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 | |||
| 04/07/2011 | 14000 | ||
| Reference nhtsa action number pe 08060.on 7 april, 2011 i had failure of two tire valves and destruction of ome tire. both valves leaking air at point of insertion, ie cracked stems.visited local ford dealer, carbone ford-lincoln on 11 april 2011. was told no recall would fix for a price. told him of nhtsa report and that it was a manufacturing defect and ford should be respnsibe and was ttolg i was being unfair.in my request.got nowhere with forg , they did not even want to inspect problem, just pay or leave. on 12 april 2011, icontacted ford motors by phone and spoke with denise. denise was surprised to hear of such a problem (???) told me the service manager should not have been rude to me and informed me there were no recalls on my vehicle. i told her that the problem was present in vehicles, mercury grand marquis built between december 2006 and march 2007 and that my car was built in march 2007.she said it didnt apply to mine and that i can return to the ford dealer and have it repaired for a price and would get a 12 month warranty with the paid repair.i remedied the situation by purchasing a new set of four tires instead of spending $200 0n one tire i dont like to match th oe michelin lx. i live in snow country and the lx do not go in snow at all. | |||
| 09/16/2010 | 58800 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2007 mercury grand marquis which was equipped with good year assurance comforted tires, tire size 225/70/16. while driving approximately 80 mph, the contact observed that the driver side rear tire began to vibrate excessively. the vehicle was taken to an independent auto tire shop where the technician informed that the rear driver side tire exhibited substantial tread separation with the wire belts visible. the defective tire and the other three tires were replaced on the vehicle by a different manufacturer. the failure mileage was approximately 58,800. the dot was unknown. js | |||
| 12/30/2009 | 15000 | 1 | |
| 2007 mercury marquis with michelin energy lx4 p225-60 r16 tires with 15,000 miles. at 65 mph felt vibration in front end, i started braking and pulling to shoulder when left front tire exploded. inspection of tire showed the outside sidewall blewout. i searched the internet and found several other incidents of this reported. this tire is unsafe and should be immediately investigated. i will take pictures for future reference. the car is still under warranty and i will have the tire replaced. i hope people don't have to die before this gets fixed. *tr | |||
| 10/05/2009 | 18463 | 1 | |
| While traveling on vacation tires deflated to 10 psi and overheated. *tr | |||
| 06/07/2009 | 21000 | 1 | |
| High speed tire failure - june 7 and june 28 - 2007 mercury ls - 21000 miles june 7, 2009 driving i-49 south, lafayette parish, la, temperature about 95. wife only passenger. roadway clear, no debris or thrash, traffic light, without warning, right front deflates. drove about 1/2 mile to exit before stopping. sides of tires still firmly attached to rim. roadside of tire completely separated from sides. there was no noise such as a blowout. on removing tire to change no evidence of a puncture, outside or inside was seen. new tire purchased june 8, 2009. dealer would not give consideration to pro rate . june 28, 2009, 2 passengers, driving right lane i-12 east, east baton rouge parish,la,, 73mph, temperature about 97 degrees. traffic heavy. right rear tire suddenly deflates (no blowout noise) , car swerves slightly into left lane nearly colliding into left lane car. swerve controlled and car driven to left shoulder. too far front exit to drive off. removed wheel, sidewalls still firmly attached to rim. roadside of tire intact. no sign or evidence of puncture outside or inside. tire in each instance had little treadwear. contacted michelin customer service via phone. advised to have dealer examine tire and contact them. bill at delta world tire, 203 guilbeau rd, lafayette, la, on thursday july 3 looked over tire stated several possibilities but could give a definite cause of deflation, same as other (june 8) dealer. no pro rate or free replacement. that did not make any difference as my reporting the incidents. i am scared with my remaining original tires. tire: michelin lx4 ww --225/60r16. *tr | |||
| 05/15/2009 | 4750 | 1 | |
| I purchased a new mercury 2007 grand marquis ls. i have michelin lx4 energy tires. i had a blow out on front left tire at 4700 miles, the side wall came apart. i had a second blow out on front right tire at 5840 miles again side wall came apart. i had third blow out at 6000 miles on left rear same side wall damage, at this time i replaced right rear tire because i was traveling out of my area. i tried to get dealer to replace tires under warranty but they refused and said it was a michelin problem. i replaced tires with michelins which i am sorry i did this. *tr | |||
| 02/24/2009 | 3650 | 1 | |
