Check out the link below...

http://www.tirevalverecall.net/

This company makes tire valve stems and certain models will crack with age.

The best thing to do is check your valve stems by bending back and forth and seeing if any cracks or defects appear or is air is lost. If so, you are either needing new valve stems and should pay to have them fixed... but if they are Dill brand stems then the mechanic (or you) can submit a bill for the work.

Wow... I bought new tires in January 2007 at Costco.... guess I will have to go there and ask them what brand of stems they use and/or check mine for me (which they will do as they have great customer service).

Good luck... and safe driving!!!

Beach Thanks for the heads up on this. This past summer I had to replace all the valve on my trailer, all crack.

Obviously valve stems can wear and crack even under normal use.... but to think that defective ones are out there is scary!!

I guess this would be just a good reason for all of us to check our valve stems whether they are this brand or not... heck... I have never checked mine.

What was interesting to learn last year when I got new tires at Costco, is that our Super Duty Tires (at least mine are load range E) must use a high-pressure valve stem due to being able to hold up to 70psi in the tire.

Regular car tires run only 35 - 45psi and can or do use a different valve stem... but a good tire shop (as Costco here in KC is) uses a stronger, thicker valve stem that can withhold the higher psi of a truck tire!!!

Cool man thanks for the info

Check out the links below for more info...

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/081209/tire_valves_recall.html?.v=1

http://www.safetyresearch.net/Library/SRS070.pdf

http://www.quality-control.us/tire_valve_stems.html

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/safety/2008/06/tire-valve-stem.html

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/safety/2008/10/tire-valves.html?EXTKEY=I72RSSB

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/safety/autos/index.html

Dam Chinese will get us all with their defective toys, tire valves and the like!!!!!

Here is a cut and paste from the website below that I found about this "valve stem recall"... makes 100% good sense and just what I posted above a few posts earlier.

http://motorage.search-autoparts.co...Article/detail/560601?contextCategoryId=46092

“The only way to tell if you have a valve stem made by this company is to dismount the tire from the wheel to examine it from the inside,” notes Sean E. Kane, president of Safety Research & Strategies, a consumer advocacy organization. “Once they are out of the box and on a vehicle there is no tracking for these products, so you can’t notify owners. If you’re not checking tires pressure regularly, now is the time to get into the habit,” he advises, encouraging tire dealers to get the word out to your customers.

Here is another link...

http://www.uslaw.com/library/Personal_Injury_Law/Tire_Valve_Update.php?item=303372

Here is a cut and paste from the link above....

The following is a list of vehicles that are mentioned by the NHTSA as having possible defective valves:

• Ford F-150
• Mustang
• Edge
• Fusion
• Expedition
• Explorer
• Focus
• Escape
• Mercury Grand Marquis
• MKX
• MKZ
• Milan

The NHTSA is still encouraging everyone to have their tire valves checked but they are especially urging owners of the above vehicles to have their tires inspected.

Thanks for the info.