Cracks in Michelin Tires

[SnPb]

These are size P245/70R16 Michelin X-Radial LT2 tires that I purchased from Costco. They have been on my 2003 Trailblazer for 52 months and have 64K miles on them. They have performed well and have enough tread left to go a little longer, but with these cracks I wouldn't want to drive at highway speeds for very long. I plan to replace them soon, perhaps with a different brand.

 

[Lead Shoes]

I've driven on a lot worse in my day... if you have the money replace them if not cross your fingers it doesn't give on the freeway.

 

[Klutch9]

The OEM Michelins on our Fusion have looked worse than that for awhile, and aren't as old as yours. A lot of Michelins do this. But they remain quiet and handle well, etc. We take lots of long trips with the Fusion, too. Never an issue to speak of.

 

[lukejo]

I've been driving on Michelins that look that bad or worse for the last 20k. The tread is still good. I've had them to two different Michelin dealers (one is a friend of the family) and both said they are absolutely safe, and that type of "spider web" on the sidewall and longitudinal cracking between the threads is just common on some of the Michelins. I keep a very close eye on them.

 

[Johnny248]

Michelin recently changed their warranty policy regarding checking in tires. There is a card that has examples to match yours up to. Some are considered cosmetic only, some should be taken out of services. In all honesty, your tires don't look much different than any other Michelins. For whatever reason they tend to check more than other tires. The checking on your last picture near the bead of the tire is very, very common on tires that are only even a year old. I would not worry too much about yours. You are pretty much guaranteed not suffer any sort of tire failure with that level of checking. Those LT2's are a very good tire. It is hard to judge my looking at your tire, but I would guess they probably have somewhere around 5-6/32 of tread left. I would just keep an eye on them and drive confidently. Keep them clean.

FWIW I work at Costco selling tires.