Enclosed is a detailed description of a recent Michelin tire failure on my 2006 Lincoln Ls. On Friday, May 29, 2009 I was returning to South Florida from a trip to dallas, tx. I was driving on I-10 about 15 miles East of lafayette, la. I suddenly heard a slapping/flapping noise coming from the left rear of the car. I looked at my outside rear view mirror and observed pieces of the rear left tire peeling away from the tire. Then the car lurched as the metal rim of the left rear wheel made contact with the pavement. I luckily was able to steer the car into the right side emergency lane. There was a steady stream of vehicles racing by me, many of them 18-wheeler semi-tractor trailers. As soon as there was an opportunity I exited the car, as did my companion. I walked along the guardrail and to the rear of the car to view the left rear wheel. I could see that all of the tire except the sidewalls were gone and the rim was badly damaged from making contact with the pavement. I called the Lincoln emergency road service number on my cell phone for a tow truck. Meanwhile an Louisiana state trooper arrived and parked behind my car and waited for the tow truck that arrived about 30 minutes later. My car was towed to the nearest authorized Lincoln-Mercury dealer in breaux bridge, la. The Ford service department ordered and installed a new replacement rim and tire on Saturday, May 30th. They placed the two sidewalls still on the damaged rim in my trunk and I continued my trip home. Based on what I heard and witnessed when parts of the Michelin tire separated from the sidewall and rim it appears that the tire failed due to a construction defect. The photos show the extent of damage caused to the tire that separated the tread casing from the sidewalls. Here is more important information for your records. I have in my possession the part of the destroyed tire containing the Michelin tire description and the dot code. It proves beyond a doubt that it was the Michelin tire.

- Boca Raton, FL, USA