2007 Nissan Quest

OUR TIRE WENT FLAT. WE FOUND OUT A "SPECIAL" DEALER HAD TO REPAIR/REPLACE THE TIRE & THERE WAS NO SPARE DUE TO US HAVING "RUN-FLAT" (MICHELIN PAX) TIRES. WE GOT A LIST OF THE ONLY 3 DEALERS AROUND OUR AREA THAT ARE CERTIFIED FOR THESE TIRES BUT WHEN WE CALLED THEM THEY TELL US THESE TIRES HAVE BEEN DISCONTINUED. NO BIG DEAL EXCEPT WE FIND OUT THIS RU-FLAT TIRE IS THE ONLY TIRE THAT CAN FIT ON THIS RIM!! & THIS RIM IS THE ONLY RIM THAT CAN FIT ON THIS VAN!! WHAT!!!!!!!!!!! SO I HAVE A FLAT TIRE & NOW MY VAN IS IMMOBILE & IRREPARABLE! *TR

I PURCHASED NEW A 2007 NISSAN QUEST SE WITH THE MICHELIN PAX RUN-FLAT SYSTEM IN DECEMBER 2007. THIS CAR'S STICKER PRICE WAS OVER $41,000. IT NOW NEEDS NEW TIRES AT 32,000 MILES.WITH THIS SYSTEM, THERE IS ONLY ONE TIRE THAT CAN BE USED, AND VERY FEW DEALERS CARRY IT. ONLY ONE SHOP IN MY CITY CAN WORK ON THIS RIM/TIRE COMBO--THE HONDA STORE THEY REFUSE TO HELP BECAUSE THEY WORK ONLY ON HONDAS. I WAS ADVISED BY MICHELIN I NEED TO TRAVEL TO ALLIANCE, OH TO HAVE NEW TIRES INSTALLED ON MY VAN, A TRIP OF 70 MILES OR ONE HOUR. I WAS TOLD BY THIS SHOP THAT THE TIRES NEED TO BE ORDERED, THEY TAKE 5 WEEKS TO GET IN, AND THEY WOULD COST $1,550 FOR A SET OF FOUR INSTALLED. WHILE I FEEL THE PRICE IS TERRIBLE, MY REAL CONCERN IS THE 5 WEEK DELIVERY DELAY. WHAT DO I DO IF I AM 700 MILES FROM HOME AND SUFFER A BLOWOUT WITH MY FAMILY IN THE CAR? DO I LEAVE THE CAR ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD OR AT THE REPAIR SHOP FOR 5 WEEKS WAITING FOR A TIRE TO BE SHIPPED IN? I HAVE ASKED NISSAN NORTH AMERICA TO PROVIDE 4 REGULAR RIMS, A SPARE, AND A JACK SO THAT I CAN CONVERT THE CAR BACK TO REGULAR TIRES AS I NO LONGER FEEL WAITING 5 WEEKS FOR A TIRE TO BE SHIPPED IN IS A SAFE ALTERNATIVE FOR MY FAMILY. THEY REFUSED. I THEN SENT A LETTER AND ASKED THEM TO ANSWER MY QUESTION AS TO WHAT I AM TO DO WHEN STRANDED BY A BLOWN PAX TIRE 700 MILES FROM HOME. THEY AGAIN REITERATED THEIR POSITION THAT THEY COULD NOT HELP WITH THE "REPAIRS" TO MY VEHICLE, AND THEY FAILED TO ANSWER MY QUESTION--IGNORING IT ENTIRELY. I AM CURRENTLY CONVERTING THE VAN OVER TO REGULAR TIRES AND RIMS AT MY EXPENSE, BUT I STILL WILL NOT HAVE A JACK OR SPARE TIRE/RIM. NISSAN MISREPRESENTED THIS SYSTEM WHEN I PURCHASED THIS CAR. THEY EXTOLLED THE VIRTUES OF SAFETY AND RELIABILITY FOR MY FAMILY. THIS IS SIMPLY UNTRUE. THIS SYSTEM IS A NIGHTMARE, AND THEY HAVE REFUSED TO HELP THEIR CUSTOMERS WHO PURCHASED WHAT AMOUNTS TO A VERY HIGH-END VEHICLE--ONE OF THEIR MOST EXPENSIVE, IN FACT. THEY NEED TO OWN UP TO THEIR MISTAKE. *TR

