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 | |||
| 06/01/2011 | 1 | ||
| Se v6, tires: when i inflate the tires to the pressure recommended by ford on the door sticker, the result is rapid tire wear on the outsides of the tires (under inflated). when i inflate the tires according to the tire manufacturers recommendation on the sidewall, the tires do not wear out on the outside (under inflated), nor in the middle (over inflated). ford recommends a tire pressure that is 9 psi lower than the tire manufacturer recommends. apparently they did not learn from firestone that the tires can fail due to overheating when they are under inflated, resulting in blow outs at freeway speed and deaths due to the resulting accidents. nor did they change their ways as a result of damage awards for lawsuits due to under inflated firestone tire failures. perhaps the damage awards were too small. *tr | |||
| 03/14/2011 | 43379 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2007 ford fusion with michelin weatherwise rear tires, line size p205/60/t16, serial numbers wea28z and wea28x. the contact stated that the tires would wobble excessively when driving any speed. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who examined the tires and discovered that the tire belts were failing and causing the tires to become out of round. the rear tires were replaced. the tire failure mileage was 19,000. the vehicle failure and current mileage was 43,379. the vin was not available. | |||
| 03/14/2011 | 43379 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2007 ford fusion. the contact stated the vehicle rear tires were manufacturer by michelin tire size, p20560t16, tire line weather-wise, serial number wea28z, wea28x, and dot m37rtlmx0309 the tires wobble while driving at any speed. the vehicle was taken to the sears local mechanic whom examined the tires. the failure was located at the tires belt failed causing the tires to be out of round. the rear tires were replaced. the tires failure mileage was 19,000. the vehicle failure and current mileage was 43,379. the vin was not avalable. li | |||
| 01/01/2010 | |||
| We own a 2007 ford fusion with apxm. 40 k miles. it was sold with mechlin tires that i beleive to be defected and dangerous. we have just replace the third out of four tires. each tire was blown out the sidwall. i have contacted ford and mechlin and gotten no help with the replacement of these tire fron either. i have read on other website complants about these same tires. something needs to be done before somebody dies from this. | |||
| 06/01/2009 | 26000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns 2007 ford fusion equipped with continental conti pro contact p205/60r16 tires. the contact stated that she noticed a bubble on the side wall of the front passenger side tire. the vehicle was taken to a tire center and the failed tire was replaced with a tire of a different make. the tires were rotated frequently to reduce the risk of failure but the failure would still occur intermittently to three out of the four original tires. each time the failed tire was replaced with a tire of a different make. only the continental tires experienced the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 26,000. the current mileage was approximately 37,500. | |||
| 01/01/2009 | 26000 | 1 | |
| We have a 2007 ford fusion. since january 1st we have had 4 tire failures, or so we thought. the problem seems to be faulty chinese valve stems. each time. it was an immediate loss of air. first three replaced at ford dealers, who made no comment about the investigation. the fourth at a tire store who's mechanic explained to me what was really going on. our problems began on jan. 1st and continued until may 23rd,approx. one every 6 weeks! *tr | |||
| 04/06/2009 | 39583 | 1 | |
| 07 ford fusion required two leaking stems to be replaced since jan 09. 4/6/09 traveling on i-4 outside of tampa at 70 mph when the right front tire went flat, no pop or anything, just noticed a change in the road noise so i touched the break and it got louder. i did not lose control of the vehicle and got safely to the breakdown lane when the tread part of wheel continued to roll/bounce down the breakdown lane. a road ranger stopped and changed my tire for me, asked where i was going and told me to buy a new tire. purchased new tire for $278 from a ford dealer who told me to contact tire manufacturer for warranty. there are no obvious punctures in the tread, impossible to tell if any damage to the sidewall as there wasn't much left on the rim and couldn't tell on the tread part. i have the pieces in my possession. it would seem to me that after 2 tires going flat and stems having to be replaced the stem (which had not been replaced) failed and caused the flat tire. on 4/10/09 drove to work, came out for lunch left rear was flat and another stem had to be replaced. i'm not sure if when i purchased the new tire, they put on a new stem but according to the local ford dealer they all look ok as of today. unfortunately, i do not have the old stems. *tr | |||
