3.3TT Defective Michelin Pilot Sport 4s?

[brancky3]

So besides Merlins magical Michelins that are still brand new at 10k, the consensus is our Michelin’s or most summer tires will only last 7-10k? I even got 16k out of my Goodyear Eagle F1s and that was on a 455ci V8 TransAm with 500hp!

It all depends on how you drive. Sure, you can get 15k out of summer tires but not if you drive even remotely aggressively. Also, in every test I've read the Michelin's wipe the floor with the F1s but I don't have any first hand experience... all I know is that the Michelin's are extremely predictable and have great grip to their limits. Remember that tires on a turbo car are going to act completely different than tires on an NA car, given the substantial torque increase from the turbo. At least NA cars give a smooth torque curve which you can modulate a lot easier with the throttle.

 

[MerlintheMad]

So besides Merlins magical Michelins that are still brand new at 10k, the consensus is our Michelin’s or most summer tires will only last 7-10k? I even got 16k out of my Goodyear Eagle F1s and that was on a 455ci V8 TransAm with 500hp!

I hoped to get 15-20k like I’ve gotten on all my other summer tires so this is still extremely disappointing. I guess if it’s expected to go through rear tires that fast then its making me consider a good set of used UHP tires for only $100. Then I can get 6 sets of them for the same price as 2 POS Michelin’s and not deal with Kia or Michelin’s BS again...

Does anybody even made UHP for a hundred bucks? In which alternate universe?

Heh, I am trying to sell my summers. If you were local you could have my "magic" ones. (only the fronts are "almost like new"; the rears are at 80%, so I was told by Big O: and you didn't respond to this:

Those remaining "hairs" are only on the wear bars that sit well below the actual tread. Merlin had those OEM tires on for ~10k miles before switching for winter.

)

 

[SKStinger]

Summer tires don’t last. I’ll be happy if I get 12,000 kms out of mine.

Replace them with a set of all seasons with a higher UTQG rating. Most summer tires are between 240 and 320 while all seasons are double that around 500. The higher the better as it denotes tread wear and compound quality.

I recommend the Continental Extreme Contact DWS. Excellent traction in most driving conditions and has a nice square clean sidewall just like a summer tire.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Summer tires don’t last. I’ll be happy if I get 12,000 kms out of mine.

Replace them with a set of all seasons with a higher UTQG rating. Most summer tires are between 240 and 320 while all seasons are double that around 500. The higher the better as it denotes tread wear and compound quality.

I recommend the Continental Extreme Contact DWS. Excellent traction in most driving conditions and has a nice square clean sidewall just like a summer tire.

Nitto Motivo UHP A/S have a treadlife warranty of 60K miles. That's the highest I've seen for the staggered 19". That means warrantied to 30K miles, which isn't bad.

 

[SKStinger]

Nitto Motivo UHP A/S have a treadlife warranty of 60K miles. That's the highest I've seen for the staggered 19". That means warrantied to 30K miles, which isn't bad.

Nice. I'll take a look at those.

 

[Tonkabob]

Thanks for the info and the support. I agree, worst tires I’ve ever owned and never had good traction.

I’ve searched and found sporadic issues, especially is colder weather but not like the recalls on them they had before. Think they’ve had 2 recalls on the pilots but not yet on the newer 4s. And they said only sidewall bubbling or splitting of the radials is considered defective, tread is not covered at all since beginning of 2018. Seems they had a lot of issues with treadwear and stopped warranting tread completely... So their best help is a discount on the same POS tires. That’s not helping so unfortunately both Kia and Michelin are useless.
I thought so too, but now I can’t find anything so it possibly got deleted.

So besides Merlins magical Michelins that are still brand new at 10k, the consensus is our Michelin’s or most summer tires will only last 7-10k? I even got 16k out of my Goodyear Eagle F1s and that was on a 455ci V8 TransAm with 500hp!

I hoped to get 15-20k like I’ve gotten on all my other summer tires so this is still extremely disappointing. I guess if it’s expected to go through rear tires that fast then its making me consider a good set of used UHP tires for only $100. Then I can get 6 sets of them for the same price as 2 POS Michelin’s and not deal with Kia or Michelin’s BS again...

I just passed 10k on my michelin 4S and still going strong. Half tread maybe.
Love these tires. You are in Florida so doubt you drove in the 20s where they are supposed to crack.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Nice. I'll take a look at those.

