NHTSA recalls 67,000 CNG tank valves

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a notice of recall (campaign number: 14E013000) for more than 67,000 pressure relief devices (PRDs) supplied by Circle Seal Controls for use in CNG fuel tanks. The recall applies to valves manufactured from July 2011 through December 2013.

The faulty PRDs might fail at temperatures of -5 degrees F and below under normal operating conditions due to a problem with an O-ring. Additionally, if a CNG tank is completely emptied and then refilled, the O-ring may fail at temperatures of 20 degrees F and below. The latter scenario is more likely to occur in dual-fuel vehicles that routinely run their CNG tanks dry and switch to gasoline or diesel before filling up with CNG. The failure of the O-ring can cause CNG to leak from the fuel tank. If a vehicle with such a leak is parked in an enclosed environment, it could lead to an accumulation of natural gas and create a hazard in the presence of an ignition source.

Circle Seal is asking all customers to inspect their PRDs for date codes that can be found on the PRDs that fall within the date range above. These PRDs may be returned to Circle Seal for replacement. For more information, go to the NHTSA recall notice website. To contact Circle Seal Controls directly, call 951-270-6231.