2011 Lincoln MKZ Tires & Wheels Problems

The tire is a NEXEN 225/45R18 After driving at highway speed on an out-of-town trip for several hours, got off the highway on the way to the hotel using suburban roads. About a mile later, a noise suddenly started at the driver's side front. The "slapping noise" got worse as the car went faster. I pulled off into a parking lot and found a steel bead from the tire had come loose and was hitting the inside fender well. I also noticed there were cracks in the side wall. I changed the tire using the spare tire and drove to the hotel. The next day, I went to a local tire dealer to buy replacement tires. Since the car is an All Wheel Drive vehicle, I had to replace all four tires. And, it is a good thing I did since when I inspected the old tires, the other front tire (the passenger side) had side wall cracks worse than the driver's side tire that had the bead separation. The two rear tires showed no evident side wall cracks. I kept the two front tires with the failures and one of the rear tires that did not have any evident cracks. There was not enough room in the car to bring all four tires back home. Attached are photographs of the two failed tires. NOTE: I am a former Director of the Office of Defects Investigation [XXX] ) and this is my wife's car. I brought the tires back with me since I believe ODI may want to have the tires in the event it believes a PE is appropriate. The tires are in my garage in Northern Virginia. The email and phone number are mine, not my wife's. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE BODY ON A REPLACEMENT FIRESTONE TIRE. THE REPLACEMENT WAS MADE BY FIRESTONE BECAUSE OF A RECALL FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE TIRE HAD SEVERAL THOUSAND MILES ON IT SINCE IT WAS REPLACED. THE TREAD STARTED SEPARATING SEVERAL WEEKS BEFORE WE HAD IT REPLACED WITH A GOODYEAR TIRE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 LINCOLN MKZ. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WHEELS ON THE VEHICLE WERE LEAKING AIR. THE CONTACT DROVE TO BILL KNIGHT LINCOLN VOLVO (4111 S MEMORIAL DR, TULSA, OK 74145) FOUR TIMES. THE DEALER SANDED DOWN THE CORROSION ON THE INTERIOR OF THE RIM AND MOUNTED IT BACK ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED FOR APPROXIMATELY FOUR YEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 LINCOLN MKZ. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED, WHICH MEANT THE AIR PRESSURE WAS LOW. UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE LIPS OF THE WHEEL RIMS WERE CORRODED AND DAMAGED, WHICH CAUSED AIR TO LEAK FROM THE TIRES. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. IRWIN LINCOLN MERCURY (4032 RT 9 SOUTH, FREEHOLD, NJ) AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000. *TT*JB

I PURCHASED A 2011 LINCOLN MKZ ON 11/5/2012, IT HAD 13,593 MILES ON IT. DURING MY LAST OIL CHANGE, ON7/28/15, AT 37,440MI, I WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD CRACKS AND IN ALL OF THE TIRE WALLS AND WOULD NEED TO REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES IMMEDIATELY.I BOUGHT THE CAR AT THE DEALER THAT WAS DOING THE OIL CHANGE. WHEN I ARGUED THAT THE TIRE WARRANTY GUIDE THAT CAME WITH THE CAR INDICATED THAT THE TIRES WERE GOOD FOR 60K, I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS MY FAULT THAT THE SIDEWALLS HAD CRACKS, BECAUSE I HAD NOT ROTATED THE TIRES ON A REGULAR BASIS. SO I ASSUMED THAT IT WAS MY FAULT, AND REPLACED MY TIRES ($700). TODAY, WHILE CHECKING A DIFFERENT RECALL, I SAW THE OTHER TIRE COMPLAINT ABOUT MICHELIN'S AND 2011 MKZ'S AND REALIZED IT WAS NOT MY FAULT. I DON'T KNOW IF THE DEALER KNEW ABOUT THIS-I THOUGHT THEY WERE TRYING TO TRICK ME SO I WENT TO AN ACTUAL TIRE COMPANY FOR REPLACEMENT. UNFORTUNATELY- BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW AT THE TIME, I HAD THEM DISCARD THE MICHELIN TIRES AFTER THEY REPLACED THEM. I AM SURE I HAD MICHELIN TIRES, I HAVE THE ORIGINAL TIRE WARRANTY GUIDE AND IT LIST 5 POSSIBILITIES-ALL MICHELIN. I BASED THE SIZE OF THE TIRE ON THE SIZE OF MY REPLACEMENT TIRE. I DO KNOW THAT THE CAR CAME FROM THE HERMOSILLO ASSEMBLY PLANT. I HAVE THE ORIGINAL SALE STICKER. I AM SURE I CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION FROM WHERE I BOUGHT IT IF NEEDED.

2011 LINCOLN MKZ ALL FOUR TIRES FAILED DUE TO CRACKS IN THE SIDEWALLS. *MW