Warning issued on faulty tire valve stems following rollover death
The death of a Florida man in a rollover accident coupled with the recall of faulty tire valve stems made in China has prompted at least one safety expert to caution consumers to check vehicle wheels to make sure they don't contain the rubber replacement tire valve stems. The valves may crack prematurely and lead to serious crashes, says Sean Kane, president of Safety Research and Strategies in Rehoboth, Mass.
One U.S. distributor, Tech International, recently issued a recall of 6 million of the Chinese-made valve stems, which have been tentatively linked to the fatal rollover crash of an SUV in Orlando last year. The valve stems were made for Dill Air Control Products of Oxford, N.C. by Shanghai Baolong Industries Co. in China.
On November 11, Robert Monk of Orlando, Fla. died when the right rear tire of his 1998 Ford Explorer failed, triggering a rollover crash. The failure of the tire, which was installed in the fall of 2006, has been linked to a cracked Dill TR-413 valve stem manufactured by a subsidiary of Shanghai Baolong Industries for Dill Air Control Products. In March, the Monk family filed suit against Dill Air Control Products, alleging that the defective tire valve stem caused the crash.
On May 15, the National Highway Traffic Safety administration opened an investigation of the valve stems.
Dill has told NHTSA that as many as 30 million of the suspected valve stems have been distributed in the North American market. The suspect valve stems identified by Dill include its TR-413, TR-413 chrome, TR-414 and TR-418 models, which were manufactured between August 2006 and November 2006. (The valve stem is a rubber tube with a metal valve used to inflate the tire with air.)
Cracks in valve stems can cause tires to lose air quickly, and such air loss at highway speeds can result in tire failure and a loss-of-control crash.
Most consumers will have a have a hard time figuring out with any certainty if they have any of the defective valve stems on their tires, however. That's because once a valve stems is installed, the only way to check to see if it is one of the suspected models is to dismount the tire from the wheel and inspect if from the inside.
"Once they are out of the box and on a vehicle there is no tracking for these products so you can’t notify owners," says Kane. He advises any motorist who has had a tire replaced since July 2006 to immediately have their valves inspected for signs of cracking.
"Radial tires do not show signs of under inflation by a visual inspection until they are significantly under inflated, at which point the tire may have sustained irreparable damage," says Kane. "Motorists may not realize that they are driving on tires that are under inflated and overloaded."
Eugene Petersen, program leader for tire testing at Consumer Reports, says the difficulty in identifying the faulty valve stems represents a real problem for consumers.
"I can't imagine tire shops or service centers would have kept any records on any valve stems they may have installed on a vehicle," says Petersen. "That apparently means the tire will have to be removed from the wheel to identify the manufacturer of the valve stem. That brings you to the question of who will pay for all this."
At a minimum Petersen says motorists should conduct a visual inspection of their valve stems to check for cracks. To do this, he say, remove the hubcap (if there is one) and move the top of the stem around, checking for any sign of cracks in the base of the stem where it meets the wheel.
Petersen says newer vehicles with direct tire pressure monitoring systems require special valve stems, unlike the generic-type valve stems that are involved in this recall.
Both Petersen and Kane say consumers who have had their tires replaced since the summer of 2006 should have the valve stems checked for any signs of cracking. Ideally, they say, consumers should have the tire removed from the wheel and checked by a professional to make sure the valve is not one of the defective models.
Photos of the defective valve stems can be found on the Web site of the Newsome Law Firm, which is representing the family in the lawsuit.
Motorists should report valve stem failures on the Web site of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or by calling NHTSA at 888-327-4236.
Posted by: Mark | Jul 2, 2009 1:27:48 AM
The American industry sold us out by using made in China and trusting their workmanship.
Posted by: Mark | Jul 1, 2009 11:49:31 AM
This happened to me today. I was not aware of this recall. The tire dealer knew immediately upon inspection that this was the problem. Now I have to pay 8 per wheel to have them all replaced.
