Investigations
TIRE VALVE STEM FAILURES
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE05059 - closed, opened 2005-11-07.
NHTSA investigation PE05059 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2005-11-07 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2006-05-11 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
A Preliminary Evaluation like PE05059 is the entry point of the federal defect-investigation process. NHTSA engineers scan complaint databases, field reports, and manufacturer data to decide whether an Engineering Analysis is warranted, whether a voluntary recall is already sufficient, or whether the pattern does not rise to a defect finding.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE), PE05-059, BASED ON NINE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS OF TIRE VALVE STEM FAILURES. THE ALLEGED VALVE STEM FAILURES OCCURRED ONLY AFTER TIRE REPLACEMEN..." 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
THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE), PE05-059, BASED ON NINE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS OF TIRE VALVE STEM FAILURES. THE ALLEGED VALVE STEM FAILURES OCCURRED ONLY AFTER TIRE REPLACEMENT FROM THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT (OE) TIRE (MICHELIN 205/65R15 ENERGY MXV4 PLUS) TO A "NON-OE¿ AFTERMARKET TIRE. NINETY-EIGHT PERCENT OF THE AFTERMARKET TIRES ALLEGED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE TIRE VALVE STEM FAILURES WERE DETERMINED TO BE AFTERMARKET TIRES PRODUCED BY BRANDS OF MICHELIN GROUP (BF GOODRICH AND UNIROYAL). MICHELIN ISSUED A TECHNICAL BULLETIN ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2005 MAKING RETAILERS AWARE OF A POTENTIAL WHEEL COVER INCOMPATIBILITY WITH BF GOODRICH TRACTION T/A AND TOURING T/A PRO SERIES TIRES THAT COULD CAUSE WHEEL COVER MOVEMENT AND IN EXTREME CASES TIRE VALVE DAMAGE. MICHELIN HAS, ADDITIONALLY, REDESIGNED THE BF GOODRICH AND UNIROYAL TIRES ALLEGEDLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE VALVE STEM FAILURES, AS OF THE FIRST QUARTER OF CALENDAR YEAR 2006. THE PREVIOUS DESIGN VERSION OF BOTH TIRES IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. NO COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED TO ODI FOR TIRES MANUFACTURED AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF THE REDESIGNED TIRES. THERE HAVE BEEN NO ACCIDENTS, INJURIES OR LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL ATTRIBUTED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT. 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.
About This Investigation Type
A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first phase of NHTSA's investigation process. It is opened when the agency identifies a potential safety defect pattern, usually triggered by consumer complaints, manufacturer reports, or field monitoring. During a PE, NHTSA gathers information to determine whether a formal engineering analysis is warranted.
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.