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 | |||
| 06/20/2010 | 14945 | ||
| I was driving my 2007 ford mustang (v6) on the highway (rt 202-pa) when the low tire pressure indicator light came on. i pulled off at the first available exit (chesterbrook blvd) and when i turned onto the over pass my rear passenger tire exploded leaving the rim completely exposed. had the car towed (police came because car was in dangerous spot) and changed the tire. approx 6 hours later i checked the pressure in all of the tires (was within limits) and set off home on pa turnpike. 2 miles on the turnpike my drivers front wheel went completely flat. had to have the car towed to my home. all the tires stem valves on my factory installed pirelli p zero nero tires were rotten (all except my rear driver wheel which was replaced due to a separate flat approx 6 moths prior). per consumer reports website, the tire stem valves were recalled. (08tr414030). i have the 3 valves in my posession. i was never notified about the recall. i remember the news of the rollover deaths in 2008. the ford service shop i took the car to (tom masano ford, reading, pa) denied knowledge of the defect or recall. blamed it on an impact or driving the car through something deep. i wound up getting all of my tires replace at pep boys. (i have the tire dot and vin but do not have access to them at the moment. i can provide if contacted.) | |||
| 11/02/2009 | 12886 | 1 | |
| I own a 2007 mustang gt and have had two flat tires due to valve stem failures. the first broken valve stem occurred on june 13, 2009. i assumed that it was a fluke that the valve stem broke, but today i had the same thing happen again. luckily both flat tires have happened when i was traveling under 55 mph. this could have been a accident if i was on the interstate driving at a higher rate of speed. *tr | |||
| 10/04/2009 | 33000 | 1 | |
| 2007 ford mustang recall notice about the tire valve stem being recalled due to cracking. took the vehicle to the dealership, they took about 5 minutes and looked at the valve stems and said they were fine. few weeks later we got a low tire pressure sensor warning. went back to the dealership. they said the right rear tire just had low air pressure, they put air in it and charged for their inspection? the next day the light was back on....went back to dealer, they said the sensor is unreliable and they see nothing wrong so we had them balance and rotate the tires. oct 4th driving 65 mph down i-20 right rear tire blew out; almost lost control of car, ran out across the grass to get the vehicle stopped and under control. took the tire to the dealer the next morning; they say is blew because it was low in air??? no low pressure light? they already worked on the same tire 3 times...they still refuse. took tire to a tire store: facts are: tire valve stem is cracked and was on the recall, air leaked out suddenly and the tire exploded! they also mounted weights on the outside of the mags when they balanced the tire, one weight was actually dug down into the rubber, also, possibly causing the air leak. we had all valve stems replaced, all four were cracked and we found out the only way to truly inspect them was to remove the tire off the rim which the dealership never did do. we are out $275 for two tires, valve stem replacements, balancing and the labor for all this that should have been repaired and handled by the dealership for free due to the recall......not to mention that if he had flipped that car and gotten killed what we would be facing. poorest customer service i have ever seen; dealership should be shutdown by dmv for safety violations and not properly handling a recall notice. (we had to replace two tires because they have 30,000 miles on them and we did not think it would be a good thing just thing to put one new tire on the car! *tr | |||
| 07/11/2008 | 20341 | 1 | |
| Valve stems on 2007 ford mustang failed. *tr | |||
| 12/14/2007 | 20000 | 1 | |
| In early 2007, i experienced the first loss of a tire under mysterious circumstances. i was traveling along at about 60 mph when i experienced sudden loss of pressure in a tire. this was not preceded by any audible chime. perhaps i could not hear same because of traffic noise. over the next 3 months i went through a similar experience on 2 other tires. i went to the internet and found that other people with similar cars had apparent valve stem failure. by this time i had noticed a valve stem with a crack in it. went to my ford dealer and placed a warranty claim with ford. was promptly turned down and treated badly by the dealer service mgr., also. i then filed a better business bureau claim and suddenly ford and the dealer wanted to settle. the settlement was in a satisfactory amount. whenever a vehicle suffers a sudden tire failure, some risk to the occupants is likely to follow. apparently no one has been killed in relation to this problem, thankfully. my mustang was built in february, 2007. *tr | |||