Posted by: Tom McFarland | May 27, 2009 8:46:40 AM
They won't outwardly notify you about the issue because it's cheaper (alot) to let the general media do it. After news gets out about the problem, they will wait as long as they can so the consumers have time to sift and flay the problem at their own cost. Only after some heavy pressure will it be time to act. This is what industry is turning to. There's GOLD in that type of business. It's easy...Time is money!
Posted by: Rick Moulton | May 4, 2009 2:17:41 PM
Two tires that I purchased two years ago blew up on the expressway within a few hours of each other. Neither company I replaced them with mentioned the valve stem issue. Just yesterday I came outside and a third tire was flat. On this one the valve stem was obviously leaking. Now I am trying to recover some of the money I lost and I am very thankful the car didn't flip when the first two tires blew. WHY WASN'T I NOTIFIED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM!
Posted by: Snow | May 4, 2009 10:44:23 AM
By the way, my car is a 2007 Ford Fusion.
Posted by: Snow | May 4, 2009 10:42:50 AM
In Feb, my front left tire went flat, the FORD dealership told me it was the valve stem, and that any number of things could have happened to it. FOUR Weeks later, the SAME tire went flat again, both times I had people in the car with me, and Lord knows what could have happened. I went back to the dealership and accused them of not changing the part the way they said, and the guy apologized and said that the would replace it for me again, he stated that there were no discernable causes as to why the valve stem cracked. Yesterday, I go out to my car and notice that the two tires on the passenger side are low, sure enough, the valve stems on both tires were rotted. I then did research, and FORD knew about the valve stems, but didn't recall, they were supposed to send letters, but where's mine?
Posted by: Mark Viator | May 2, 2009 2:34:22 PM
I had a tire fail from a defective valve stem on the capitol beltway near Washington, D.C. at night in a construction zone during a thunderstorm. I'm lucky to be alive. When I took the tire to the NTB store that installed the new tires two years ago I was unaware of the valve stem recall or the fact they might be defective. The NTB person became very defensive and said that I probably hit a curb or something. After examining the tire he said the valve stem was "dry rotted from exposure to sunlight" and would do nothing to correct it. He never mentioned the recall or the inspection and replacement program. I drove for almost a week before I realized I probably have three other defective valve stems. The amazing part of this is that NTB had no financial incentive what so ever to not replace the valve stems and tire since the replacements were covered by Dill or Tech International. NTB is even listed on the tirevalverecall.net web site as a participating retailer for the inspection and replacement program.
Posted by: Joe from Pennsylvania | Apr 12, 2009 12:13:02 PM
I have had 2 tire failures while the vehicle was in motion in the last 2 years after never having had a tire failure while in motion since starting to drive 50 years ago. One failure on a tandem axle boat trailer with new tires, and more recently on the left rear tire on my wife's Volvo wagon at highway speed, that had been recently repaired after picking up a screw. I was able to stop safely both times but both tires were destroyed and I was puzzled at the sudden bad luck with tires. I am very fussy with our vehicles and use only brand name tires and check tire pressures regularly. I just heard about these faulty valve stems from our friends in China. I think I may have found the reason for these failures. Why don't Americans wise up and start making things here again so we can be assured of better quality. I would gladly pay more to know what I was getting was the best. When I can find something made someplace else besides China that is what I buy. The problem is so may things are beyond the consumers control,like these valve stems. Where is the Highway Transportation Safety people? I would gladly pay a couple bucks more for peace of mind and to pay American level salaries.
Posted by: John | Apr 6, 2009 12:33:37 PM
I have a 2006 Ford Fusion with Michelin 17 in. wide sport radials w 36k on them.
Since Jan of this year I have had 4 flat tires, most recently this morning when my wife called to tell me she got a blowout on I-4 heading to Orlando .What is left of the tire is only the riding tread on the wheel the sidewalls were gone. I do not know if it is the stems but here is my scenerio . Flat tire one left rear had a screw, although the repair shop indicated it had just broken thru the surface, number two was the same tire and I was told the stem that was faulty, Number three was the left front with a screw, again just breaching thru the tread the step was replaced but I did not think to ask if the stem was the problem, number 4 was a complete blowout this morning and only the tread portion was left on the wheel. I really think that a loss of air caused the tire to explode.