| Left front tire on my 2007 mercury grand marquis ls blew out while doing approximately 55 mph on highway 85. i slowed down until i could pull off the road onto the shoulder. at the same time i found that the right rear tire was very low.i installed the donut spare on the left front and pumped up the right rear tire and slowly drove to the nearest gas station to inflate both tires to proper pressure. i then went home. the next day i went to my mercury dealer, they inspected the blown out tire and told me that i was driving on an improperly inflated tire and ford motors would not do anything for me ,but they offered to sell me a new tire and mount it at no charge. i left the dealership and went to a tire dealer that i have used on other occasions for tires for other cars,when he went to remove the blown tire from the rim he found that the valve stem was cracked and could have been the cause of the tire failure,i told him about the low pressure in the right rear tire he pressed the valve stem slightly side ways and the air leaked out, he did the same to the other 2 tires and they seemed ok. he removed the right rear tire it shows several worn spots inside and he recommends changing it also. he told me their is a recall on some valve stems,and we checked out info on google and found that my car has the dill-acp tr-414 tire valves, he replaced both tire and all 4 valve stems. i went to my dealer the owner and tire expert said they knew nothing about any valve stem problems. i gave the owner the google print out he said he would check with ford and let me know. that was friday 27 feb 09. today is monday mar 2 09. *tr | |||
| 01/05/2009 | 6221 | 1 | |
| Found tire flat on jan 5, 2009. called aaa who put on spare. then drove to dealer. dealer found tire valve cracked. we purchased new tire. another valve was cracked in july of 2008. called aaa and driver put duct tape on tire valve, pumped up our tire and we went to a tire place that replaced our cracked valve stem. old parts were disposed of by dealer and other tire store. we find this to be a serious safety issue/pattern now and looked at our valve stems that have been recalled by dill. we feel there should be a recall by ford motor company. *tr | |||
| 10/22/2008 | 14800 | 1 | |
| My wife was driving my car to pick up daughter from school. tire blew and is unusable. i checked the tire itself and could not visually find and nail or other cause of puncture. checked stem and found obvious crack. *tr | |||
| 10/03/2008 | 14556 | 1 | |
| I had a tire valve fail. the repair shop pulled the tire apart and the tire was perfect. they said that the valve probably was defective. 2007 mercury grand marquis w michelin tires ( mileage about 14,000 miles). *tr | |||
| 09/16/2008 | 19446 | 1 | |
| 1. driving 53 mph on 3 lane freeway, changed into right lane with light traffic. 2. tire blow out - heard load 'pop' from behind me, checked mirrors for object in lane - could not identify issue. moved to far left lane in anticipation of need for break-down lane. traveled approx 1/4 mile, could feel right real rub of tire. pulled of road. 3. contacted aaa, van sent, tire changed to donut. no visible shredding. aaa drivers stated it appeared to be side wall failure. we replaced both rear tires and are maintaining this 'blown out' tire. *tr | |||
| 09/01/2008 | 9040 | 1 | |
| I have a 2007 vehicle which i purchased new in december 2006. the vehicle has been driven just over 9,000 miles and, without warning, a tire valve stem failed and the tire lost all air pressure . my mechanic replaced the defective valve. the day after the failure, a friend pointed out a magazine article regarding defective tire valve stems. *tr | |||
| 07/25/2008 | 1 | ||
| Flat tire caused by defective valve stem and required replacing tire and valve stem. *tr | |||
| 05/28/2008 | 20000 | 1 | |
| On may 28, 2007, the passenger side rear tire went flat on my 2007 mercury marquis, the tire repair shop said the valve stem was bad. on june 8, 2008 the driver side rear tire went flat and it was also a bad valve stem. the car was bought used with app. 16,000 miles and i am sure the tires are the original from the factory. as a precaution i replaced the two remaining valve stems. *tr | |||
| TIRES - PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS | |||
| 10/15/2007 | 12000 | 1 | |
| I bought a 2007 mercury grand marquis program car in sept 2007 from a ford dealer. when i bought it it had 10,000 miles on the odometer and the original tires which were in great shape. within the first 2 months of ownership two dill valve stems failed, in each case creating a dangerous driving situation and in each case costing me approximately $200 to replace the associated tire. after the second failure i had the remaining 2 valve stems replaced and they too showed signs of cracking. i feel dill owes me $400. *tr | |||
| 10/03/2008 | 14556 | 1 | |
| I had a tire valve fail. the repair shop pulled the tire apart and the tire was perfect. they said that the valve probably was defective. 2007 mercury grand marquis w michelin tires ( mileage about 14,000 miles). *tr | |||
| 08/01/2008 | 23000 | 1 | |
