'We do not think this is a safety issue,' said Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood. He said the automaker uses tire stems made by Shanghai Baolong Automotive Corp., which is a subsidiary of Topseal Auto Parts, as standard equipment on most new vehicles. But he said the stems produced for Ford were made in a different part of the plant where 6 million recalled valve stems were made and with different materials. He said that Ford has gotten complaints from some consumers in connection with the stems, but none alleging injuries. He declined to say how many. Sherwood said if owners of 2007 model Ford vehicles have concerns about their valve stems they can contact their dealer. NHTSA is looking at 1.05 million 2007 models that are under investigation. They are the Mercury Grand Marquis and Milan; Ford F-150, Mustang, Edge, Focus, Fusion, Expedition, Explorer and Escape; and the Lincoln MKX and MKZ. Senior Ford safety officials, including Sue Cischke, senior vice president for sustainability, environment and safety and the company's director of automotive safety office, James Vondale, met with senior NHTSA officials in Washington to discuss the tire-stem issue on Sept. 10. NHTSA is looking at TR431, TR414 and TR418 snap-in stems on Ford vehicles. Safety advocates urge motorists to inspect their valve stems for cracks and to check tire pressure. 'Air loss at highway speeds may result in a tire failure and loss-of-control crash,' said Sean Kane, president of Safety Research and Strategies. NHTSA in an Oct. 16 letter to Ford asked for a wide range of information surrounding the 2007 model vehicles requiring a response by Jan. 9. Sherwood said Ford would cooperate with the request.