Michelin(R) PAX System(TM) Innovations Extend to Customer Service

GREENVILLE, S.C., Sept. 27 -- Consumers experiencing a flat tire with a 2005 Honda Odyssey Touring edition equipped with Michelin(R) PAX System(TM) will be less likely to interrupt or delay their trip.

Michelin North America has created a multi-tiered service program designed to maintain the highest levels of consumer satisfaction by replacing or repairing PAX System tires quickly. The most innovative element of Michelin's aftermarket approach is the Michelin "hatbox."

One of the easiest options for a driver requiring tire service will be to stop at a Honda dealership, which can be located by calling toll-free 1-877-PAXTIRE. Each of the 1,000 Honda dealers in the United States is equipped with a Michelin PAX System hatbox. The hatbox contains a complete, ready-to-use PAX System assembly.

The dealer service representative will remove the PAX System assembly from the vehicle, replace it with the complete PAX System assembly from the hatbox, inflate the new tire and send the consumer on his or her way.

The used PAX System assembly is placed in the recyclable hatbox and returned to Michelin for inspection and analysis. A new PAX System hatbox will be delivered to the dealer.

To provide more traditional repair or replacement of PAX System tires, Michelin will have about 200 authorized Michelin PAX System servicing locations around the country. To help assure customer service, replacement tires and support rings have been sent to those locations. Michelin has also staged PAX System hatboxes at 32 TCI dealer locations to supply to the remainder of the Michelin dealer network as needed. In addition, special road service and emergency service providers will be dispatched to any motorist with a flat tire if they cannot reach a Honda dealer or authorized Michelin tire dealer.

The comprehensive approach to aftermarket service is all part of the PAX System Assurance plan which takes the standard Michelin warranty and adds replacement for road hazards during the first two years or 50 percent of tread wear coverage at no charge.

The approach is modeled after the successful assurance plan already in use with Michelin(R) Zero Pressure(TM) tire fitments on the Dodge Viper and Cadillac XLR.

"As more vehicles take to the road with PAX System, the traditional service and repair networks will continue to grow with them," said Tom Chubb, vice president of marketing for Michelin Automotive Industries Division. "We are committed to taking care of our PAX System customers and all those new Honda Odyssey Touring owners.

"When you introduce new technology you have to be just as innovative and committed to the aftermarket support as you are to the technology," said Chubb. "Thanks in part to the hatbox and the PAX System Assurance Plan, we have a program that helps us take care of our customers."

Michelin PAX System tires can be repaired using standard Rubber Manufacturers Association methods and materials and returned to service, unlike some self-supporting tires, which cannot be repaired if punctured. Michelin PAX System assemblies can be serviced and repaired using existing tire mounting equipment with a simple accessories kit available from several manufacturers in the United States, including Corghi, Accu-turn and Hunter.

Michelin PAX System tires are designed to provide the same tread life as standard tires and cost approximately 10 percent more than standard tires.

Michelin manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy-duty trucks, motorcycles and the space shuttle. The company also publishes travel guides, maps and atlases covering Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America (http://www.michelin.com/ ) employs 23,920 and operates 21 plants in 17 locations.