| 12/01/2008 | 12789 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2007 ford mustang. the vehicle has pirelli tires. the contact stated that three tires failed due to the loss of tire pressure. the dealer replaced the first tire failure; however, they would not replace the second one. the contact had to purchase a new tire. recently, a third tire has failed. these were the original tires that were equipped on the brand new vehicle. the contact did not know the remaining tread depth. the vehicle was not driven over any potholes or any other road hazards to cause the failure. no maintenance or service was performed on the tires. the tire size was unknown. the failure mileage was 12,789. | |||
| 11/15/2008 | 11000 | 1 | |
| Three (3) tires will not hold tire pressure; have to be inflated 3 to 5 times per week to maintain tire pressure. *tr | |||
| 10/30/2008 | 16000 | 1 | |
| Tire blow out caused by a faulty (leaking) valve stem, when the remaining 3 were checked - 2 were cracked and one was leaking. *tr | |||
| 09/11/2007 | 5000 | 1 | |
| I currently own a 2007 ford mustang with 13,500 miles on it. less than a year after i bought the car i had only 5,000 miles on it and my tire pressure monitor system went of on a mild september day. i pulled over at a gas station less than a block from when the sensor light came on and found the left rear tire valve stem was cracked at the base where it seats in the rim. i filled the tire and made it another block to a tire repair store, where they replaced actually two valve stems that were bad. i immediately went to my local ford dealership where i bought the car and complained. i was told to call the tire manufacturer as if i was some dumb woman. as a woman working in a mans field as a mechanic i know that tires do not come with valve stems tires come as tire and i argued that with the dealership. they finally agreed to look at the car, and found that the tire going flat ruined the tire pressure monitoring system band and damaged the sidewall of the tire. they agreed to replace the tire pressure monitor band and ordered a replacement tire for me. just a week ago with the 13,000 miles on the car i had the same problem again with the tire pressure monitor system going off and i immediately checked the valve stems and found another valve stem that was cracked apart. i went back to my dealership and they question why it was the left rear tire again as i replied that i had my tires rotated and then they asked if i had curbed the car or tires. i laughed and commented on the lack of scuff marks on the tires. once again they relented and replaced the faulty valve stem at no charge. i am beginning to feel unsafe in my own vehicle and recall the issues that ford had previously with tires and accidents. i do live in the midwest where there is a regular occurrence of snow and ice and i would imagine getting a flat going 55 on a local highway in the winter would be devastating. *tr | |||
| 06/17/2008 | 20000 | 1 | |
| Cracked valve on new 2007 ford mustang. i had two flats in a week. all of the valves were cracked. i replaced them all. *tr | |||
| 07/23/2008 | 1 | ||
| I recently had a valve stem blow on a huge bridge in jacksonville florida. my car is a new 2007 ford mustang., with only 6,000 miles. i had to purchase a new tire to drive home. *tr i took the tire back to the dealership and they inspected my tires to find another valve that was cracked and bad. what is being done? how do i get re-imbursed for the tire that i had to purchase. *tr | |||
| 06/11/2007 | 270 | 1 | 05/18/2007 |
| I had filed a complaint a few weeks ago ( odi# 10192797) about the power steering pump failure on my 2007 mustang gt which had 270 miles on it. the dealership replaced the pump under the warranty and i had mentioned a problem with the front end also. i returned the car to the dealership and to my dismay, was told that they had to replace my front struts, they explained that this was the cause of my alignment issue. they further explained to me that they think that while my car was being transported via train, that they tied the car down too tightly causing stress on the struts and casters causing the alignment and steering wheel issues. the work has been completed and covered under warranty and although the alignment issue has been solved and the steering wheel back in its normal position i have noticed a thumping noise from the right front when going over bumps, almost like a bad strut mount or something. in all fairness to the dealership who is fixing my car, they have been excellent with me and this has all been covered under warranty . my car now has 1,700 miles on it and am worried i may have to swap it out for another which i really do not want to do at this point, it took a lot of research to mix and match all the colors and the options that my car has. *tr | |||
| TIRES - PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS | |||
| 07/29/2011 | 15800 | ||
