NHTSA Complaint #10191296 — 2007 DODGE RAM 2500

ON 5/19/2007 TWO TIRE VALVE STEMS FAILED WITHIN 2 HOURS, SCHRADER-CHINA VALVE STEMS, FAILED DEFLATING TIRE IN MOMENTS. OCCURRED ON 2007 DODGE 2500 QUAD CAB SHORT BED TRUCK WITH APPROXIMATELY B750 LBS IN BED. TIRES HAD BEEN INFLATED TO 55 LBS FRONT AND 70 LBS REAR. RIGHT REAR TIRE STEM BLEW OUT WHILE STATIONARY AFTER RUNNING APPROXIMATELY 75 MILES AT 55-70 MPH. LEFT REAR STEM FAILED AFTER APPROXIMATELY 1 1-1/2 HOURS ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. LEFT REAR DID NOT CAUSE COMPLETE DEFLATION, BUT LOSS OF AIR PRESSURE TO 40 LBS. TRUCK WAS TOWED, TIRES DISMOUNTED, AND FAILED VALVE STEMS REMOVED. BOLT IN STEMS WERE INSTALLED IN PLACE OF PULL IN RUBBER STYLE, AND TRIP CONTINUED WITHOUT INCIDENT. CONCERN WITH MODE OF FAILURE, VEHICLE NOT OVERLOADED, TIRE INFLATION LIMIT 80 LBS, WERE INFLATED TO 70 LBS, FAILURE APPEARED AS A CIRCUMFERENTIAL SHEAR OR CUTTING OF STEM AND PULL APART OF INSIDE VALVE COMPONENTS TO OUTSIDE RUBBER SHEATH. SECOND STEM WAS NOTED SWOLLEN ABOUT 12 MILES PRIOR TO FAILURE WHEN FILLING VEHICLE WITH FUEL. TIRE PRESSURES CHECKED AND WERE AT 75 LBS HOT. TIRE TEMPERATURES TO TOUCH WERE SLIGHTLY WARM TO AVERAGE FRONT AND REAR AT THIS FUEL STOP. FAMILY HAS HISTORY IN TIRE BUSINESS FOR YEARS, FAMILIAR WITH TOWING, HAULING MODERATE TO HEAVY LOADS, TRAILERS, AND IMPORTANCE OF INFLATION, HAS NEVER EXPERIENCED A VALVE STEM FAILURE EXCEPT ON AGED EQUIPMENT. COMPLETELY PERPLEXED AS TO FAILURE MODE. HAVE FAILED COMPONENTS IN HAND. CONCERN WITH OTHER SIMILAR EQUIPPED DODGE TRUCKS AND OTHER BRANDS USING SCHRADER VALVE STEMS. STORE WHERE TIRE REPAIR WAS DONE WANTED TO INSTALL SIMILAR TO OEM REPLACEMENT BUT THE BOLT IN STYLE STEM WAS DEMANDED FOR THIS APPLICATION. OEM DEALER (DODGE) CONTACTED AFTER SECOND FAILURE AND ADVISED OF FAILURE AND CONCERN WITH LIABILITY FOR CATASTROPHIC FAILURE.*AK