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 | |||
| 02/15/2010 | 2000 | 1 | |
| Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) general tire ameritrac tr. design failure. tire is prone to tiny punctures on the sidewall about one inch (1) below the tread. two tires on my 2008 f-150 suffered the same damage. both punctures were about at the same location,the first at about 2,000 miles. the second at about 20,500 miles. the tires were on different wheel positions on the vehicle when punctures occurred. with damage on sidewalls, both tires were irreparable. tires came on new vehicle on 17 inch rims. vin#[xxx] , i am replacing all tires with goodyear mtr w/kevlar. vehicle was on routine use. it was driven on roads, not off-road. it was driven on dirt roads. both failures became apparent while vehicle operated on pavement. *tr | |||
| 08/29/2008 | 7000 | 1 | |
| I bought a new ford f 150 4x4 pickup 5/1/08 and have had 2 tires blow out. 1 turning around in a forest service camp ground and 1 on the freeway at 75 mph. these tires have not been abused or mistreated in any way. the worst use they have seen is 20 miles at 35 mph on an improved county gravel road.. i feel ford motor company made an error putting passenger rated tires on a light truck. especially a four wheel drive. out of safety concern, and just plain got tired of buying replacements, i've had to replace all 5 tires with lt tires rated for pickup use at a cost of $800. i would like to see some help in recovering my costs to get a tire i feel should have been on this vehicle in the first place. these tires are hankook p235 75 r17. *tr | |||
| 09/01/2008 | 6000 | 1 | |
| Optional tires for ford f-150s, lt275/65rx18, sold as an upgrade by dealers, are safety hazards in wet weather. their holding ability is limited and in two wheel drive on rain slick street any power applied for climbing hills, coming out of turns, or entering fwys can result in rear end drift and skidding. exceptional driver care must be exercised to avoid this happening. these tires should be sold as after market tires to address only specific requirements. *tr | |||
| 07/23/2008 | 3000 | 1 | |
| A faulty tire valve stem caused a flat tire on 2008 ford f150 truck. the valve stem had cracks on both rear tires, which could have resulted in an accident. had both valve stems replaced. *tr | |||