Dill Air Control Products is recalling its snap-in rubber tire valves sold between November 2006 and July 2007, according to this news report on Consumeraffairs.com. Apparently, these defective tire valve systems may lack the required additive to protect the rubber against deterioration from ozone exposure. What that means is that the affected valve systems may weather and crack sooner than expected. And over time, such a crack could cause air to leak resulting in loss of tire pressure. Such loss in tire pressure can result in a flat tire or a sudden tire blowout and cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle and crash.

Consumers who purchased tires between November 2006 and July 2007 whose valve systems contain the Dill cap, should have the valve stems inspected for cracks in the rubber. This recall is for models APC TR413, TR414 and TR418. Tire dealers will inspect the Dill valve stems and replace them if cracked, free of charge. The dealer will then file a claim with Dill. If you would like to have more information about this product recall, please call 1-888-364-2982 or visit www.tirevalverecall.net. You may also call the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at 1-888-327-4236 or visit their Web site at www.safercar.gov.

So far the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigations has received more than 4,700 complaints about these faulty Dill valves.
Also, a vehicle inspection program conducted by tire retailer, Discount Tire, from April to June 2008 discovered about 23,000 defective Dill tire valves. The valves were imported from Shangai Baolong/Topseal Automotive in China.

We have reported on these defective tire valve systems in our earlier blogs. We also reported about a federal investigation targeting these defective tire valve stems. There is no question that tire valve defects are extremely serious. A defect in the tire valve could in turn cause the tire to fail. Crashes caused by tire failures often result in catastrophic injury or death. Please remember that even if Dill has offered free replacements for its defective tire valves, the company will still be held liable in cases where injuries or deaths have been caused because of these defective and dangerous products. A reputed Southern California auto defect law firm is your best bet when it comes to holding big manufacturers responsible for defective auto products.

If you or a loved one has been injured because of these or other defective auto products, I’d like to hear about it.