NHTSA to Investigate Valve Stem in 2007 US Ford Models

In the US, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has disclosed it is investigating the Ford Motor Company’s use of potentially defective valve stems on more than one million vehicles built during the 2007 model year. The component, if defective, can crack, causing air pressure in a tyre to suddenly decrease. Investigators suspect a cracked valve stem was a causal factor in an accident that killed a 31-year old man last year.

According to information reported in the US media, the NHTSA investigation potentially includes 1,050,000 Ford vehicles, as the NHTSA has confirmed the Chinese factory at the centre of a recent recall of up to 30 million potentially defective valve stems “is also the original equipment supplier of valve stems for some Ford vehicles.”