We have a dedicated thread on these. @Waynerm002 came a cropper on his Motivos very recently. These are UHP A/S, not as sticky in winter driving as softer, less high performing A/S. Other than taking it easy in such conditions, I think the Motivos have every other box checked.
Nitto Motivo AS Initial Review

I just passed 10k on my michelin 4S and still going strong. Half tread maybe.
Love these tires. You are in Florida so doubt you drove in the 20s where they are supposed to crack.

Are you sure? Maybe your tires are "magic". I know my Michelin summer tires are: my rear tires are still at 80% at 10K miles, according to the Big O guy.

 

[StungBlueGT2]

Does anybody even made UHP for a hundred bucks? In which alternate universe?

Heh, I am trying to sell my summers. If you were local you could have my "magic" ones. (only the fronts are "almost like new"; the rears are at 80%, so I was told by Big O: and you didn't respond to this:
)

Lol. You sir are truly uninformed and unsure what universe you’re talking about... But here on earth the #1 selling & highest rated UHP tires on Tirerack are about $120-150 for our Stingers.https://m.tirerack.com/tires/tires....toYear=2018&autoModel=Stinger+GT&autoModClar=

However I actually said a set of “used” UHP tires for $100, which is exactly what I found. I went with Continental ContiSportContact 5p’s for only $55/each with mount & balance and 30day warranty included!

Now I can test and make sure the rear differential isn’t causing uneven wear before ruining another set of new tires.

And appreciate the offer but I would never buy POS Michelin 4s again, even though your magical versions that apparently float on air, sound priceless!

And I didn’t respond to that because I’m here for help & advice, not to argue about your magical tires. Those facts don’t add up, and Im not the type of person that believes anything just because someone says it’s true... So im taking the high road and will simply agree to disagree.

I just passed 10k on my michelin 4S and still going strong. Half tread maybe.
Love these tires. You are in Florida so doubt you drove in the 20s where they are supposed to crack.

Half tread @10k still seems optimistic, but at least that’s more realistic. Also you both are AWD and don’t have traction issues like RWD Stingers so even cheap noname tires wouldn’t spin. That’s apples to oranges comparison, but glad you like them and to each their own.

I didn’t drive in the 20s but it was in the 40-50s right around the time I noticed the tread coming off, so maybe that’s still too cold for the Michelin’s.

But thanks to everyone for their help and just hope others don’t have similar issues.

 

[MerlintheMad]

But thanks to everyone for their help and just hope others don’t have similar issues.

You are welcome, even if you don't believe me. I can't say anything more than just the facts, so that others won't just get a one-sided thumbs down from you reading this. You drive differently than I do. That is obvious to me. And RWD added to boot. There you go. But also you might have a defective set of tires, but I doubt it.

Thanks for the link to the Firestones. Now I do remember seeing those a few months ago. But they are also not a hundred bucks apiece, which is what I was questioning.

 

[Helo58]

Lol. You sir are truly uninformed and unsure what universe you’re talking about... But here on earth the #1 selling & highest rated UHP tires on Tirerack are about $120-150 for our Stingers.https://m.tirerack.com/tires/tires....toYear=2018&autoModel=Stinger+GT&autoModClar=

I'm running the Indys now, because the sidewall of the Michelin blew out when I hit a one inch deep pothole. Never had a tire do that. I guess if you want the lightest tire, you have to give up something. So far, so good with the Indys. No shortcomings noticed. Hard to pass up given the ratings and the price. On a side note... The Indy tire is a Bridgestone RE003 in all other markets than the US.

 

[Weareblondi]

It all depends on how you drive. Sure, you can get 15k out of summer tires but not if you drive even remotely aggressively. Also, in every test I've read the Michelin's wipe the floor with the F1s but I don't have any first hand experience... all I know is that the Michelin's are extremely predictable and have great grip to their limits. Remember that tires on a turbo car are going to act completely different than tires on an NA car, given the substantial torque increase from the turbo. At least NA cars give a smooth torque curve which you can modulate a lot easier with the throttle.

i sort of agree with you there, but, i have owned massively turbo'd volvos and saabs, and i ran vreidsteins, and those puppies were super predictable. the pilots on my z06, many years ago, would hold then just slide. as for the turbo cars having more torque, that isn't completely true. ive owned lots of big block cars, all torque, it was over by 5000 rpm. torque would hit at 900 rpm, light up the tires full time. turbos will have some lag, then hit. hence those 911's that were called widowmakers. nothing until 4000 rpm, then full tilt torque. just my two cents.