| My left rear tire lost air while driving down the highway. after several attempts to put keep air in the tire i realized it was the valve stem. i put air in, would hold air when stopped and at highway speed would go flat again. i changed that valve stem, four days later the same thing happened with the left front. this time i checked the others, in the end, all four valve stems were cracked and two failed allowing the tire to lose all air and go flat. i have goodyear f1 supercar tires and 15,800 miles on the car. the valve stem is the ti 414, | |||
| 10/04/2009 | 33000 | 1 | |
| 2007 ford mustang recall notice about the tire valve stem being recalled due to cracking. took the vehicle to the dealership, they took about 5 minutes and looked at the valve stems and said they were fine. few weeks later we got a low tire pressure sensor warning. went back to the dealership. they said the right rear tire just had low air pressure, they put air in it and charged for their inspection? the next day the light was back on....went back to dealer, they said the sensor is unreliable and they see nothing wrong so we had them balance and rotate the tires. oct 4th driving 65 mph down i-20 right rear tire blew out; almost lost control of car, ran out across the grass to get the vehicle stopped and under control. took the tire to the dealer the next morning; they say is blew because it was low in air??? no low pressure light? they already worked on the same tire 3 times...they still refuse. took tire to a tire store: facts are: tire valve stem is cracked and was on the recall, air leaked out suddenly and the tire exploded! they also mounted weights on the outside of the mags when they balanced the tire, one weight was actually dug down into the rubber, also, possibly causing the air leak. we had all valve stems replaced, all four were cracked and we found out the only way to truly inspect them was to remove the tire off the rim which the dealership never did do. we are out $275 for two tires, valve stem replacements, balancing and the labor for all this that should have been repaired and handled by the dealership for free due to the recall......not to mention that if he had flipped that car and gotten killed what we would be facing. poorest customer service i have ever seen; dealership should be shutdown by dmv for safety violations and not properly handling a recall notice. (we had to replace two tires because they have 30,000 miles on them and we did not think it would be a good thing just thing to put one new tire on the car! *tr | |||
| 06/01/2009 | 28000 | 1 | |
| Low tire pressure sensor comes on after a couple of weeks of airing up tires i took to ford who said tires where overinflated so the set it back to the correct air pressure only to get the light back on in a week . this is a serious problem because tires can be over inflated which could cause the tire to explode or cause extremely quick tire wear.{either by over inflating or the low tire pressure} these tires are over inflated only to keep the tire pressure light from coming back on. i also brought up to ford service dept. about the valve stem issue i read , but the looked at me like i was crazy . nobody there heard of that . i am just 1 person but i have a small child and don't want this issue to cause a serious accident thank you *tr | |||
| 03/25/2009 | 10 | 1 | |
| My 2007 ford mustang was shipped without tire air pressure sensors. when i took it to the dealer they wanted me to pay for sensors. *tr | |||
| 11/15/2008 | 11000 | 1 | |
| Three (3) tires will not hold tire pressure; have to be inflated 3 to 5 times per week to maintain tire pressure. *tr | |||
| 09/11/2007 | 5000 | 1 | |
| I currently own a 2007 ford mustang with 13,500 miles on it. less than a year after i bought the car i had only 5,000 miles on it and my tire pressure monitor system went of on a mild september day. i pulled over at a gas station less than a block from when the sensor light came on and found the left rear tire valve stem was cracked at the base where it seats in the rim. i filled the tire and made it another block to a tire repair store, where they replaced actually two valve stems that were bad. i immediately went to my local ford dealership where i bought the car and complained. i was told to call the tire manufacturer as if i was some dumb woman. as a woman working in a mans field as a mechanic i know that tires do not come with valve stems tires come as tire and i argued that with the dealership. they finally agreed to look at the car, and found that the tire going flat ruined the tire pressure monitoring system band and damaged the sidewall of the tire. they agreed to replace the tire pressure monitor band and ordered a replacement tire for me. just a week ago with the 13,000 miles on the car i had the same problem again with the tire pressure monitor system going off and i immediately checked the valve stems and found another valve stem that was cracked apart. i went back to my dealership and they question why it was the left rear tire again as i replied that i had my tires rotated and then they asked if i had curbed the car or tires. i laughed and commented on the lack of scuff marks on the tires. once again they relented and replaced the faulty valve stem at no charge. i am beginning to feel unsafe in my own vehicle and recall the issues that ford had previously with tires and accidents. i do live in the midwest where there is a regular occurrence of snow and ice and i would imagine getting a flat going 55 on a local highway in the winter would be devastating. *tr | |||
