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Anyone had any luck with the tire recall?

18K views 51 replies 18 participants last post by  pounce  
#1 ·
Anybody had any luck with recall notice from MB?
Relating to tires and wheels.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Well, as far as I know, tires might be a recall through the tire manufacturer. I don't know that MB themselves get involved in. Tire manufacturers offer certain warranties, and then you make a claim through the tire shop or perhaps the dealer. Never had it through a dealer. Back in the early 2000s there was a recall on the OEM tires on my van at the time. Brand new van, not aligned right, followed by vibration issues, and basically no matter what, the dealer could not balance and align properly, multiple trips ... so I got sent to an independent mom & pop type shop, where the old owner said, I think there's a recall on your tires, let me check. Next day I had new Michelin tires. No charge. ( after probably 6 - 9 months of vibration issues on a brand new vehicle ). At the time I was not notified through the dealer network of that brand. But maybe as things have tightened up, recall wise, it is not mandatory for brands to pass on notifications about OEM fitted tires?

Is there supposed to be wheel or tire recall for the Metris?

[ my current open recalls are the brake fluid container and fuel line connectors ]
 
#4 ·
The recall letter I received is going to get me a new weight loading sticker on the door jamb. When available.
 
#8 ·
My understanding is that use of the current 101 rated tires did not take into account some "safety factor" so with those tires the van will now have a lower load limit, hence the new sticker. If you were to use tires rated at less than 101, the load limit on the van would be even less, so (legally) you shoudn't use them. You could always go to a higher load rating, so the tires can carry more weight but (legally) the van would be limited to what the sticker says. So no, I don't think you have more options except for new tires (101+) that come along.
Just my understanding...
 
#9 ·
This isn't about any tire defects; it's about tire/wheel load ratings. My understanding is that the recommended tire rating on the factory stickers are not high enough for the weight capacity of the van. In other words, if you were carrying a 2500lb load, plus the weight of the van, it's too heavy for the recommended tires as shown on the sticker. So I'm assuming they will require a heavier duty tire on the new sticker, but they are also supposed to be replacing everyone's tires (and wheels?). I have the 5 spoke alloy wheels, so I'm wondering whether those are not rated to handle the van fully loaded. I'd prefer not to end up with steel wheels.
 
#20 ·
My pdf operator's manual has the ratings greyed out and I am too lazy to go get the manual out of the van, but I think the autoevolution data are likely correct.

As I read the letter, I don't know what I get given that I have replaced the original tires, but let me see if I follow the really confusing arithmetic on the above-referenced autoevolution site. Here's what the site says:

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The original XL load rated tires that came with my van (Hankooks) are XL rated, as are the current Michelin Defender LTX M/S. XL has a maximum load of 1,819 pounds, or 3,638 per axle. It seems like the tires should be rated 1.1 times the original rating of 1,708 to be appropriate, or 1,879 pounds per tire and 3,758 per axle. That means Metris should be sporting RF load rated tires at 1,929 pounds per tire, as pointed out above by @Vercingetorix.

What say y'all?

I recall my Eurovan required tires with "reinforced sidewalls," whatever that means, I assumed because of its height.



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As did the original 'kooks:

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#21 ·
MB has no incentive to rush this then; and the older the vehicle - given the crappy short life Hankooks - most people may have already replaced their original tires with better units.

I think the de-rating is specific to p-metric / passengers mounted on a van or truck. So, LT Defenders are fine.

 
#22 ·
Has anybody heard anything more about this recall? I also received the original letter last fall and when I look it up on MB's website it still says "Recall Currently Pending".

Does MB manufacturer have a due date with the government that they have to complete the recall and repairs by?

If it was just a "tire information label" sticker that they knew they had to replace, I would think they would have been able to do that very quickly. To me it seems as if they know they will have to replace tires on many vehicles and are dragging it out as much as they are legally allowed. The more people that replace tires on their own, will remove the manufacturers liability in doing so. Maybe it isn't so, but if anyone knows how long recalls are allowed to be open, please share.
 
#25 ·
No harm done as of yet. It's mostly just an issue to me because it is unknown to me. I tried to search the internets to see if there are any regulations for a recall deadline, but couldn't find anything specific. Maybe there isn't anything specific as every situation is different. Kind of like the recall with airbags that took a long time because there simply wasn't enough availability.

I don't really have a complaint at this point so I'll keep waiting. At some point my tires will need to be replaced so we'll see. For now they are not in need of immediate replacement.
 
#26 ·
I was "harmed", if you want to call it that. I needed new tires but kept putting it off wondering whether MB would be replacing them for free. Finally I took the van in for all the other recalls and asked them point-blank what the status was about the tire recall issue and was told it didn't exist. I should have brought my notice in with me. So if MB isn't replacing tires for a recall, then they should be sending us all checks if we had to buy our own tires, which I finally did. Or, if it's just a labeling issue, then they should have already sent those labels to the dealers to be replaced. It would take longer to handle the paperwork than to do the job. MB needs to give us a status update on this, otherwise, yes, I think a call to the NHTSA wouldn't be a bad idea.
 
#27 ·
Why does anyone think they deserve whole sets of tires?

I mean there is a stronger argument that the oem tires were garbage than some small fraction of weight capacity impacted tire life. Doubt there is a large percentage of members that carry max weight regularly and would attribute tire wear to the weight rating.
 
#29 ·
I frequently carry heavy loads, so for me, proper tires matter.

I mean there is a stronger argument that the oem tires were garbage than some small fraction of weight capacity impacted tire life. Doubt there is a large percentage of members that carry max weight regularly and would attribute tire wear to the weight rating.
 
#28 ·
Why are you making unfounded accusations? Speaking for myself, I never said nor implied that I "deserve" a free set of tires, but if they are going to offer them to me, should I refuse? I'd bet a new set of tires that YOU would take such an offer. As my comment CLEARLY indicates, I was wanting clarification on what actually was being offered, and was holding off on buying tires until I knew. Why is that a problem for you?
 
#32 ·
@KEM Looking back in the thread earlier than this week it looks like I asked if the tires on your van are within the spec. The way the letter reads to me is that if your current tires are out of spec the dealer may change them. Nothing about with what brand etc. Curious what tires you have on there.

I would be and sometimes am annoyed with the dealer for doing the wrong thing and not doing the correct thing. I'm with you on that point. Mine inflated my tires to 55lbs after having the trans serviced. Not correct and no explanation why.

There is more than one conversation happening and we've had more than one thread. Some of the comments are directed at you. Some are rhetorical or broad.