Thanks for the info - that's actually a much higher rate than I would have expected. Just to make sure I understand and we're talking apple-apple,
By "manufacturing defect" I was thinking about an apparently okay tire that doesn't ride properly, i.e. not round, not straight, bubble in the sidewall. Is that the same meaning you had in mind?
Do you really have problems with about 1 out of every 200 tires, more or less 1 out of every 50 people who buy a set of 4?
Also, I'd imagine the number of complaints about "defective tires" is different from the actual number of defective ones. Are ever able to individually examine a returned tire and verify a problem? If so, ae certain types of problems more common than others?
Is there much variation in between vendors? That is, does the big brand name make a difference in quality that is worth considering paying more for?