Michelin Recalling 597 Tires in United States

GREENVILLE, S.C., January 30, 2009: Michelin is recalling 597 Michelin(R) Pilot(R) Alpin(R) PA2 ZP winter tires in size 225/50 R17 94H sold in the United States after the company discovered that affected tires are non-compliant with the NHTSA requirement for a marking indicating that the tire has been certified to its motor vehicle safety standard. This marking - the letters "DOT" - is missing from both sidewalls of the tire. To date, there have been no reported issues or complaints.

"These tires meet all performance criteria, but we must recall the affected tires because they were produced without the required letters 'DOT' on the sidewall of the tire," said Francois Jacquin, passenger and light truck replacement tire quality director for Michelin North America. "The issue has been corrected and consumers who purchased the affected tires will receive new tires that have the required 'DOT' letters free of charge."

The missing "DOT" letters are used to help consumers identify the tire's validity for use and signify compliance with the motor vehicle safety standard. There is no performance issue with these tires, and they have been validated to meet all performance requirements of the motor vehicle safety standard, however, there is no marking to indicate this compliance.

The recall applies only to tires sold in the United States as the letters "DOT" - which stand for the U.S. Department of Transportation - are a certification symbol required only by the NHTSA. The recall only applies to tires containing DOT TIN identification code "6U0A 5JEX" and DOT TIN date codes between 3806 and 2308 inclusive.

The only tires affected are:

Michelin(R) Pilot(R) Alpin(R) PA2 ZP 225/50 R17 94H

The Department of Transportation (DOT) requires tire identification numbers to be printed on the inner and outer sidewall of the tire just above the wheel rim and are printed in small type less than half an inch tall (5/16- inches). While the numbers are present, the recalled tires are missing the letters "DOT", which precedes the Tire Identification Numbers (TIN), on both sides of the tire.

To identify if your tires are involved in this action:

1. Ensure your tire is a Michelin(R) Pilot(R) Alpin(R) PA2 ZP 225/50 R17 94H. Size information is located on the sidewall of the tire.

2. Inspect the DOT Code on the sidewall of the tire. If the letters "DOT" are missing, this is part of the recall.

-- The DOT code can be found on the sidewall right above the rim. Make sure your tire is the same make, model and size (Michelin(R) Pilot(R) Alpin(R) PA2 ZP 225/50 R17 94H) and look for a DOT code on the sidewall that begins with 6U0A 5JEX and ends with numbers 3806 through 2308. If you have difficulty identifying the tire's DOT code, please contact Michelin Consumer Care at 1-800-847-3435.

Michelin informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Jan. 16, 2009 of its U.S. recall campaign and has already begun communication with dealers. The company will contact consumers who may have purchased affected tires via first class mail in the coming weeks. All recalled tires will be replaced free of charge, including mounting and balancing and returned to Michelin in a comprehensive commitment to retrieve from the market any tire that does not meet the NHTSA requirements.

Any consumer who believes they are affected by the recall should not wait to receive notification but should return to the dealer where they purchased the tire(s) for a free inspection and possible replacement. For additional information, please contact: Michelin Consumer Care at 1-800-847-3435.