| 03/18/2009 | 1 | ||
| On 3/18/09, i had a tire fail on my 2007 ford fusion because of a re-called dill # 414 valve stem. i had to replace the michelin tire that had 10,487 miles on it. i also replaced the other three valve stems that were cracked (also dill #414). i am six weeks away from traveling from michigan to florida at interstate speeds of 70 mph. if this tire had failed at those speeds, i don't think i would have been able to control my vehicle to a safe stop. ford motor co. (gorno ford dealership in woodhaven, mi.) has no information about this problem. when i called tech international (clay johnson at 740-967-9015), he said that ford motor co. dearborn is well aware of this problem. this is a serious safety problem that could have resulted in a fatal injury. i have the defective valve stems in my custody. *tr | |||
| 01/05/2009 | 36000 | 1 | |
| I have an incident to report related to pe08060. after getting my tires rotated i had a flat the next day. the cause was a bad valve stem. since i had read a news article about this potential problem i had all 4 replaced. 2 of the stems have cracking similar to that described in the article. the part is tr414. *tr | |||
| 11/12/2008 | 31000 | 1 | |
| On 11-12-08 i parked my 20007 ford fusion in the garage at 7:00 pm . on the morning of 11-13 08 at 6;00 am the front right tire was flat. i changed the tire and took it to the ford dealer for repair. they found that the valve stem was defective and replaced same. i feel this should not have happened as the tires were properly inflated. when i inquired if this was covered by warranty, i was told it wasn't. the vehicle is still under warranty. | |||
| 11/01/2008 | 41005 | 1 | |
| Total tread separation on left front tire causing blowout @ highway speed had to drive on rim to get to safe area to replace destroyed tire with spare. *tr | |||
| 09/16/2008 | 1 | ||
| Decreased tire inflation which has ed to the replacement of two of my tires. *tr | |||
| 06/12/2008 | 1 | ||
| A valve stem on my 2007 ford fusion leaked and need to be replaced. *tr | |||
| 10/21/2008 | 17000 | 1 | |
| I had a flat tire and when i got it repaired was told it was a valve stem...my car only has 17,000 miles on it and was told this should not have happened...2 days later, another flat tire on a different tire while i was driving to work...i stopped and got a can of 'fix-a-flat- and when putting it in the tire, noticed it was leaking at the valve stem...i had 8 more miles to drive to work...to make a long story short, i had to replace the tire due to a side wall bubble from driving it without proper inflation. *tr | |||
| 08/29/2008 | 10500 | 1 | |
| Sudden deflation and sidewall separation of a tire sidewall. vehicle e model 2007 ford fusion sel, 4cyl, tire michelin pilot sport mxm4 all season 225/50vr17 93v 10500 miles total on vehicle and tires. right front tire experiences a sudden deflation while driving on a city street at roughly 25-30 mph. the vehicle was stopped and the tire removed. the outer sidewall of the tire was fully separated and the sidewall cord structure was separated as well. the vehicle wheel rim was undamaged on the outer and inner faces. the tires had been checked recently for proper inflation and were in good condition. an inspection of the tread area did not show any signs of puncture that would facilitate rapid deflation. the vehicle has been used on paved streets almost exclusively and the streets in the areas of use are in reasonably good condition. no damage to the vehicle is apparent from the tire failure due to the low speed. no other property damage besides the loss of the tire. web search reveals other owners of ford fusions with this size tire have been experiencing rapid deflation failures and tread separations. *tr | |||
| 08/14/2007 | 3 | ||
| Vehicle pulls to the right, brakes are working correctly windows are beginning to mold, cd has eaten up cd's, tires do not grip road well. *tr | |||
| TIRES - PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS | |||
| 12/05/2008 | 28517 | 1 | |