Does anyone know who I would approach on this, my auto dealer said it is pretty hard to determine if it was not road hazard, faulty tire or faulty stem.. Does anyone know if the stems in question are original equip on Ford Vehicles.
Geting a flat tire when i drive is one thing but when my wife is drvig alone at highway speed that is scary. and Michelin are supposed to be have the best safety record??
Posted by: Jan Ignacio | Mar 27, 2009 10:26:52 PM
I also just walked outside to see one of my tires on my 2002 Honda Civic EX completely deflated, and upon closer inspection, with a faulty tire valve. I echo a lot of other people here; I drove at least 40 miles today, and I'm lucky to be alive to say that I just found out about the valve now. I'm hoping to get the tire shop replace all of the tires for free because of this issue; yet, this will definitely keep me a bit paranoid with my tires for a while.
Posted by: Linda | Mar 25, 2009 11:44:56 AM
I had 3 flat tires in 3 days -- the tires were not old and were in good shape. I was NEVER contacted by the dealer from whom I purchased them. All 4 valve stems were replaced -- a bit too late. At least I wasn't injured. One tire was replaced free of charge -- one of the others I paid for. How was this allowed to go on? Does no one care?
Posted by: Al Robair | Jan 5, 2009 1:59:41 PM
I had both tires on my boat trailer have valve stem blow outs so watch your other toys.
Posted by: matt freeman | Dec 19, 2008 8:43:44 PM
who makes valve stems for michelin tires? who is leading expert for faulty valve stems?
Posted by: p.j carnright | Oct 20, 2008 6:21:35 PM
sat. night 10-18-08 i had the two right tires on my toyota pick up blow out on rt. 95 this was quite an experiance it cost me 275,oo dollars and as they were checking the other two tires a third valve stem let go all four were DILL ACP 7710 TR413 WITH VERIOUS NUMBERS AFTER THE 7710
watch out i had no warning such as soft tires.
Posted by: Tina | Oct 16, 2008 6:55:09 PM
Jason: Tech International will replace the valve stems with non-defective valve stems. Further, if a defective valve stem has caused structural damage to a tire, the tire will be replaced as necessary. The recall began on May 13, 2008. Owners may contact Tech International at 1-740-967-9015.
Posted by: emilio garcia jr | Oct 15, 2008 8:54:45 AM
ihave a 2008 avalanche i have taken it back to the dealer about 4 or 5 times and i contact good year and they can notfind out why the tires all 4 or losing 5 to 6 pounds every 3 to 4 days.can you help me. thank you emilio garcia
Posted by: JD | Oct 14, 2008 12:04:47 AM
10.l3.2008
I am surprise that this information has not hit the news media outlets. This need to be address before people get hurt. I am out $120 but I am alive.
Posted by: Jason | Oct 10, 2008 7:53:07 PM
I purchased 4 new tires from Merchant's tires on 7/7/07. On 9/8/08 my wife got to work and a co-worker noticed she had a flat drivers side tire. She had a co-worker pick up some fix a flat and when she went to use it she noticed that the valve stem was messed up. She put the spare on and took the tire to the local Merchants. They said the tire had to be replaced becasue she had drove on the tire while it was flat so we had to buy a new tire. We were never told about the valve stem issue or I would have made them replace the tire for free. ABout a week after the other front tire was flat. I took it to another Merhcants and they said the valve stem had to be replaced. Still never was informed about the valve stem issue. My mother in law was searching the web for new tires and she noticed that Merchant's had a warning about the Dill valve stems. I called them concerning my issues and wanted a refund for the tire I had to replace. They informed me for a refund it would have to go through Dill Valve Stems. I am trying to find a number to get my refund on a tire I had to purcahse becasue of a valve stem issue that was their fault. Does anyone know a number or who needs to be contacted in order to get a refund on the tire I Had to purchase?
