Run-flat Tires: the Solution or the Problem?

With the aim of wiping away tire blowouts and make them part of the past, run-flat tires have been unleashed. The tires are introduced to the auto industry to serve as an ideal solution to such a blowout problem. But after quite some time, criticisms started to pour in.

In a 2001 study conducted by J.D. Power and Associates, thousands of respondents were asked what they most wanted in a new vehicle. Eighty seven percent of respondents said run-flat tires. This made the feature the most desirable by far.

Run-flat tires, most often found on luxury cars, enhance the mobility of the vehicle. These zero-pressure tires can be driven at normal speeds minus any air pressure in case of a puncture or a deep cut. The original idea of the making of the tire is to give it an ‘anti-puncture’ formula.

The run-flat tire pioneer is the 1994 Chevrolet Corvette. The sports car combines power, simplicity and affordability to lure aficionados. If the Extang tonneau is for the protection of pickup’s cargoes, the run-flat is for the tires itself.

Michelin, together with its major rivals Goodyear, Pirelli and Sumitomo, developed new tires which were showcased at the 2002 Geneva Motor Show. "Goodyear and Michelin are convinced, after an analysis of other tire/wheel combinations, that the PAX system is the best platform for incorporation of future tire concepts into new vehicle designs," said the tire manufacturing companies.

Run-flat tires come with a bunch of benefits. With them around, there is no need for a car jack or a spare wheel. As a result, the car is given more space to accommodate additional luggage. In addition, it lowers cost and it also increases the fuel-efficiency of the car. It also saves some weight.

Run-flat tires could also affect the ride, comfort, and durability of some components of the vehicle especially the suspension parts. The suspension components should be complemented by the vehicle structure, and vice versa.

However, after run-flat tires were offered as standard to some vehicles, complaints started to pour in. Jennifer Stockburger, a senior tire-test engineer for Consumer Reports magazine, said the tires offered a safety advantage, but the tire forum on its Web site (consumer.org) had many complaints from run-flat owners about higher-than-expected replacement costs, the difficulty of getting repairs and what some considered to be excessive wear.

Some owners have already initiated class action lawsuits. On Monday, a complaint was filed against Honda and Michelin in the United States District Court in Los Angeles. Mark F. Anderson of San Francisco, one of the lawyers who filed the complaint, said it was ‘ridiculous’ that repairing a PAX tire should be so complicated. Anderson also filed a class-action suit in 2005 against Toyota, Bridgestone and Dunlop over run-flats used on the 2004-6 Sienna with all-wheel drive.

The suit filed on Monday is over the Michelin Energy LX4 PAX run-flat which was used on the 2005-7 Honda Odyssey Touring and as an option on the 2006-7 Acura RL. The suit does not disagree that the tires offer a safety advantage however it alleges that purchasers were deceived about replacement costs and repairs.

Michelin stores or car dealers must have special tire-changing equipment that can cost $3,000 to $15,000 depending on what the dealer already has, Chris Naughton, a Honda spokesman, said in an interview before the suit was filed. He said some dealers did not have the equipment yet, but that about 90 percent of Honda’s roughly 1,000 dealers would have it by the end of this month. He added the company had not seen the suit, but that the tire was a “great product that provides convenience, added safety and peace of mind for our customers.”

Lynn Mann, a Michelin spokeswoman, said the suit had “many misstatements and errors.”

Clarence M. Ditlow, the executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, said that the court statements from Dunlop and Bridgestone engineers showed “the first-generation run-flat tires for the Sienna were poorly designed and wore out prematurely.” “Whether it is tires or cars, consumers are well advised to avoid new models because they are prone to bugs,” he said.