 

[brancky3]

i sort of agree with you there, but, i have owned massively turbo'd volvos and saabs, and i ran vreidsteins, and those puppies were super predictable. the pilots on my z06, many years ago, would hold then just slide. as for the turbo cars having more torque, that isn't completely true. ive owned lots of big block cars, all torque, it was over by 5000 rpm. torque would hit at 900 rpm, light up the tires full time. turbos will have some lag, then hit. hence those 911's that were called widowmakers. nothing until 4000 rpm, then full tilt torque. just my two cents.

Yes sorry, I didn't mean they had more torque but rather just more torque all coming in at once.

 

[CaliSting]

I seriously doubt the tires from OP we’re not abused. In my RWD Stinger I drifted and autocrossed numerous times and drove hard over mountain roads and still had far more tread than he did after 16000 miles of abuse. Twice as many miles and more tread after hard driving. Hmmmm. Tires were in excellent shape with at least 25% life left . Similar experience to mad Merlin .

Chunking like that will often happen when tire is overheated. See chunking like that all time with street tires people drive on track.

Leads me ask so what wore these tires down so quickly? Had to be abuse or under inflation or alignment issue. Really doubt it was a compound issue and if so very very rare to see from a street car that was never drifted or was doing donuts.

I have been using 4s tires on all 3 of my performance cars since they were released and have never seen anything like this with normal street use. I was actually amazed at how many miles I was getting from these Summers on big heavy Stinger.

Always worth going to manufacture for something like this even if abuse is involved. Hell I’d ask them for some kind of a rebate coupon and then get a set on tire rack.

 

[StungBlueGT2]

You are welcome, even if you don't believe me. I can't say anything more than just the facts, so that others won't just get a one-sided thumbs down from you reading this. You drive differently than I do. That is obvious to me. And RWD added to boot. There you go. But also you might have a defective set of tires, but I doubt it.

Thanks for the link to the Firestones. Now I do remember seeing those a few months ago. But they are also not a hundred bucks apiece, which is what I was questioning.

Nothing personal, I’ve just learned to be critical of anything that seems too good to be true. Just too many people spread misinformation now a days, and without facts to back it up I try do my best to disregard those comments.

Again nothing personal, but you seem to drive differently than almost anyone with a Stinger we can compare to. The vast majority of users say our Michelin’s & most summer tires will last 7-10k for RWD owners. Tonkabobs AWD may get 15-20k out of his if 50% at 10k, but your 80%/almost new ones supposedly could get 40-50k. I really hope you do get that much out of them, but it just doesn’t sound realistic.

I keep hearing great things about the Indys and for only $120 a piece I still think it qualifies as UHP for about $100.

 

[brancky3]

I keep hearing great things about the Indys and for only $120 a piece I still think it qualifies as UHP for about $100.

Yea if you're concerned with budget then the Indys look really good! Great reviews and a great price. But holy crap they're heavy! 255/35/19 is 2+ lbs heavier per tire compared to the stock Michelins. You may have near the same traction levels as the stock Michelins while accelerating / braking but that's going to be a pretty noticeable difference in handling IMO

 

[MerlintheMad]

Nothing personal, I’ve just learned to be critical of anything that seems too good to be true. Just too many people spread misinformation now a days, and without facts to back it up I try do my best to disregard those comments.

Again nothing personal, but you seem to drive differently than almost anyone with a Stinger we can compare to. The vast majority of users say our Michelin’s & most summer tires will last 7-10k for RWD owners. Tonkabobs AWD may get 15-20k out of his if 50% at 10k, but your 80%/almost new ones supposedly could get 40-50k. I really hope you do get that much out of them, but it just doesn’t sound realistic.

I keep hearing great things about the Indys and for only $120 a piece I still think it qualifies as UHP for about $100.

I didn't even think about my driving style differing that much from others' until this subject, and brakes, came up. My brakes are also "almost new" at 15K miles; that's according to Jerry Seiner's latest maintenance check a month or so ago. And someone last week mentioned in "interesting discoveries" that they discovered after quite a while that if they just put a light foot on the brake, the ISG and auto hold do not engage. Funny! I found out almost right away: which indicates that I use a light brake foot all the time. So, light on the brakes, easy on the acceleration and cornering: typically, I'd say 99% of the time: and there you go. Somebody has to be the "king" of conservative driving!

