Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TIRES - VALVE | ||||||
| PE08060 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 10/14/2008 | 04/09/2009 | TIRE VALVE CRACKING | ||
| On october 14, 2008, odi opened pe08-060 to investigate allegations of cracked and leaking snap-in tire valves in model year (my) 2007 vehicles manufactured by ford motor company.the valves were supplied to ford by topseal auto-parts, a subsidiary of the shanghai baolong automotive corporation in china.valves made by topseal for aftermarket sale were the subject of two recent safety recalls by tech international (08t-018) and dill air controls (08t-028), the latter of which was investigated by odi in pe08-036 and ea08-022.the defect conditions addressed by the aftermarket tire valve recalls both involved inadequate resistance to ozone cracking due to issues with the supply of anti-ozonant chemicals to topseal for a period from july to mid-november 2006.the aftermarket valves were compounded with a blend of epdm and natural rubber, using a relatively low percentage of epdm (epdm provides inherent resistance to ozone cracking).hence, the need for anti-ozonant chemicals and the problems with cracking when those chemicals were missing or out of specification in some lots of valves.both recall campaigns involved inspection programs to identify and replace valves with visible surface cracking.although the topseal valves supplied to ford also appear to have been affected by the anti-ozonant supply issues in mid to late-2006, ford indicated that its valves were made at a different topseal production line and were compounded with a higher percentage of epdm rubber to meet more stringent specifications from ford.odi's analysis of complaint and warranty data provided by ford showed that problems with cracked tire valves were significantly higher for my 2007 vehicles produced from december 2006 through march 2007.ford responded by implementing changes in its material specifications for snap-in rubber tire valves and also increasing the quality and acceptance standards for valves imported for use in its vehicles.while the complaint and warranty claim rates are elevated for subject vehicles produced from december 2006 through march 2007, the rates of leaking valves are well below one percent of production for each of the peak months for all of the affected models.a substantial majority of the subject vehicles are equipped with tire pressure monitoring systems (tpms) which warn the driver when any tire pressures drops below 25 percent of recommended inflation pressure. as outlined in a letter to odi dated april 6, 2009, ford has agreed to send letters to owners of certain my 2007 and 2008 ford, lincoln and mercury vehicles to provide information about the cracking concern. letters will be sent to owners of vehicles built from november 2006 through may 2007.owners can opt for a free dealer inspection.valves exhibiting surface cracks or air leakage related to ozone attack will be replaced by ford under its normal warranty terms.ford expects to send the letter by approximately mid-may 2009. based on the use of tpms in the majority of subject vehicles and the relatively low rates of repairs associated with leaking valves and resultant tire damage, odi believes that the actions ford has agreed to take will provide effective and expeditious resolution for vehicles that were built during the period when valves with inadequate resistance to ozone cracking were most likely to have been used in vehicle production.further investigation of this matter would not be an efficient allocation of agency resources.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will continue to monitor complaints and other information relating to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles and take further action in the future if warranted. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| TIRES | |||
| 09/01/2010 | 0 | ||
| Spare tire is no good. i had to use my spare tire for the first time 2 weeks ago, and the rim is bad. i could only travel 20 mph before it started shaking and making noises. i called stevens ford in patchogue, ny and was told that my vehicle was out of warranty. this was the first and only time i had to use it. | |||
| 07/22/2007 | 41000 | 1 | |
| I have had to get three valve stems on my 2007 ford explorer sport trac replaced within 3 days. they were cracked and rotted. 2007???? cracked and rotted??. at first i thought someone was cutting my valve stems on purpose. when the tire guy pulled to remove the old valve stem they split in half with hardly any force exerted on them. now i find out that ford knows about this problem.. unreal *tr | |||
| 12/27/2008 | 23500 | 1 | |
