Michelin Premier--Very Noisy After Rotation?

My MICHELIN Premier AS tires are less than one year old. Had first rotation done at 6,000 miles. Now they seem to be very loud, like a steady " hum" noise. Alignment checks Ok. Brakes check Ok. Balance checks Ok. Tire pressure is correct. MPG is excellent. (My gas mileage actually improved slightly with the Premiers.)

Tire Rack says my Michelin tires can be rotated any which way. They are not "one directional." I believe the tire shop rotated them front-to-rear as specified in the Prius manual. Why the new noise?

 

You can disregard my question, above. I went back and read some older posts from 2010, 2013, etc. It seems an increase in tire noise is pretty common after getting a rotation. Various issues and reasons. I will just live with it. Keep up the good work, I will go back to being a lurker. Thanks.

 

bisco, I set the tire pressure at 1 or 2 psi above specs. Same as before the rotation. I guess this new noise shouldn't surprise me, I had Michelin tires (MXV4) on a previous vehicle and they were not a quiet tire. But I was hoping the Premiers would be different on my Prius. Several tire websites say that noise is common after a rotation. Maybe the Defender is less noisy?

Now we will hear from 20 guys who say the Michelin Premier is the quietest tire they ever had!

 

Thanks for the replies. It just doesn't make any sense, I've never had such a drastic increase in road noise level after a simple tire rotation. I rechecked the psi this morning, it's only 2 above specs. The car even seems to ride harsher now. More mystery!

I'm tempted to go back to that tire shop and start yelling, but I think I need a 2nd or 3rd opinion from another shop or maybe the dealer. There is only 7500 miles on the Premiers. No sign of wear whatsoever. Other than the noise, they seem like very good performing tires. I should have left well enough alone! Maybe they are rolling the wrong way? Wrong direction? But I don't see an arrow on the sidewall. (As one poster said in another thread: JUST TURN UP THE RADIO! )

 

Thanks for the replies. I checked a Consumer Affairs website, as well as two more tire review websites. It's disappointing-- there are many complaints about Michelin tires. Mostly about the tread-wear warranty not living up to what is stated.

90,000 mile Defenders getting only 40,000 miles.
Premier All Season wearing out as early as 20,000 to 25,000 miles.
Lack of tread depth in the Premiers.
Numerous reports of sidewall cracking.
A few reports of rough ride and noise.

Everyone swears they did tire rotations, and had periodic alignments done, and checked the psi regularly. It comes down to who do you believe? Some of those people are probably just Michelin haters; the rest you hope are being honest. But a common complaint is lack of longevity and premature tire wear.

Mendel, you are correct. Michelin says the Premiers can be rotated several ways. TireRack said the same. I'm not sure how the tire shop rotated mine. I should have watched more closely. This week I am returning to the dealer where I bought the car, Longo Toyota in El Monte, California. The largest volume-selling dealer in the nation! (They got more Prii than you can count!) Very nice service dept. I will have them do an alignment check, inspect the suspension, rebalance the wheels, inspect the brakes, and rotate the tires again. After all THAT, if the tire noise persists then I will just live with it until they wear out. Which shouldn't be too long. Then its back to square one on choosing new tires again.

Keep up the great work! You guys (and gals) provide a lot of nice information, experience, and help to many. Thank you.

 

Thanks. I'm right at 1,000 miles (after rotation). I tried to make a recording of the sound, but my cell phone recording doesn't come close to what it really sounds like. I just did a live chat with a woman at Michelin. (thanks bisco). She said: "None of our tires are noisy." Then she said they could open a warranty case and refer me to a local dealer, who would determine if my tires are noisy, or not. (One man's opinion vs another man!) She also said the Premier can be rotated any which way, in any pattern. (Any suggestions for the Prius??? Manual says straight front to back, no X. Why is that?)

I will still visit the dealer to get a suspension inspection because there are many potholes here. I've ran through quite a few. And I've never had a brake inspection yet. Mendel, thank you for all the suggestions. I feel a slight "thump thump thump"' on a smooth road, maybe the balance is off too. I will report back in a couple days, and let you know if the dealer found anything. Thanks for your time and help.

 

Yes bisco, I saw that too. Over tightening the lug nuts. And of course all those tire shops (and the dealers) usually use an impact wrench. I dream of the days of my youth and when I could do the work myself!

Let me ask you Prius veterans this dumb question: Are the Prius Hybrid suspension parts a bit more fragile or sensitive? As compared to a Honda Accord, or a Camry, other sedans, etc? The Los Angeles area seems to be the pothole capital of the world. My eyes must be getting worse, I can't even see most of them... until BAM!!