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30 Million Defective Chinese Tire Valves Blamed For Blowouts, Accidents

Last Update: 8/22 5:29 pm

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An alarming new report claims as many as 30 million tires on the road are at risk of blowing out and causing a serious, even fatal accident.

The problem comes from potentially faulty tire valves...imported from China. The valves have been recalled, but you may still have them on your car.

What Can Happen

One woman, Nancy Bick Clark, tells me THREE of her new tires have blown out in the past few months without warning, stranding her each time. She didn't know until the 3rd blowout the problem was her tire valves, not her tires. But at least she wasn't hurt.

Robert Monk was killed in Orlando last November when his right rear tire failed, triggering a rollover crash. A lawsuit alleges the cause of the accident was a cracked tire valve.

As a result, the US distributor of the valves has issued a recall of 6 million valves sold in 2006 and 2007, involving six models.

Don Mays of Consumer Reports Magazine says, "If you've replaced new tires since 2006, there's a chance that your tire valves are affected by the recall."

"Some cracked valves leak air slowly, resulting in a flat tire. But at highway speeds, you could have sudden air loss, and that can be a serious problem," says Mays.

What you Should do

So how can you tell if your tire has one of these valves? It's not easy. At a minimum, Consumer Reports says if you bought tires in late 06 or anytime in 07, check your tire pressure at least once a month and inspect the valve for any cracks.

Flex the valve out towards the tire and rotate it, looking for any cracks along the stem. A flashlight can be helpful. A good valve will be free of cracks. Dangerous valves often have cracks at the base.

Mays says, "If you do find a crack, go to your mechanic and make sure all four tire-valve stems are replaced, not just the defective one."

To be certain that your valves haven't been recalled, have a mechanic take the tire off and inspect the valve from the inside. That's the only way to check the model number to see if your valve is part of the recall.

The six valves that have been recalled were distributed in 2006. So, if you've had your tires replaced in late 2006 or 2007, you may be at risk. So ask your shop to check them the next time you go in for an oil change.

Click the above link for more information.

That way you stay safe and you don't waste your money. I'm John Matarese.