At Least 30 Million Defective Tire Valve Stems On Certain Tires Manufacturered In China Can Fail Prematurely

Defective Tire Valves Made In China Pose Safety Risk
*Editor's Note: Yesterday, while washing a Family automobile, this author inadvertently nudged the valve stem of one its tires and found that the rubber seal around the stem easily cracked and allowed air to escape from the tire.

After putting the spare tire on, the car was taken over to the local mechanic, who found that all of the valve stems were defective, and then replaced the valve stems on all all four tires (plus the spare). The mechanic also stated that there was a defect in the valve stems of certain Chinese manufactured tires, which had already led to at least one vehicle rolling over and killing its driver.

"The American distributor of the valve stems, Dill Air Control, '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.)"

This author posts this information on this blog in the event that any of my readers own tires which have any of the valve stems in question. The tire manufacturers have stated that it is impossible for owners to determine if the defective valve stems are installed on tires which they've purchased, unless they remove the tire from the wheel, which is why the tire manufacturers claim to have never contacted the owners of these tires.

According to the manufacturers, there are still millions of these defective valve stems installed on tires which are presently in use.

And since the only sure way that one can determine if their tire has a defective valve stem is to remove the tire from the wheel, the simplest way for owners to check the valve stems on their vehicles' tires is by grasping the valves between the thumb and forefinger, and moving them back and forth. If a valve stem is ready to give way, it will easily crack and separate from the tire, expelling air. As previously stated, aside from removing the tire from the wheel, checking the valve stem by moving it back and forth is the only way to ensure that the valve stem is not ready to crack.

"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.)"

The Following Article Was Sourced From Consumer Reports:

Consumer Reports Defective Tire Valve Stems From China


June 17, 2008
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.

Source Of Article:

Consumer Reports Defective Tire Valve Stems From China