAD SEPARATED AND TIRE CAME APART. 2ND ONE FAILED APPROX. 100 MI. LATER. THE FAILURES WERE SIMILAR TO THAT OF FIRESTONE 500S. TIRES, INCL. PRESSURE WERE CHECKED THE PRIOR MORNING. PER MICHELIN(DAVE @ THE 800#) & THE LOCAL DISTRIBUTOR, THE TIRES ARE ONLY WARRANTEED FOR APPROX. 6 YRS. DAVE AT MICHELIN DID SUGGEST THAT I LOOK AT THE INFO AT WWW.RMA.ORG. THEY FURTHER STATED THAT ALL TIRE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTIED TIRES AGAINST DEFECT FOR A MAX OF 6 YRS. NEITHER OF THESE TIRES SHOWED ANY INDICATION OF DAMAGE, I.E., SIDEWALL CRACKING DUE TO EXPOSURE. TREAD DEPTH WAS 9/32" ON THE 2ND FAILED TIRE AND 8/32" ON THE 1ST. NEW TIRES HAVE A TREAD DEPTH OF APPROX. 11/32". HAVING WORKED AS A FORD FIELD ENG. FOR 12 YRS., A SHOP FOREMAN AND SVC. DIR. AT 2 DEALERS I FEEL I AM WELL QUALIFIED TO EVALUATE A MTR VEHICLE & TIRES. IN ADDITION, I READ THE TIRE WARRANTY PAMPHLET THAT CAME WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT I OWN ON THE OEM GOODYEAR TIRES. THE ONLY STATEMENT REGARDING THE AGE OF TIRES WAS WITH REGARD TO RVS AND STATED THAT IF CRACKING OF THE SIDEWALL IS PRESENT TO HAVE A TIRE PRO EVALUATE THE TIRE(S). ON NEITHER OF THESE TIRES WAS SIDEWALL OR ANY EXTERIOR CRACKING PRESENT. FURTHER, THE INTERIOR OF THE TIRES SHOWED NO INDICATION OF OVERHEATING OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF POTENTIAL FAILURE. I BELIEVE THAT MICHELIN MANUFACTURES THE PREMIUM TIRE AND WILL PURCHASE THEM IN THE FUTURE. IN THE PAST YEAR I HAVE REPLACED MY WIFE'S FIRESTONES & MY DAUGHTER'S GOODYEARS(1995 COUGAR & 1997 MUSTANG CONV.) WITH MICHELINS. I STRONGLY FEEL THAT EITHER THE TIRES HAD A MANUFACTURER DEFECT OR THE CONTACT PERSONNEL ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH WHAT CONSTITUTES A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. IN EITHER CASE, IN MY OPINION, I FEEL THAT IT IS EXTREMELY UNFAIR TO THE CONSUMER-PARTICULARLY WHEN AS A RULE THEY HAVE AN EXCEPTIONAL TIRE. TO ADD SALT TO THE WOUND, I HAD TO USE THE A TIRE(MICHELIN X 230R15) AS A SPARE WITH NO PROBLEMS. I RETAINED THE FAILED TIRES. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR REPLY AND INVOLVEMENT..