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 | |||
| 06/11/2010 | 69000 | ||
| 2 tires with sidewall stress issues in a period of 10 months 12,000 miles i spoke to the tire company who advised me that i probably hit a curb or pot hole which caused a knot on the side of the tire, which did not happen. i had rapid deflation while traveling down the road on the first incident. good luck had the tire on the rear of the vehicle and lose of control was minimal. the second, i was able to detect early. i had to dispose of the first tire when i had it replaced. i felt this may have been a just by chance incident, however when this ocurred to the second tire, i now feel otherwise. just wanted to know if this had been reported in this tire line yet. | |||
| 08/24/2010 | 20693 | ||
| On 24 august my front right tire blew out as if it were a retread (i still have the tire. it | |||
| 09/30/2008 | 7902 | 1 | |
| 1. on september 1st, my tire pressure on my car suddenly went down and i blew out the front passenger side tire. i took it in to the ford dealer the next day and they repaired the tire valve stem free of charge because they said it was defective. today (09/30/08) i was driving down the highway and my back passenger tire went flat. i took it in to the ford dealer after i checked the valve stem and saw that it was cracked all around the base. i told them about the previous event and told them i was sure it was the valve stem. they called me back and said that there was no way they could know because i had run the tire while it was flat and it would not be warranted. they would not even check the valve for me. they said i would have to wait 3 days to get the tire in stock and i told them i have to commute to work and i could not drive on a doughnut for 3 days. they sent me to a tire dealer in town that would have that size (but not the same brand) tire in stock. i went there and they fixed it but it cost me $172 and they showed me my other 2 driver's side tire valve stems were cracked and the back driver's side valve stem was about to come off. now i have to go back to the ford dealer and hope they replace them without a fight. 2. this has occurred 2 times now with another 2 guaranteed if i do not take action now. 3. the first tire ford replaced only the valve stem (and they put one that was way too long on my tire so now it is fixed but it sticks out which i am sure is another hazard). the second one, the valve stem could not be repaired because the tire was unsafe to drive on. i had to go to a tire dealer and have them put on a brand-new different brand of tire. *tr | |||
| TIRES - PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS | |||
| 09/26/2008 | 18000 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2008 ford mustang. while driving at any speed, the tire pressure light illuminates on the instrument panel, even when there is no failure with the tire pressure. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the junction box needed to be replaced. after the repairs were performed, the failure still persists. the current mileage was 29,376 and failure mileage was 18,000. updated 09/14/09. *lj updated 09/16/09.*jb | |||