I absolutely do not expect to get 40K miles out of Pilot summers. I've wondered if "80% left on the rears" is a generous assessment. If/when I get my summer tires put back on (if I don't sell them), I'll ask Jerry Seiner for a second opinion. But that is a month and a half (more or less) away.

 

[Helo58]

Yea if you're concerned with budget then the Indys look really good! Great reviews and a great price. But holy crap they're heavy! 255/35/19 is 2+ lbs heavier per tire compared to the stock Michelins. You may have near the same traction levels as the stock Michelins while accelerating / braking but that's going to be a pretty noticeable difference in handling IMO

I have noticed no difference in handling so far. Turning, braking, etc, all feel comparable to the Michelins. So far, for a tire that literally costs half of what the Michelins do, anything I have noticed with the Firestone/Bridgestones doesn't rise to the level of a significant concern. I have driven them on two previous cars (Genesis Coupe and Lexus ISF) and was equally pleased there. If I were driving my car at 8/10s or above, my feedback may be different. I will say that if the costs for both tires were equal, I would take the Michelins for their lighter weight and marginally better dry traction. I think the Michelins have a weaker sidewall but I am basing that on an isolated incident. They are lighter, which to me means that they used less material somewhere. It is likely in the belts or sidewall construction.

 

[StungBlueGT2]

I seriously doubt the tires from OP we’re not abused. In my RWD Stinger I drifted and autocrossed numerous times and drove hard over mountain roads and still had far more tread than he did after 16000 miles of abuse. Twice as many miles and more tread after hard driving. Hmmmm. Tires were in excellent shape with at least 25% life left . Similar experience to mad Merlin .

Chunking like that will often happen when tire is overheated. See chunking like that all time with street tires people drive on track.

Leads me ask so what wore these tires down so quickly? Had to be abuse or under inflation or alignment issue. Really doubt it was a compound issue and if so very very rare to see from a street car that was never drifted or was doing donuts.

I have been using 4s tires on all 3 of my performance cars since they were released and have never seen anything like this with normal street use. I was actually amazed at how many miles I was getting from these Summers on big heavy Stinger.

Always worth going to manufacture for something like this even if abuse is involved. Hell I’d ask them for some kind of a rebate coupon and then get a set on tire rack.

Sorry but your assumptions are incorrect, and your comments are even more unbelievable than Merlin’s magical tires!

There is no way you’ve drifted, autocrossed, and admittedly abused your tires, but still expect about 20k from UHP summer tires on a RWD Stinger. All your creditably went out the window with that comment so it looks like you’re simply trying to troll again. SMH...

To set the record straight I’ve never drifted, done donuts or autocrossed in my life, let alone in my Stinger. I do however still have LSD issues which overpowers one tire so I easily lose traction, but I let off as soon as I notice.

Now I’m not saying I drive like my grandmother and coast around in ECO mode all day... I drive my Stinger exactly how it was designed as a high performance GT, but I never have, or will abuse it like you’ve admitted above.

I am glad a few people like them and don’t have issues, but I’m happy to get rid of the defective Michelin 4s and look forward to comparing them to the UHP Indy's for only 33% of the cost!

 

[Helo58]

On my RWD GT, I had the Michelin 4S tires and at 7500miles, I was to 6/32" down from an original 9.5/32." Using this math, at 15000 miles, they would have 2.5/32" left which is clear territory for replacement. I drive a lot of highway miles but do take off from a stop rapidly (often) when around town. I think 12k-15k seems reasonable to me, anything above that is not being driven aggressively or the user has magic tires.

 

[Marc Collins]

On my RWD GT, I had the Michelin 4S tires and at 7500miles, I was to 6/32" down from an original 9.5/32." Using this math, at 15000 miles, they would have 2.5/32" left which is clear territory for replacement. I drive a lot of highway miles but do take off from a stop rapidly (often) when around town. I think 12k-15k seems reasonable to me, anything above that is not being driven aggressively or the user has magic tires.

PS 4S and the PS 4 are not the same tire. There were a very few Stingers equipped with the softer 4S. Was yours one of them?