Best tires for the Audi A6

The contact owns a 2013 Audi A6 equipped with Kumho Tires, Tire Line: Solus Majesty, Tire Size: 245/45/VR18, DOT Number: 127W2YCJ9. The contact stated that the vehicle had been taken for maintenance and the independent mechanic observed that the driver's and passenger's side front tires tread was separating from the tire. The contact stated that all four tires had been replaced 3 months prior. The contact was informed by the independent mechanic that the rear tires were also showing signs of tread separation. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate vehicle failure mileage was 115,000. The tire failure mileage was 5,000.

I HAVE HAD THIS CAR FOR ONLY SLIGHTLY MORE THAN 6 MONTHS, AND HAVE HAD NO COLLISIONS OR OTHER UNUSUAL IMPACTS TO TIRES. AFTER ONLY 800 MILES OF SERVICE, MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE DEVELOPED A BULGING KNOT IN THE SIDEWALL. DEALER INSPECTED THE TIRE AND COULD FIND NO INDICATION OF "IMPACT" INJURY SO TIRE WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, AS VEHICLE WAS ONLY 2 WEEKS OLD. NOW I HAVE DISCOVERED 3 MORE OF THE TIRES (LF, RF & RR) HAVE DEVELOPED SIMILAR BULGING KNOTS IN THE SIDEWALL, ONE OF WHICH IS THE TIRE THAT WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER AT 800 MILES. I DRIVE ONLY ON PAVED CITY STREETS, AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED TIRE FAILURES OF THIS TYPE ON ANY OTHER VEHICLE THAT I HAVE OWNED, SO I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS CONDITION IS DUE TO DRIVING CONDITIONS.

WHILE DRIVING 35 TO 40 MPH, RIGHT FRONT TIRE WENT FLAT. UPON INSPECTION IT WAS OBSERVED THAT SIDEWALL HAD CRACKED AND SEPARATED FROM TREAD ALONG THE ENTIRE INSIDE CIRCUMFERENCE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THIS HAS OCCURRED ON THIS CAR. THE FIRST SEPARATION OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 26,000 MILES (COMPLAINT ODI 769362) WHILE THIS ONE OCCURRED AT 36,000 MILES.

TWO SEPARATE TIRE FAILURES FROM SAME BRAND/TYPE OF ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES, FIRST: JANUARY 22, 2003, SECOND: APRIL 28, 2003 BOTH WERE SIDEWALL BLOWOUTS. THE FIRST, ON THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL IN JANUARY 2001, DID NOT POSE A SAFETY HAZARD AS IT OCCURRED WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED IN A GARAGE. HOWEVER, THE 2ND, ONLY THREE MONTHS AFTER THE FIRST, OCCURRED ON A DIFFERENT WHEEL (RIGHT REAR) AT 60 MPH IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF A CONGESTED PORTION OF I-95 NEAR MILFORD, CT. THE LATTER CLEARLY POSED A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD TO US, AND TO ALL OTHER VEHICLES ON THIS HEAVILY-TRAFFICKED INTERSTATE. I DID NOT REPORT THE FIRST BLOWOUT, BELIEVING THAT PERHAPS I HAD HIT SOMETHING ON THE ROAD. BUT THE SECOND BLOWOUT OF SAME BRAND/VINTAGE TIRE, THIS TIME ON REAR RIGHT SIDE, INDICATES A LIKELY SAFETY DEFECT IN THIS EXPENSIVE MICHELIN TIRE. *NLM