| 08/27/2008 | 7500 | 1 | |
| Tire valve stems cracking on new car, only 7 months old and all 4 tire valves where cracked. no accident happened and ford replaced all 4. these are not the same that have been recalled recently. the car has the tire pressure monitoring system with special valves. *tr | |||
| TIRES - SIDEWALL | |||
| 12/01/2007 | 15000 | 1 | 01/17/2007 |
| Sidewall separation occurred at steady-state, interstate, 60mph speed, 15,000 on vehicle new vehicle, tires had been rotated two hours previous, never run underinflated. *tr | |||
| TIRES - VALVE | |||
| 11/29/2009 | 24500 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2007 ford mustang. while driving 15 mph the low tire pressure indicator illuminated on the instrument control panel. he then added air to the tire, but by the end of the day all of the air was released out of the tire. the vehicle was taken to a local repair facility. the mechanic replaced a defective valve stem. he then received a recall notice regarding the valve stems , but a technician stated that no repairs could be performed until the valve stems failed. the current mileage was 24,900. the failure mileage was 24,500. | |||
| 01/14/2009 | 15900 | 1 | |
| My car is a 2007 ford mustang gt and since we purchased it in march 2007, we have had 3 separate issues with the valve stems. in the most recent incident, my son was driving the car and experienced a tire blowout while traveling at highway speeds. when we took the car to the dealer we were told that the problem again came from a cracked valve stem. ford did replace the tire at no charge to us; however i still have concerns about the safety of the vehicle and the remaining valve stems. *tr | |||
| 11/23/2008 | 12000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2007 ford mustang gt premium convertible. i had taken two of my tires to ntb to have the tires replaced with oem tires. i noticed the valve stems cracked on the old tires, and asked to have them replaced. upon driving the car the very next day, one of the new tires lost pressure and went flat on the highway. when i went to replace it with my spare, i noticed the valve stems were not replaced. i immediately called ntb, and they are going to replace the now bad tire with a replacement, and change both valves, which were never replaced. after i got home i noticed that the two original tires that were not replaced have cracked valves. i am going to have these replaced also. the original tires only have 12,000 miles on them. *tr | |||
| 10/19/2008 | 22000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2007 ford mustang that i have to constantly keep adding air to the tires. i thought i just ran something over, but i don't see anything and it seems to be a slow leak in all tires. i recently saw the investigation on the valve stems so i wanted to give my input that i think my car could possibly be affected by this. i called my dealer and said the valve stems could be replaced at my expense only at this time. *tr | |||
| 08/08/2008 | 22000 | 1 | |
| Valve stem failure in 2007 mustang. on aug 3, brought mustang into sears automotive in ocoee. upon inspection of failed tire they found four valve steams failed on the car. *tr | |||
| 06/08/2008 | 1 | ||
| I read an article in the september 2008 consumers reports magazine which described a recall for manufacturer : tech international, nhtsa campaign id number : 08t018000 , for defective tire valves. i had a problem with a defective tire valve recently on my 2007 ford mustang, and now wonder if ford isn't using this same manufacturer of tire valves in their new cars. more details of my incident follow... 1) i was driving at approx. 55 mph on two lane road on a hot (90+) summer day (6/8/08). the low pressure warning light came on, and i pulled over asap to investigate. 2) the driver side rear tire was low. i pumped air into the tire, and noticed the valve stem was cracked at the base where it installs in the alloy rim. it would not hold pressure, so i installed the spare, and drove to a nearby sears to repair the valve stem. 3) i paid $26 for a flat repair - basically they replaced the tire valve. i do not have the old part. the good news is the tire pressure sensor technology saved me from having a high speed flat. i expected to find a nail in my tire, not a faulty valve stem. i have not contacted my local ford dealer at this time. i purchased the car new from ford in april 2007. it is a 2007 ford mustang v6, 4.0l sohc, with approx. 10k miles. the tires are pirelli pzero nero p235/ mounted on alloy wheels. *tr | |||