'02 Maxima SE Tires

No tire company is overly generous with their warranty programs. They're one of those items that are highly susceptible to owner abuse/lack of maintenance. If you have an article that shows Michelin regularly screws their customers on warranty claims, I'd be more than happy to read it.

Every product you buy "funds a research program", I don't see your point. Out of the dozens of sets of tires I've owned, Michelins are the only brand that are consistently excellent, much like Asus computer motherboards (to use a frame of reference from my industry). I've had both excellent and lousy tires from other manufacturers, and until I get a bad tire from Michelin I have no reason to rethink my business with them. In my mind it's worth spending the extra bucks they charge knowing that I will get a tire that is trustworthy, quiet, and handles well in all road conditions.

Just personal experience. Every Michelin I ever ever owned that failed has been adjusted at a fraction of what other tire makers allow

You clipped the post I was replying to - the research comment doesn't make sense when pulled out of context. The previous poster was dismissing all other tire brands other than Michelin and Bridgestone because they allegedly don't support massive R&D programs.

In my personal experience, I have never had a Michelin tire live up to the hype. They have strange failures such as fist sized bubbles in the side wall that I have never experienced in any other brand of tire (they also won't adjust tires that fail this way). My mileage with Michelins has consistently been about half what they are rated. All other brands I have used (39 years of driving, at least a million miles) have consistently yielded better than rated tread life. This includes tires from 1972 to present.

(also in my experience) For about half the price you can get Yokohamas or Toyos that handle just as well and last at least as long.

My most recent Michelin "event" was just this past summer. A new Michelin tire on my 2000 TL failed prior to the first scheduled rotation (6000 miles). They insisted it was 50% worn, even though the tread was still 8/32 and the new ones on their floor only measured 9/32. This was the first time anybody ever tried to hold me up for $100 on a failed tire that hadn't even made it to one rotation. The explanation was that those were the guidelines from Michelin. There will be frost in Hell before Michelin (and that particular Costco) ever sees another penny from me.

When you get that bad tire from Michelin (and you will) and try to get them to stand behind it, you will understand what I am saying.

Good luck, just don't get a speeding ticket because your speedometer is now incorrect.

Dave