Thanks for the input, but this has happened - as I mentioned - on 2 separate sets of tires, different brands.

The memo was for Pilot Sports, not A/S, not A/S plus. It pertained to later-day MB cars because owners were complaining of issues related to excessive tire wear and noise. None of this has anything to do with my car

I travelled 36k silent, smooth, sticky, trouble-free miles on PS A/S on my previous 202 with zero issues, and ample tread remaining.