Michelin brand 295/80R22.5 XZU3+ 152/148J TL tyres that have been retreaded

Michelin scrutinizes rigorously the performances of its tyres according to the local running conditions in each country. Recently, some damages were detected on some tyres during the retread inspection process (using shearography) in Australia which led Michelin to conclude that there may be an anomaly affecting the radial steel belts of the MICHELIN 295/80R22.5 XZU3+ 152/148J TL. The tyre is mainly used but not limited to urban applications such as Buses & Waste collection. The anomaly manifests during use, where small pocket separations are generated along the edge of the radial steel belts. To date there has been no product failures, near misses, injuries, illnesses or deaths resulting from use of this product new or retreaded

Michelin technical analysis concludes that the tyre is safe to use to the end of its first life (original tread worn out), but as the anomaly generates during use, retreading the tyre may not be possible depending on the lifecycle of the tyre. It is possible to detect the anomaly during the retreading process through the use of shearography. Shearography is a nondestructive testing method commonly used in the tyre industry to detect separations between a tyre’s components. However, it is not a requirement that tyre retread manufacturers use this technology.  In the Australian market there is a mix of operators that do and do not use shearography to inspect the tyre during the retread process.

Because the safety hazards are different depending on the lifecycle of the tyre, and out of an abundance of caution to mitigate any risks related to the observed anomaly, Tyreline New Zealand (acting on behalf of MICHELIN) has decided to recall the tyres from the Australian Market. This decision was guided by the utmost importance that Michelin places on safety and customer satisfaction.