Michelin Tires Review

Michelin Tires is known for being a powerhouse in the tire industry. With intense testing standards to create high-performance tires for all vehicles, Michelin is a reputable tire manufacturer for fuel efficiency and a comfortable ride.

In this review, we look at Michelin as a company, its average tire prices, warranty, and benefits, along with industry ratings for a few of the best Michelin tires. We’ll also highlight some customer reviews and what to look for when the time comes to purchase a new set of tires for your vehicle.

Headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, Michelin Tire Company was first founded in 1889 in Clermont-Ferrand, France. While specializing in passenger cars, Michelin manufactures tires for bicycles, motorcycles, airplanes, and motorsport vehicles.

A 2022 report by Statista notes that Michelin accounted for 16 percent of replacement tire sales for both passenger cars and light trucks, falling just behind Goodyear Tire. Michelin has also acquired BFGoodrich and Uniyoral Tire, making them one of the largest tire manufacturers nationwide.

Michelin is known for creating high-performance and quality tires used for both on-road and off-road occasions. With an assortment of passenger tires, sedan tires, SUV tires, and truck tires, Michelin offers more than enough options to accommodate your vehicle and driving style.

Compared to other top tire brands, Michelin is an expensive option, but we believe you’ll get your money’s worth, even when compared to other top tire manufacturers like Goodyear, Continental, and Bridgestone. 

For the Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4, you can expect to pay $228.99 for one tire on Tire Rack. For a full set of replacement tires, you’ll pay around $915.96 on Tire Rack. While priced on the higher end, we find Michelin to be worth the investment.

As with all tires and tire brands you see on the road, Michelin Tire has to follow a strict regulation system as determined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Referred to as the Uniform Tire Quality Grading, this evaluation process grades tires based on treadwear, traction, and temperature resistance. 

Let’s compare a few of the best tires made by Michelin Tire, all designed for passenger cars, crossovers, or SUVs. Each tire model you see below also qualifies as an all-season tire or all-terrain tire.

Treadwear

Treadwear helps to determine the lifespan of tires. Manufacturers calculate treadwear by measuring their tires against a control tire with a rating of 100. If the tire being tested has a treadwear rating of 200, this means it has double the lifespan of the control tire. Most tires you’ll find for your vehicle have a treadwear rating between 200 and 500.

Traction

Traction is measured using a letter scale to determine how well tires grip wet roads. With a scoring range of AA, A, B, or C, most passenger car tires you’ll find on the market will have an A rating, which is more than enough traction for average-sized vehicles.

Temperature Resistance

Heat resistance is measured on a letter scale of A, B, or C. Tires need to be able to operate at different temperatures depending on their use. If you’re looking for performance tires that need to reliably operate at higher speeds compared to an everyday tire, they’ll likely have a higher temperature resistance rating.

Michelin offers a Promise Plan™ and a few limited warranties for both replacement tires and original equipment manufacturer tires. Below, we highlight the key aspects of both the Michelin Promise Plan and the different available warranties.

Michelin Promise Plan

With the purchase of replacement tire(s), you have the choice to opt-in to the Michelin Promise Plan. This plan includes a 60-day satisfaction guarantee, roadside assistance, and the manufacturer’s limited warranty and treadwear warranty.

The 60-day satisfaction guarantee ensures that you are 100 percent pleased with your purchase of Michelin replacement passenger or light truck tires. If you’re not fully pleased with your new tires, you can bring the tires with the original sales receipt to the store you purchased them from and replace the tires for a set of tires of equal or lesser value.

Michelin’s roadside assistance provides help to get you back on the road in no time. Michelin will help with the following: flat tire change, fluid delivery (gas, water, oil, etc.), lockout service, and battery jump-start. 

Limited Warranty: Replacement Tires

Michelin offers a warranty for replacement tires installed on both passenger cars and light trucks. To qualify for this warranty, there must be a defect in workmanship and materials during the original usable tread life or six years from the date of purchase, whichever comes first.

The date of purchase refers to the date on your sales invoice when you bought the tire(s). If you cannot find or no longer have proof of purchase, the date will instead be calculated based on the tire’s date of manufacture as imprinted on the tire’s sidewall. The life of usable tread refers to the original tire tread having worn down evenly as noted by treadwear indicators on the tire, which is equal to 2/32 inches of treadwear left.

Since this is a limited warranty, you’ll want to review the following implications that will prevent you from qualifying for this replacement tire warranty. The limited warranty doesn’t cover damaged tires caused by misuse, abuse, or accident including:

• Road hazards include cuts, bruises, impact damage, or punctures. 
• Incorrect mounting, tire/wheel imbalance, improper repair, misapplication, improper maintenance, underinflation, and/or overinflation.
• Uneven wear and/or wear caused by a mechanical defect in the vehicle.
• Collision, chemical corrosion, tire alteration, and/or vandalism.
• Cosmetic ozone or weather cracking defects.
• Inflation issues that are caused by improper storage.
• The addition of liquid, solid, or gaseous materials like water-based sealers.
• The use of Michelin tires inconsistent with your vehicle’s manufacturer and maintenance recommendations.

