Michelin Dodges Blame for Vintage Spare Tire Safety Snafu
Published Date: 8/28/2026
Notice
Summary
Michelin North America, Inc. (MNA) has determined that certain Michelin TEX T195/65R22 T-type spare tires do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 109, New Pneumatic Tires for Vehicles Manufactured from 1949 to 1975, Bias Ply Tires, and T-Type Spare Tires. MNA filed a noncompliance report dated May 1, 2024, and subsequently petitioned NHTSA (the "Agency") on May 29, 2024, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This document announces the grant of MNA's petition.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
No Recall Notice or Free Fix for 532 Tires
NHTSA granted Michelin's petition, so Michelin is exempted from the duty to notify owners and to provide a free remedy for the 532 Michelin TEX T195/65R22 T-type spare tires that were sold into the U.S. market. These 532 tires were manufactured between September 26, 2023 and March 6, 2024 and were original equipment on Range Rover Sport L461 vehicles sold between November 4, 2023 and April 23, 2024, so owners of those vehicles may not receive a manufacturer notice or free replacement from Michelin.
Dealers Still Prohibited from Selling Noncompliant Stock
Even though NHTSA granted Michelin an exemption from owner notification and remedy, the decision does not relieve tire distributors and dealers of the legal prohibition on selling or offering for sale the noncompliant tires that remain under their control after Michelin notifies them that the noncompliance existed.
Production Halted; Corrected Markings Put Into Use
Michelin reported it suspended production of the affected tires within 24 hours of discovery and placed corrected molds into production on March 25, 2024. That means tires made after March 25, 2024 should have the correct inflation pressure marking.
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