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 | |||
| 06/01/2010 | 35801 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2007 mercury milan. the contact stated that he noticed the rear passenger side tire was flat. while inspecting the tire he noticed the valve stem was cracked. the contact also noticed the same failure on each other tire. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop where all four valve stems were replaced. the failure and current mileages were 35,801. sm. | |||
| 01/08/2010 | 19839 | 1 | |
| Blowout of rear tire on driver's side. we had exited the new york state thruway about 10 minutes prior and luckily the blowout occurred on a back road which was not heavily traveled. the mechanic sent by aaa to change the tire advised the tire was defective. my vehicle is a 2007 mercury milan purchased in 05/2007 and at that time had slightly less than 20,000 miles so it is still under warranty. i took the tire to the ford dealership where i purchased the car and they took photos of the tire and sent them over the internet to receive approval to replace the tire. ford denied the request. i contacted a local michelin dealer and was advised if ford had denied replacement, there was nothing that could be done. since ford would not honor the warranty, i purchased a new tire from the mechanic who has done all my auto repairs for almost 20 years. he also indicated the tire was definitely defective. *tr | |||
| 11/01/2008 | 17000 | 1 | |
| Since november 2008, i've had to buy two new tires and replace the valve stems on the other two tires on my 2007 mercury milan. faulty valve stems cost me $450 on a car that wasn't even two years old. the mechanics who worked on my car all informed me of the bad valve stems that went out in 2007, so why as an owner was i never told about this problem when i purchased the car? isn't it the manufacturer's responsibility to inform the customer or be pro-active and replace the tires? *tr | |||
| 03/17/2007 | 1 | ||
| I have a 2007 mercury milan and i have been bothered by slow leaks in the tires since i purchased the car in march 2007. the tire pressure decreases at a slow rate, causing me to refill the tires to bring them to proper pressure every few days. i saw an article concerning the tire valves for these ford products and believe my situation is the same. *tr | |||
| 09/26/2008 | 23950 | 1 | |
| On 9/9/08 we were traveling to the airport when our tire completely disintegrated. we had that tire replaced. on 9/26/08 a second tire was separating from the sidewall. in less than 25000 miles on our vehicle we are having to replace a third tire. there was no damage because we caught it in time and used wisdom. one tire is available for inspection it is at the dealer at the moment. the other tire was completely shredded and was repaired at a different location. the first tire replaced was flat and leaking at the sidewall. it was replaced some time ago. *tr | |||
| 04/27/2008 | 13000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2007 mercury milan. the vehicle has michelin p235/55r17 tires. on three separate occasions, the tires flattened. the valve stems were replaced on each tire. the dot number was unknown. the current mileage was 17,000 and failure mileage was 13,000. | |||
| TIRES - PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS | |||
| 09/13/2008 | 30000 | 1 | |
| I am a victim of the chinese valve stem issue with ford vehicles. fortunately, i was traveling at a low speed when the tire went down. i put on the spare and drove home. when i got home i noticed the valve stem was cracked. i put in a new stem, and went to inflate the tire, only to find out that there was a hole in the sidewall, so the tire was no good. today i looked at the rest of the wheels, and inspected the remaining stems, all were cracked. the car is a 2007, and was placed in service on march 2007 in syracuse, ny, and had 30,000 miles on it, with the original tires. i do mostly highway driving. *tr | |||
| TIRES - VALVE | |||
| 09/13/2008 | |||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2007 mercury milan. on numerous occasions, the tires would lose complete air pressure. the failure increased the risk of a crash. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the valve stems were defective and needed to be replaced. the contact has replaced all of the valve stems, except for the rear driver's side. the manufacturer did not assist. the valve stem information was unknown. the failure mileage was 5,000 and current mileage was 12,000. | |||
| 09/13/2008 | 30000 | 1 | |
| I am a victim of the chinese valve stem issue with ford vehicles. fortunately, i was traveling at a low speed when the tire went down. i put on the spare and drove home. when i got home i noticed the valve stem was cracked. i put in a new stem, and went to inflate the tire, only to find out that there was a hole in the sidewall, so the tire was no good. today i looked at the rest of the wheels, and inspected the remaining stems, all were cracked. the car is a 2007, and was placed in service on march 2007 in syracuse, ny, and had 30,000 miles on it, with the original tires. i do mostly highway driving. *tr | |||