Michelin PS4S Cracked and Ruined!

[Junkyard Dog]

PS4S stands for Pilot Sport 4S.

Do you drive on them? If so, have you experienced cracking as a result of cold temperatures?

I have driven on them over several winters and have experienced nothing of that sort, in spite of all the online speculation and hand wringing.

What about you? Have you driven them in cold weather, below 7° Celsius (about 45° Fahrenheit)? What happened?

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[Sofa King]

A comparison with winter, all season and summer Michelins.

 

[Junkyard Dog]

Ok, thanks, it is a good video for snow traction comparison, but please post personal experiences with these tires and cracking (or lack thereof) if you have experience with them.

 

[robvas]

Haven't had it happen, it seems like more of a problem with Sport Cups or Trofeo R tires

 

[Junkyard Dog]

Haven't had it happen, it seems like more of a problem with Sport Cups or Trofeo R tires

I haven't ever had Sport Cup 2s, but the Trofeos get ridiculously slippery at 50 degrees! I am about to replace mine. I was thinking about the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, so I would like to hear if anybody has had this cracking issue that everybody on the internet is sure will happen. If anybody has, then I would like to hear about the conditions to see if they are similar to conditions I experience here in Georgia in the winter. I would probably never drive this Dark Horse, or the PS4, in the snow. I would take the Explorer for that (AWD and all season tires).

Hopeful maybe we actually get some snow this year. My kids get so excited.

 

[tlr3715]

I have not owned a set of PS4S tires yet but have driven a number of cars with summer tires year-round. From memory I believe they were Goodyear Eagle F1, Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, Pirelli P Zero, RE050A, Advan Sport, and a few others I can’t remember. All of them are slippery below 50 F and get progressively worse as the temperature drops but still drivable if careful. I drove them in temps down to 10F. I tried to avoid snow with them but the few times I got caught it was not good and even got stuck once.

I did notice small cracks in the rubber of some of them (I can’t remember which anymore) but did not appear to affect dry traction once the summer came around again. Drove them all until they were too worn out.

 

[NegativeMultiplier]

This is why, as soon as my area started seeing sub-50 degree temperatures, I went and got a winter-rated all-season set of tires.

I had only put a few thousand miles on the Pirellis at that point, and I didn't want to ruin them before I used them entirely. Once it warms up again, I'll put them back on.

 

[gtstang462002]

This is why, as soon as my area started seeing sub-50 degree temperatures, I went and got a winter-rated all-season set of tires.

I had only put a few thousand miles on the Pirellis at that point, and I didn't want to ruin them before I used them entirely. Once it warms up again, I'll put them back on.

That is essentially what I did last year. I just took my Trefeos back off for the winter here in MD. Have about 2/32 of tread left on them with almost 8,000 miles on the tires. Probably not going to waste my time trying to get the last little bit of life out of them next season and when the HP rims go back on the car they will be wrapped with the PS4.

 

[COBill]

PS4S stands for Pilot Sport 4S.

Do you drive on them? If so, have you experienced cracking as a result of cold temperatures?

It's not that they crack so much as they become hockey pucks with zero traction below 40°F.

 

[Ken H.]

FWIW, I did the Corvette driving school. Instructor said the cracking issue was due to cars sitting on a delivery truck for extended period of time in cold weather with the tires is the same position under weight.
Yes, they are slippery in colder temps. Yes, you can drive on them carefully. However, I went to make a “normal” pass (not hot rodding, medium progressive throttle increase, and they broke traction & car fishtailed. By the time I recovered, oncoming car appeared. Since I was already beside the car being passed, I more gingerly completed the pass. Broke traction again. Completed pass with great care. Probably high 30’s, low 40’s F temp. They can get you in serious trouble quickly. I immediately put PS A/S4’s on. Lived happily ever after ever after.

 

[AZ_Ryan]

PS4S stands for Pilot Sport 4S.

Do you drive on them? If so, have you experienced cracking as a result of cold temperatures?

I have driven on them over several winters and have experienced nothing of that sort, in spite of all the online speculation and hand wringing.

What about you? Have you driven them in cold weather, below 7° Celsius (about 45° Fahrenheit)? What happened?

Cracking, no. But they turn into hockey pucks and I have fish tailed on PS4s in 40⁰ weather. I'm sure temps would have to get a lot lower for cracking. But im certainly not going to find out. Summer Tires in cold weather are no Bueno. I'm curious why you are still so skeptical of this.

 

[wesg79]

I had GM replace my set on my 2021 ct5v, I bought it in the spring and it was delivered to the lot previous fall, sidewalls looked almost like tiny cracks from dry rot, they said its from test drives and flexing in the cold, my 2025 ct5v they wouldnt let me pickup in the cold without snow tires or waiting till it was warmer, tire additional warranty also would not covered cold weather cracking. Not sure how they can prove one way or the other.

FWIW most dealerships here wont let people testdrive anything with summer only rubber in the colder months , usually they go into the showroom, im sure liability reasons and they dont want to replace the tires

google summer tires cracking in cold, PS4S are the vast majority of image results

 

[Junkyard Dog]

Cracking, no. But they turn into hockey pucks and I have fish tailed on PS4s in 40⁰ weather. I'm sure temps would have to get a lot lower for cracking. But im certainly not going to find out. Summer Tires in cold weather are no Bueno. I'm curious why you are still so skeptical of this.

I was asking for personal experiences, not just being a skeptic. Keep in mind that I have my own experience with PS4S in the winter. (on an AWD car that did not have 500 hp). This thread will be a useful reference for every visitor in the future considering tires.

Thank you for responding. Your information about low traction at a certain temperature point is worthwhile as additional information, but you have no personal experience regarding low temperatures and cracking, one way or the other.

 

[Junkyard Dog]

I had GM replace my set on my 2021 ct5v, I bought it in the spring and it was delivered to the lot previous fall, sidewalls looked almost like tiny cracks from dry rot, they said its from test drives and flexing in the cold, my 2025 ct5v they wouldnt let me pickup in the cold without snow tires or waiting till it was warmer, tire additional warranty also would not covered cold weather cracking. Not sure how they can prove one way or the other.

FWIW most dealerships here wont let people testdrive anything with summer only rubber in the colder months , usually they go into the showroom, im sure liability reasons and they dont want to replace the tires

google summer tires cracking in cold, PS4S are the vast majority of image results

So one post so far that looks like to could be a personal experience with cracking PS4S due to cold temperatures.

wesg79, did you replace the new ones before winter or cold weather arrived again?

 

[wesg79]

So one post so far that looks like to could be a personal experience with cracking PS4S due to cold temperatures.

wesg79, did you replace the new ones before winter or cold weather arrived again?

have always run dedicated snow tires on anything with a performance summer tire, when i had them, but decided with mustang id just park it and get an awd winter beater with some Aklimate all weather, so far with the 12-14" of snow we had in the last 2 days they have been good

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