Investigations
TIRE VALVE OZONE CRACKING
NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA08022 - closed, opened 2008-09-23.
NHTSA investigation EA08022 is a Engineering Analysis opened on 2008-09-23 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2008-12-12 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
An Engineering Analysis like EA08022 is the deeper technical phase that follows a PE. NHTSA requests design, warranty, and field-failure data from the manufacturer, conducts its own testing when needed, and determines whether the evidence supports a safety defect finding that would compel a recall.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "BY LETTER DATED DECEMBER 5, 2008, DILL SUBMITTED A REPORT TO ODI IDENTIFYING A DEFECT RELATED TO OZONE CRACKING IN TWO PRODUCTION LOTS OF TIRE VALVE STEMS THAT WERE MANUFACTURED IN CHINA BY TOPSEAL AUTO-PARTS IN JULY 200..." Investigations are the early-warning layer of the federal auto-safety system, sitting upstream of formal recalls and defect orders. Whether this one closes without action or escalates into an Engineering Analysis, the full history stays in the ODI archive so researchers, litigators, and buyers can pull the paper trail at any time.
Investigation Summary
BY LETTER DATED DECEMBER 5, 2008, DILL SUBMITTED A REPORT TO ODI IDENTIFYING A DEFECT RELATED TO OZONE CRACKING IN TWO PRODUCTION LOTS OF TIRE VALVE STEMS THAT WERE MANUFACTURED IN CHINA BY TOPSEAL AUTO-PARTS IN JULY 2006 (NHTSA SAFETY RECALL NO. 08T-028). ACCORDING TO DILL, APPROXIMATELY 1,800,000 VALVES WERE DISTRIBUTED AND SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES FROM THE SUBJECT LOTS. DILL ESTIMATES THAT ABOUT 200,000 OF THESE VALVES MAY BE PRONE TO OZONE CRACKING RESULTING IN TIRE AIR LOSS DURING THEIR EXPECTED SERVICE LIFE. TIRE VALVE FAILURE COULD RESULT IN SUDDEN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND POSSIBLY A CRASH. DILL BASED THIS RANGE ON ITS ANALYSIS OF CLAIM DATA, WHICH SHOWED THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF VALVES RETURNED FROM THE FIELD WITH CRACKS SEVERE ENOUGH TO HAVE LEAKED AIR WERE INSTALLED FROM NOVEMBER 2006 THROUGH JULY 2007. FOLLOWING A FREE INSPECTION, DILL VALVES THAT ARE CRACKED WILL BE REPLACED UNDER THE RECALL FREE OF CHARGE. DILL HAS ISSUED A PRESS RELEASE PROVIDING INFORMATION ABOUT THE RECALL AND HAS POSTED INFORMATION FOR CONSUMERS ON THE INTERNET AT WWW.TIREVALVERECALL.NET. EA08-022 WAS OPENED BY ODI ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2008, TO INVESTIGATE APPROXIMATELY 23,450,000 VALVES MANUFACTURED BY TOPSEAL FROM JULY 2006 TO NOVEMBER 15, 2006. DURING THIS PERIOD, TOPSEAL CHANGED ITS SUPPLIER OF THE VALVE RUBBER COMPOUND USED FOR OZONE PROTECTION . IN A MAY 2, 2008 CUSTOMER ADVISORY LETTER TO COMPANIES THAT PURCHASED THE SUSPECT VALVES, DILL DESCRIBED THE SCOPE OF THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM AND INDICATED THAT IT MAY AFFECT VALVES SHIPPED BY DILL FROM LATE-AUGUST 2006 THROUGH MID-FEBRUARY 2007. DILL ALSO REQUESTED THAT ITS CUSTOMERS: (1) INSPECT ALL UNUSED INVENTORY AND RETURN ALL BOXES WITH LOT NUMBERS FROM 2006; (2) INSPECT THE VALVE STEMS ON ALL VEHICLES THAT RECEIVED VALVE STEMS IN THE PERIOD FROM SEPTEMBER 2006 THROUGH JUNE 2007, AND (3)REPLACE ANY VALVES WITH VISIBLE SURFACE CRACKS. SAMPLES OF UNUSED VALVES RETURNED TO DILL IN RESPONSE TO THIS ADVISORY WERE SELECTED FROM EACH PR
About This Investigation Type
An Engineering Analysis (EA) is the in-depth phase following a Preliminary Evaluation. NHTSA engineers conduct testing, collect data from manufacturers, and perform detailed technical analysis to determine whether a safety defect exists. An EA may lead to a voluntary recall by the manufacturer or, in rare cases, a mandatory recall order.
Data from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Cross-references: NHTSA recall campaign API and NHTSA FARS where fatality records overlap. PlainCars does not rate or recommend vehicles. about how PlainCars sources NHTSA data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.