Limited Warranty: OEM Tires

For passenger cars and light trucks with OEM Michelin tires, you’ll have a limited warranty. To qualify for this warranty, you must note a defect in workmanship and materials during the original usable tread life or six years from the date of purchase, whichever comes first.

The date of purchase refers to the date on your sales invoice when you bought the vehicle. If you cannot find or no longer have proof of purchase, the date will instead be calculated based on the tire’s date of manufacture as imprinted on the tire’s sidewall. The life of usable tread refers to the original tire tread having worn down evenly as noted by treadwear indicators on the tire, which is equal to 2/32 in. of treadwear left. 

This limited warranty does not cover tires damaged due to misuse, abuse, or accident including:

• Road hazards include punctures, cuts, and bruises.
• Incorrect mounting, wheel imbalance, and/or improper repair or maintenance.
• Uneven or rapid wear caused by a mechanical failure in the vehicle.
• Underinflation or overinflation.
• Collision, fire, corrosion, and/or tire alterations.
• Tire inflation issues caused by improper storage.
• Adding liquid, solid, or gaseous materials like water-based sealers.
• Ozone or weather cracking.

With the essential information on Michelin tires and what model you might want to consider, there are a few factors to consider when buying a new set of tires, regardless of the manufacturer. Tread pattern, tire build, weather conditions, and tire lifespan can all impact the brand and model you choose. 

Tread Pattern

Tires have various tread patterns with different advantages to each. Most commonly you’ll find tires with a tread design that is directional, symmetrical, asymmetrical, or a combination design. 

Directional tires protect against wet conditions including snow, mud, and heavy rain. Symmetrical tires are best for a smooth ride, stability, and low rolling resistance. Asymmetric tires offer the best of both worlds, providing good handling, stability, and good grip in wet conditions.

Tire Build

The most common tire builds you’ll see on the market are radial, bias ply, and bias belted. Radial tires are generally more durable in the long run and offer a smoother ride than most tires. Bias tires have stiffer sidewalls which help to provide both more control and better responsiveness while also being slightly lower cost in comparison to radial tires.

Weather Conditions

Tires are designed for different weather conditions. While all-season might be the most versatile option to purchase, depending on where you live and how often you drive, you might consider a specific tire to combat more extreme weather. Snow tires, summer tires, and all-weather tires are a few other examples of weather- and season-specific tires you may consider.

Lifespan

All tires have varying lifespans that can influence the tire you choose. On average, most tires last between 60,000 to 75,000 miles, depending on maintenance, driving style, and weather. Winter tires and summer tires generally have shorter lifespans than all-season tires since winter and summer tires are used seasonally. It’s a good idea to check the average lifespan of the tires you want to get the best value.

Buyers seem very pleased with their purchase of Michelin tires, with positive reviews outnumbering negative ones by a fair amount. Buyers note great traction and handling when using these tires on their vehicles. Some customers were disappointed in the high noise levels and tread life, especially since Michelin tires are generally more expensive.

While we’ve narrowed down our reviews to highlight customers on Tire Rack, we combed through countless reviews on tire websites including Tire Rack, Discount Tire, and Walmart. Similarly, we chose to pull reviews from the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, though we looked through different models for all types of cars and weather conditions.

Positive Reviews of Michelin Tires

“The Michelin Pilot Sport tires are my all-time favorite tires. Since I live in South Florida I always run high-performance summer tires and these perform flawlessly.”

– Via Tire Rack

“The handling, performance, and stopping are excellent. Bonus that gas mileage increased. [The] car feels as if the tires were made especially for it.”

– Via Tire Rack

Negative Reviews of Michelin Tires

“This was the third set of Pilot series and I was very disappointed at how loud this set is. I may try a different brand to get a quiet ride.”

– Via Tire Rack

“It’s been only 15 months since I purchased a set of 4 New Michelin (All Season) tires and now they all have to be replaced already! The tread is completely gone and the amount of noises the tires are making is insane.”

– Via Tire Rack

Overall, we’d recommend Michelin tires to anyone looking for a new set of high-quality replacement tires. With some Michelin tire models having a lifespan of up to 100,000 miles, if properly cared for, these tires are built to last. Michelin receives an A+ from the Better Business Bureau and has provided tires to thousands of happy customers, making Michelin a reputable and reliable tire company. 

*Data accurate at time of publication.