Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Let me say up front that the set of Michelin Defender LTX tires I recently purchased did not come from Amazon, but rather a large nationwide warehouse club. The Defender LTX apparently replaces the previous top-rated LTX M/S and Latitude models. I was immediately concerned when the truck was returned to me after installation when I saw that three of the four tires had in excess of five ounces of balance weight on them; one had 6.5 oz. Excessive balance weight points to an out of round tire; a quality issue. The fourth tire had 3.5 ounces. Looking further, I found the three problem tires had a manufacturing date code of 04/16, while the fourth "better" tire has a date code of 06/16. I was stunned to see that the manufacturing plant code for all of these tires is "AP", indicating that these premium-priced "Michelin" branded tires are actually made at a Uniroyal-Goodrich plant in Ardmore, OK. Yes, Michelin did buy Uniroyal-Goodrich. But if I am paying top dollar for Michelin tires, I want them made in a "real" Michelin plant such as the one in SC. Michelin's I purchased in the past, made in the SC plant, have had no problems, and have required only an ounce or two to balance. It appears to me that I paid for Michelin quality, and received Uniroyal-Goodrich poor quality. Michelin customer service has expressed concern and willingness to help resolve the problem.