| During the month of aug 08 i had 3 flat tires. in each case the tire went flat while traveling on a roadway at speed. each flat was caused by a valve stem failure (cracked and leaked)the first failure seemed like a normal event, the second seemed questionable , the third was absolute confirmation of a clear problem with the valve stems. the valve stems were replaced on the 3 tires as well as the 4th before another valve stem failure. the 3 tires that went flat sustained sidewall damage. the valve stems on this vehicle were clearly defective and potentially very dangerous to the operation of this vehicle (or any vehicle with these type of valve stems) by an inexperienced operator. *tr | |||
| TIRES - VALVE | |||
| 08/24/2009 | 23000 | 1 | 11/16/2007 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2007 mercury grand marquis. while driving 60 mph the passenger front tire lost air. he was able to safely exchange the tires. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the valve stems were replaced on all four tires at an expense of $63.00. the manufacturer was notified, and he will be reimbursed for the valve stems. the failure mileage was 23,000. the current mileage was 25,000. updated 10/21/09. *lj updated 10/20/09 | |||
| 12/11/2008 | 18400 | 1 | 10/10/2007 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2007 mercury grand marquis. the vehicle has dill-acp tr-413 tire valves. while driving approximately 70 mph, the vehicle began riding roughly. he pulled the vehicle to the side of the road and noticed bulges in the front passenger side tire and a fractured valve stem. he took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the valve stem was manufactured defectively. he is in the process of replacing the front driver's side and rear passenger tires. the contact still has possession of the failed component. the failure and current tire mileages were 18,000. updated 01/14/09. *lj the consumer stated the tire went flat. updated 01/21/09.*jb | |||
| 10/10/2008 | 26000 | 1 | 10/12/2007 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2007 mercury grand marquis. the vehicle has tech international tr414 valve stems. the contact discovered that the front passenger side tire was flat. an independent mechanic replaced the valve stem under recall for free. on a separate occasion, the front driver's side tire flattened. roadside assistance changed the tire and also replaced the valve stem, which was found to be defective. on the third occasion, while driving less than 60 mph, the contact could hear the rear passenger tire losing air. she was able to pull off the road. it was discovered that the tire was affected by the valve stem, which pertained to nhtsa campaign id number 08t018000 (tires:valve). ford refused to assist because the vehicle was not brought to them first for repairs. the failure mileage was 26,000 and current mileage was less than 27,000. updated 12/1/08 *cn updated 12/05/08. *jb | |||
| 04/10/2008 | 5945 | 1 | |
| In april, the left front tire on my mercury grand marquis went suddenly flat at high speed on an interstate. the problem was a separation of the valve stem. dealer replaced valve stem and tire under warranty. in october, my right front time went suddenly flat, again at high speed on an interstate. problem was again separation of the valve stem. my subsequent inspection disclosed that both rear valve stems were cracked and about to separate as well. dealer replaced 3 valve stems and tire under warranty. i believe the failures can be traced to tech international model tr413 valve stems, which i understand were original equipment on my vehicle and have had numerous failures. i would urge nhtsa to issue an immediate recall on vehicles with those valve stems . mileage on my vehicle at second failure was 5945. *tr | |||
| 07/15/2008 | 16500 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2007 mercury grand marquis. the vehicle has tech international, model tr413 valve stems. the contact was informed on several occasions that the tires were flat on her vehicle. two valve stems were replaced in the original michelin tires. the dealer then replaced all four tires due to the flat tires. the serial number, purchase date, part number, and vin were unknown. the current mileage was 16,952 and failure mileage was 16,500. | |||
| 07/22/2008 | 11200 | 1 | 05/01/2007 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2007 mercury grand marquis. the contact stated that there was a defective valve stem on the front passenger side tire. the valve stem cracked on the tire, which caused it to deflate while parked in his driveway. he called aaa and they changed the tire. after inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the valve stem was ruptured on the side. he then took the vehicle to the dealer and they replaced all four valve stems under warranty. a mechanic stated that the chinese valve stems were an issue, which were replaced at least 4-5 times a week. the current and failure mileages were approximately 11,200. updated 09/16/08 *bf updated 09/19/08. *jb | |||