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.

Comments

[Theodore]

That's a very situation and even scarier knowing that 30 million of the suspected valve stems have been distributed in the North American market. This is the first I have heard of this and the report is out for anyone who purchased a car past 2006. From this, I am assuming there are millions of owners who are also unaware and could be at risk. I need to go get my tire tubes and valve stems checked out as soon as possible.

[SR]

Our leased 2007 Chevrolet Equinox includes a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) with aluminum tire valve stems made in China. 3 have oxidized and crumbled in the past year. The person I spoke with at GM "never" heard of this defect. However, the Ministry of Transportation has had "numerous complaints" and are investigating.
In the meantime, we have to drive our Equinox with little time-bombs on our tires. Any Grade 8 metal shop student knows that untreated aluminum oxidizes and becomes BRITTLE!
Why does GM continue to replace this defected part with the same defected part? Do customers have to crash and die first? Like the Ford/Bridgestone cover-up in the 90's?

Something stinks.

[Bryan]

Just had a major blowout on a trailer tire on the freeway. Trailer is only one year old. Heavily damaged the tire and rim. Upon inspection of the other tires..I found the valve stems cracked and deteriorated. I dismounted the surviving tires and replaced all the valve stems myself with genuine made in the USA stems. I always avoid any products made in China. Look at their track record. (leaded paint on toys, melanine contaminated milk products, contaminated toothpaste,...) All for the the profit of the Chinese manufacturers and the US distributors.

[Marty Dunham]

9/24/09 - My friend just bought 8 new tires for the motor home. I just found out that 7 out of 8 are losing air only weeks later. A local dealer said that it appeared to be the valve stems leakaing. Is it possible that the RV repair place where the tires were purchased never sent the recalled tires back? Are the defective valves found on motor homes tires as well? Please let me know.
Thank you!
Marty

[Marshall Carrr]

Right front Tire Failure on I-95 northbound high speed lane just north of 495 loop while driving towards Baltimore on a Sunny Sunday pm, Sept 2007. Called AAA, 2 plus hours to get service. Moved car off left lane as far as possible and changed myself. Tire Dealer ( CJ's Tire, Kimberton, PA )next day confirmed the failure to a bad valve stem. Tires were replacements for original tires which included / replaced valve stems. All tire dealers now insist upon changing the valve stems. Were the aftermarket stems as good as the OEM stems. Probably not. I will have them all inspected and replaced if needed.

[Doug W.]

I purchased a 2009 Honda Civic with original tire stems (metal tips appear to be aluminum). When the check tire pressure light came on my dashboard, I checked and air-filled my tires. When I went to remove the air filler hose from one tire, the metal portion of a tire stem snapped right off. Neither Honda nor Bridgestone/Firestone will take responsibility for warranteeing a repair. To the merit of Bridgestone's defense, the actual tire stem is a Honda part with a price tag in the range of $170 alone! (not including service to install it) I am very dissappointed in the run around I have gotten from Honda, and I am not likely to buy one of their new products again anytime in the near future as a result. I will most likely resort to having a new stem replaced without the sensor (even though this will cause a tire pressure warning to remain on all the time). From what I have read here, it may be safer for me to replace all 4 stems with a better quality product to prevent a catastrophic high speed incident.

[Janice (Mize) Jesse]

Aug 13, 2009

Had a totally flat tire this morning. AAA came out and changed to spare. Took the tire into Sears for repair. Was told there was a recall on the Valve Stem and that was the problem with the tire. Tire in question was on the front driver side. The right passenger tire was repaired a few months back and I was told it had a nail. I am thinking now was the stem valve. Both front tires kept losing air. I never was told there was a recall until today and was told no way to track what tires they were on. Think this is BS. There is a problem with companies not taking responsibility for their product. I will calling Sears here shortly to voice my complaint and if I get injured in an accident I am advising my family to sue.

[Pat]

Please note the following information taken from the National Highway Safety Transportation Association's Defects and Recalls pages.
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/results.cfm?rcl_id=08T018&searchtype=quicksearch&summary=true&refurl=email

Remedy:
TECH INTERNATIONAL WILL REPLACE THE VALVE STEMS WITH NON-DEFECTIVE VALVE STEMS FREE OF CHARGE. 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.
Notes:
CUSTOMERS MAY CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

[nal]

I have had 3 stem valves fail in 3 months whats up w that?

[Doug Potosi Mo]

As a Master Certified Automotive Technician i need to add a few things to help with some confusion, first of all, no tire maker uses a specific type of stem. most places buy the stems at wholesale and of course, takes the best deal. ANY part on a vehicle thats made of rubber can and WILL crack and fail due to the enviroment. Take time to check your tires, valve stems, hoses
belts ect... A serpentine belt for example should not have more than three small cracks within a one inch space. Im in no way defending the makers of these valves, apperantly they used a substandard mix of rubber for that application, but this can happen from any rubber device. It only takes a few minutes to check for cracks, and can save your and others lives. A crack wont happen overnight unless there has been some sort of impact on that spot, like tapping a curb, potholes, ect... So play it smart and look over your vehicle, you dont have to know anything about cars to see a crack in rubber.

[Mark]

The American industry sold us out by using made in China and trusting their workmanship.

[Mark]

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.

[Tom McFarland]

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!

[Rick Moulton]

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!

[Snow]

By the way, my car is a 2007 Ford Fusion.

[Snow]

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?

[Mark Viator]

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.

[Joe from Pennsylvania]

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.

[John]

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??

[Jan Ignacio]

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.

[Linda]

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?

[Al Robair]

I had both tires on my boat trailer have valve stem blow outs so watch your other toys.

[matt freeman]

who makes valve stems for michelin tires? who is leading expert for faulty valve stems?

[p.j carnright]

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.

[Tina]

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.