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Car Safety DB

NHTSA Investigation

EA02018

RAPID TIRE DEFLATION

Type: EAStatus: ClosedOpened: August 19, 2002Closed: August 22, 2003

Key Takeaways

  • Investigation EA02018 currently maps to 15 tracked vehicle-year pages across 1 make.
  • This page summarizes the public investigation subject, status, timing, and affected tracked vehicles linked from NHTSA source data.
  • The linked component on this record is tires.

What This Investigation Page Shows

This page summarizes a public NHTSA investigation record tied to one or more tracked vehicle-year pages in our database. Investigation records sit between owner complaints and recall campaigns: they can remain open, close without a recall, or connect to a later remedy action. Use this page to see which tracked vehicles are linked to the record, then open the individual vehicle pages for complaints, recalls, and crash test context.

Investigation Summary

THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED ON CERTAIN FORD PICKUP TRUCKS AND VANS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF A VALVE STEM EJECTION (WITH RAPID AIR LOSS) AND A SLOW LEAKING VALVE STEM ON VEHICLE HANDING.DURING THE INVESTIGATION, ODI EVALUATED OVER 1,100 COMPLAINTS AND WARRANTY CLAIMS, CONDUCTED VEHICLE DYNAMIC TESTING ON A SUBJECT VEHICLE WITH THE FAILURE MODE REPLICATED, INTERVIEWED OWNERS, AND EXAMINED COMPLAINT VEHICLES IN THE FIELD.THE RESULTS OF THE TEST PROGRAM INDICATES THE EFFECT OF A VALVE STEM EJECTION ON THESE VEHICLES IS EASILY CONTROLLED. FURTHER, WITH A POPULATION OF ALMOST 900,000 VEHICLES, HAVING TWO TO FOUR YEARS OF EXPOSURE, ODI IS AWARE OF ONLY 3 MINOR CRASHES AND IS UNAWARE OF ANY INJURIES.THE SMALL NUMBER OF CRASHES RELATIVE TO THE LARGE POPULATION OF VEHICLES IS CONSISTENT WITH THE TESTING WHICH WAS PERFORMED. THEREFORE, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.SEE THE ATTACHED REPORT FOR FULL TECHNICAL DETAILS.

Manufacturer listed on the source record: Ford Motor Company

Component listed on the source record: TIRES

Affected Vehicles (15)

YearMakeModel
1999FordE-350
2000FordE-350
2001FordE-350
1999FordE-450
2000FordE-450
2001FordE-450
1999FordF-350
2000FordF-350
2001FordF-350
1999FordF-450
2000FordF-450
2001FordF-450
1999FordF-550
2000FordF-550
2001FordF-550

Browse Affected Vehicles

All data is sourced from NHTSA public records. This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or any government agency. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and may not reflect confirmed defects. For official information, visit nhtsa.gov.

Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026