Michelin recalls more than 500K tires that do not meet snow traction requirements

Michelin announced the recall on Thursday of more than half a million tires for falling short of snow tire traction standards outlined by federal regulation. 

The recall affects the Agilis CrossClimate C-Metric tires, which Michelin says are commonly found on vehicles such as the Ford Transit, RAM ProMaster, Volkswagen Crafter, Nissan NV200, Chevrolet City Express and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. 

“These tires are marked with the Alpine Symbol, but do not meet the traction requirements for snow tires,” the company said in a statement. “As such, these tires fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 139, ‘New Pneumatic Radial Tires for Light Vehicles’ and Canadian Technical Standards Document (TSD) 139.” 

Around 542,000 tires are affected by the recall, according to The Associated Press. 

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The affected tires are marked with the “Alpine Symbol,” Michelin said, while other Agilis CrossClimate tires are not included in the recall. (Michelin)

The Associated Press added that Michelin said initial testing for the tires was conducted with the wrong tire pressure and subsequent testing by the company revealed the traction issues. 

Michelin said on its website that the recalled tires are marked in sizes “185/60R15C, 195/75R16C, 205/65R15C, 205/75R16C, 225/75R16C, 235/65R16C.” 

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A lone driver makes their way through icy road conditions at the LBJ 635 Freeway and North Dallas Tollway interchange on Jan. 31, 2023, in Dallas. Michelin says the recalled tires do not meet federal regulations. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez / AP Newsroom)

“Agilis® CrossClimate C-Metric sizes are commercial service heavy-duty light truck tires, with a design that differs from the Agilis CrossClimate LT-Metric design,” the company said. “The LT-Metric tire design meets the requirement for the Alpine Symbol and all LT-Metric sizes are qualified for severe snow service. Additionally, the CrossClimate and CrossClimate 2 passenger and SUV tire lines are not affected by this recall.” 

Michelin says a letter about the recall will be sent out to owners in June and that it is working on a solution. 

“Consistent with our replacement plan, Michelin recommends exchanging these tires,” it also said. 

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Michelin recommends exchanging the affected tires. (iStock / iStock)

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The tires started production in 2018 and were sold in the U.S. and Canada. 

The recall from Michelin is the first from the company since December 2022, when it recalled 16,983 vintage tires.