| On my way to work, my tire lost air rapidly. when i made it to the tire shop they said all of the valve stems were worn and the flat tire was ruined and had to be replaced. i took it to the ford dealer since it's a 2007 fusion and they didn't know anything about it. i asked the dealer to replace the remaining valve stems and put an oem tire on it. i kept 3 of the worn valve stems and they match an investigation that is currently underway with shanghai baolong automotive corporation / topseal. the code on the valves in question are tr414. i called ford motor company to complain and they said they couldn't do anything until it's decided whether there would be a recall or not but they acknowledged the current investigation. total cost to replace 1 tire and remaining valves was $300. i also questioned ford corp on what communication they had with the dealers to spot these defective valve stems and they couldn't comment. my concern was that my car has been there for inspections, oil changes, and tire rotations and nothing was ever said to me. *tr | |||
| 09/06/2008 | 29100 | 1 | |
| On saturday morning september 6th 2008 i was driving to work in my 2007 ford fusion and my tire went flat. i changed the tire and on the following monday i dropped it off at jim true ford in brookville indiana where i had purchased the vehicle. it was determined that the tire had gone flat due to a cracked valve stem and that the tire and valve stem would have to be replaced . a new tire had to be ordered and was replaced on thursday september 11th 2008. the cost of parts and labor to replace the valve stem and tire was $229.37. *tr | |||
| 08/16/2008 | 12000 | 1 | |
| Valves on wheels dry rotting and cracking on vehicle, 2007 ford fusion. tire repair shops are saying a recall is out on these valves but no response from fomoco. have had 2 incidents of flat tires due to this problem. *tr | |||
| TIRES - VALVE | |||
| 09/09/2008 | 25000 | 1 | 05/03/2007 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2007 ford fusion. the contact noticed that the front passenger side tire was flat. he replaced the tire with a spare and drove the vehicle to a local repair shop. the mechanic stated that the valve stem was defective and made the replacement. approximately three weeks later, he checked the tire pressure of the remaining three tires and found it to be low due to cracked valve stems. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the valve stems were not defective. the manufacturer was not notified. the valve stem information was unavailable. the current mileage was 25,400 and failure mileage was 25,000. updated 11/6/08 *cn updated 11/07/08. *jb | |||
| 07/21/2008 | 1 | ||
| I own a 2007 ford fusion. putting this short i had a flat tire on drivers front on july 21, 2008 went to get it fixed the technician told me it was the valve stem, had to miss 3 hours of work , i didn't think much of it at the time . then on august 23, 2008 only one month later i had just entered the freeway heard my tire blow on the back right luckily had an exit right there slowly drove off the freeway found my tire blown, we were fortunate i didn't lose control and get into a crash, had to call aaa roadside service the technician again says it was a cracked valve stem, i'm like what again, next day i had to go purchase a brand new tire which i didn't have money for, then 2 days later august 27, 2008 getting ready for work in the morning my neighbor comes to my door tells me my drivers side rear tire was flat, i'm like what again, sure enough it was flat i had to call aaa roadside service again, this time i looked sure enough the valve stem was cracked and the technician verified this. i called my work and told them i'm going back to the dealer where i purchased the car and show them. i showed all documentation of all the other tire troubles and showed the tire that just went flat, im sure he knew about the recall, never said a word he said they would take a look and he was going to check the other front tire that hadn't been checked. 2 hours later he said no charge and he fixed both valve stems. so i am just trying to find out how to get my money back or compensated for all that i went through and the money i had to spend to buy a new tire and fix flats , it' like i had no idea about this valve stem recall till a friend told me she had just seen a report on consumer reports which led me to you. please let me know what can be done here. we were fortunate to have had no accident someone else might not be so lucky. *tr | |||
| 04/22/2007 | 1 | 12/13/2006 | |
| While i was driving my vehicle the steering wheel of the car started to shake from side to side and when i went to slow down the vehicle to pull over to see what was the problem, the shaking of the steering wheel increased and i lost control causing the vehicle to go into the ditch. the dealer inspected the vehicle and replaced a tire valve. it had an air leakage but not the consequences of the failure. *jb | |||