| On 12/27/2008 went across rr tracks at 25 mph had a frt tire blowout. upon further inspection discovered tire splitting apart on the inside wall of all four tires near the rim. out of site of a visual inspection unless tire is off. 23,000 miles on 07 ford spt track. way too soon to have to replace all four tires. also believe this is a tire defect and could have been much more serious if i had been traveling at higher rate of speed. took tires to ford dealer and goodyear no help or very much concern. im concerned that there are other drivers out there with these tires and they should be notified of the splits that are occurring and have their tires inspected asap before someone gets hurt or worse. if other drivers tires are splitting like mind did then the tires should be replaced asap. and i should be compensated for having to purchase 4 brand new tires so soon. i also have kept the tires as proof of my complaint. thank you *tr | |||
| 12/26/2008 | 19000 | 1 | |
| Valve stem failure. rapid deflation of tire. 2nd failure on this vehicle. 1st failure was 09/23/2008 on a different tire - vehicle not moving at the time. driving along at highway speed 50-60 mph, 30 degrees, 8:00 am est. low pressure warning indicator come on. within a few minutes i feel truck handling change. i pull over into parking lot. i touch valve stem and here air escape. within 2 more minutes tire was completely deflated. *tr | |||
| 10/15/2008 | 22642 | 1 | |
| 2 oem valve stems have failed due to material defect. both failed stems cracked at the on the stem enters the tire rim. these failures occurred on my 2007 ford explorer sport trac. all equipment is as delivered new from the factory. *tr | |||
| 07/28/2008 | 25000 | 1 | |
| My michelin cross terrain tires were completely bald on the rear after only 25k miles and we replaced them but now our front tires are bald after 35k miles. *tr | |||
| 07/09/2007 | 36400 | 2 | 06/02/2006 |
| 2007 sporttrac, started downshifting very rough when coming to a stop, took to freeport, il dealer who adjusted parts of the transmission, this made the downshifting much better for a few months, it is back now and worse than ever. you have to have your foot hard on the brake and don't stop very close to any vehicle or property in front of you. i learned hard way last week and hit a cement post with the front bumper, i had actually stopped maybe 6 inches from the post but the surge after stopped propelled me maybe 7-8, it is a very very dangerous situation. i went back to the dealer about a month ago and said the surge when downshifing was somewhat slightly back again, but my main concern then was that the car seemed like it was in 4 wheel drive continually, this was determined due to the sound and whining of gears, i was not in 4 wheel drive but it sounded like it, i bought new tires thinking as the dealer service person said, it might be the tires, it wasn't. now i have the sound and the dangerous surge. i'm going back to the dealer with appointment tomorrow. as i have read other complaints on the same downshift surge problem there definitely should be a recall for the defect issued by ford. this is my first complaint filing so don't know what else to say? *tr | |||
| TIRES - PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS | |||
| 10/20/2008 | 23138 | 1 | |
| In late august, 2008, i was involved in a single vehicle accident along interstate 64 between richmond and charlottesville, va due to sudden lose of air pressure in the left front tire of my 2007 ford explorer sport trac. i was able to maintain control of my vehicle and safely get to the side of the road without hitting other vehicles or injuring anyone. i had my car towed to a ford dealer in louisa, va. after being assured that i could drive the vehicle with the spare tire, i returned it to williamsburg ford, the original dealer. the tire and the air pressure sensor had to be replaced at a cost to me of $365.58. on october 20, 2008, the air pressure warning light indicated another problem with tire pressure. i took the vehicle back to williamsburg ford. it was determined that the valve stem in the left rear tire was damaged and had to be replaced at a cost of $15.00. *tr | |||
| 09/05/2008 | 31000 | 1 | |
| Early spring of 08, tire valve stem leak : replaced sept 5 of 08 had sportrac vehicle in to dealer for ( ford, fairoak naperville il. ) maintenance including rotation and balancing of all 4 wheel sl shortly after leaving dealer low tire pressure indicator came on. i found left rear valve stem leaking stop at discount tire and was informed that i had 3 valves on vehicle that were bad recall all 4 four were then replaced and i was informed of the recall. what' with ford ? *tr | |||