Thanks,
Jason
Posted by: Ben W | Oct 8, 2008 10:28:51 AM
After my third flat in a 6 weeks time period--this one with my grandaughters in the car--I decided to look into replacing my relatively new tires. I found information on the tire company's website about the Chinese tire stem recall and their willingness to inspect and replace stems installed between August 2006 and October of 2007. Unfortunately, the company apparently has not instructed its personnel to inform customers, check for purchase dates, or to inspect stem valves on unaffected tires. Although I had a valve stem problem, I was not told of the recall and my other tires with the same defective stem valves were not checked--leading to a rapid flat at highway speeds in 6 lanes of traffic with my family in the car.
I have filed a complaint with NHTSA calling for an immediate mandatory recall that would force informing consumers of the situation, I have talked with the tire company and gotten promises of action (and their informing me--which has not happened), and am contacting my auto club to let them know they could save themselves numerous emergency assistance calls and save money and lives.
I have no proof, but I suspect that if tires have low pressure, are driven at highway speeds, maybe in hot weather, after a certain length of time, that the valve stems. fail. Look at the number of people here who experienced multiple tire failures in a short period of time like me. Call your tire company, file a complaint with NHTSA, do whatever you can to let people know that a tiny, cheap component on their cars can threaten their lives.
Posted by: juanita andrews | Sep 23, 2008 12:29:26 PM
On September 22,2008 I walked outside my house only to find out I had another flat tire. The 3rd one in 3 months. AAA came out to repair it. It was the stem vavle again. Why didn't Sears replace all of them the 1st time. I'm sure they knew about the recall. I purchased my tires from Sears. I could have gotten killed on the highway. Thanks God for saving me. I purchased my tires in March of 2007. Michelin the best.
Posted by: Juanita F Andrews | Sep 22, 2008 7:09:56 PM
Today is Monday September 22,2008
I just had AAA come to my house to change a flat tire. I bought my Michelen Tires from Sears in March 2007. I have had (this makes 3) flat tires since July 2008. It was the stem valve for 2 of them. After reading the article about the death of the man from Florida I thank God for watching over me. Each time my car was parked, and I or my son noticed that I had a flat tire. Sears should have replaced them all when that (1 tire) was flat. I would not have none about the recall if it wasn't for the AAA technichian
Posted by: Whitey | Sep 22, 2008 12:58:31 AM
I got a letter from Discount Tires about this last week. Unfortunately, Sears wasn't as smart. I have had two sets of four valve stems installed by Sears. After five flat tires, they finally put in good valve stems.
I suppose my experience with Sears could be worse. I could be dead.
Posted by: Kwame L. | Sep 19, 2008 4:41:34 PM
Jeez, I wish I read this a few months back. I bought four new tires from Sears in June '07 and I found out this morning that my other stems are cracking. I had already replaced one two weeks ago thinking some kids pranked me by letting the air out while I was parked in a garage. Yesterday I got a flat coming back from work due to another cracked stem! This morning it finally hit me that I should check out the other tires and sure enough a quick inspection showed that they are about to go as well. Good thing they died when the car was parked. I'm definitely going to grab the serial numbers this time. Check your stems for cracks people!
Posted by: Al | Sep 10, 2008 8:30:08 AM
Thanks to this blog post, I inspected the valve stems on my wife's Honda Odyssey, which were installed in June 2007, and all were faulty. I didn't get to see inside of the valve stem, but all the valve caps had "DILL" written on them.
My tire shop replaced all four valve stems, no questions asked.
You can see photos of the cracked valve stems and the valve cap on my blog at www.GearheadLife.com.
Thanks CR.
Posted by: E DANIELS | Sep 9, 2008 4:57:47 PM
Tire Destroyed,tires only have 24,000 mi .After replacing tire,found no reason what could have caused the tire to blow,noticed that all valve stems on car were cracked! Had all valve stems replaced because they were bad. Had tire shop give me the stems and the tire until this could be farther investigated.Contacted NHTSA for farther instructions.