I OWN A NISSAN QUEST WITH THE MICHELIN PAX RUN-FLAT TIRE SYSTEM. THE PAX RUN-FLAT TIRE SYSTEM IS A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. I PURCHASED THE CAR IN NOVEMBER 2007. BY 13 MONTHS, AT 18,000 MILES, 2 OF THE TIRES HAD WORN TO THE POINT WHERE THE DEALER SAID THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AT 20,600 MILES WE HAD ALL 4 TIRES REPLACED. IN 32NDS OF AN INCH, SEARS MEASURED THE TREAD AT : LEFT FRONT - 1,0,0, RIGHT FRONT - 2,2,1, RIGHT REAR - 3,3,4, LEFT REAR WAS SIMILAR TO RIGHT REAR BUT HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED DUE TO A NAIL IN IT. MICHELIN HAD TO COURIER A COMPLETE TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY TO MY HOME ON THE NAILED TIRE BECAUSE THERE IS NO TIRE DEALER WITHIN 20 MILES OF US IN DOWNTOWN CHICAGO THAT CAN WORK ON THE PAX TIRES OTHER THAN PERHAPS A HONDA DEALER WHO TOLD US THEY WOULD NOT WORK ON A NISSAN. OUR NISSAN DEALER IS NOT EQUIPPED TO WORK ON THIS TIRE. OUR SITUATION IS NOT UNIQUE. A WEB SEARCH TURNS UP MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT PREMATURE WEAR AND BLOWOUTS WITH THE PAX TIRE SYSTEM. THERE ARE 2 CLASS-ACTION LAWSUITS RELATED TO THE PAX SYSTEM, ONE AGAINST HONDA AND MICHELIN AND ONE AGAINST NISSAN AND MICHELIN. WITH THE WHEELS ON OUR NEW CAR WE CAN ONLY HAVE PAX TIRES SO EITHER WE NEED TO SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE WHEELS, POTENTIALLY VOIDING OUR WARRANTY, OR CONTINUE TO REPLACE OUR TIRES EVERY 20,000 MILES, ASSUMING WE CAN GET THEM. IT TOOK A WEEK TO HAVE REPLACEMENT TIRES SHIPPED TO CHICAGO. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THAT THE PROBLEM WILL GET WORSE THE LONGER WE OWN THE CAR. MICHELIN HAS END OF LIFE THE PRODUCT AND ONLY MANUFACTURES NEW PAX TIRES FOR THOSE ALREADY ON THE ROAD. THIS DECLARATION WAS MADE BY MICHELIN A MERE 4 MONTHS AFTER WE PURCHASED OUR CAR NEW. THE MICHELIN PAX TIRE SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE RECALLED FOR HONDA ODYSSEY AND NISSAN QUEST VEHICLES FOR PREMATURE WEAR, DANGER OF BLOWOUTS AND LACK OF PEOPLE THAT CAN SERVICE THEM. NISSAN AND HONDA NEED TO BE FORCED TO REPLACE THE PAX WHEELS WITH WHEELS THAT CAN ACCEPT NORMAL TIRES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 NISSAN QUEST. THE VEHICLE HAS MICHELIN PAX (NA) TIRES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RUN FLAT TIRE FLATTENED. RUN FLAT MEANS THAT THE TIRE CAN BE DRIVEN FLAT FOR 125 MILES; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT DROVE 300 MILES. HE CALLED THE NISSAN MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO POCA, WV TO A MICHELIN REPAIR SHOP. THE SHOP HAS HAD THE VEHICLE FOR MORE THAN 35 DAYS AND HE DOES NOT KNOW WHEN IT CAN BE RETRIEVED. THE SHOP DOES NOT HAVE THE TIRES AND THE LINER THAT ARE NEEDED TO REPAIR THE TIRE. THE TIRE SIZE AND DOT NUMBER WERE UNKNOWN; HOWEVER, HE PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING NUMBERS: 225-700R48OA, MXV4. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,400. UPDATED 3/5/09 *CN THE TIRE WAS LOOSING 3-4 POUNDS OF A AIR A WEEK. THE DEALER PLUGGED THE TIRE, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER LEARNED THAT THE PARTICULAR TIRE HE HAS COULD NOT BE PLUGGED. IT HAD TO BE REMOVED FROM THE RIM AND REPAIRED FROM THE INSIDE, REBALANCED AND REMOUNTED. UPDATED 03/10/09. *JB