Tech International of Johnstown, Ohio, has issued two recalls of Chinese-made rubber tire valve stems, linked to a fatal rollover of an SUV in Orlando, Fla., last year. The valve stem is a rubber tube with a metal valve used to inflate the tire with air. The stems are usually placed in the tires by installers when you get replacement tires. The recall involves as many as 6 million valve stems distributed in North America.

They include models TR-413, TR-413CH, TR-414, TR-415, TR-418, and TR-423, made between July 2006 and November 2006. Cracks in valve stems can cause tires to lose air quickly, which at highway speeds can lead to tire failure and a crash. It’s hard to find a defective valve stem because once it’s installed, the only way to check it is to dismount the tire from the wheel and inspect it from the inside, where the model number would be printed.

If you’ve replaced your tires since summer 2006, have a mechanic check for cracked valve stems or inspect them yourself by taking off the wheel covers and moving the top of the stems around, checking for cracks where the base of the stem meets the wheel.

To report valve stem failures, go to www.recalls.gov or call the Department of Transportation and Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236.