NHTSA Complaint #10157386 — 2004 HYUNDAI SONATA

AFTER BUYING NEW TIRES FOR MY 2004 HYUNDAI SONATA, I STARTED EXPERIENCING FLAT TIRES ON MY FRONT TIRES. ALL FLATS INVOLVED PROBLEMS WITH VALVE STEMS. IT SEEMS THAT THE WHEEL COVERS ON THIS CAR ARE NOT MEANT FOR SOME BRANDS OF REPLACEMENT TIRES. THE TORQUE OF THE FRONT WHEEL SEEMS TO CAUSE THE WHEEL COVERS TO ROTATE THEREBY CUTTING INTO THE VALVE STEMS. THE DEALERSHIP I WENT TO WOULD NOT WARRANT THE PROBLEM, BUT HE WAS AWARE OF SEEING MANY OTHER SONATAS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I WAS NOT WARNED WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR THAT I HAD TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO WHAT BRAND OF TIRES I USED AS REPLACEMENTS. ONE OF MY FLATS OCCURRED WHEN I WAS TRAVELING AT 60 MPH AND NEARLY CAUSED ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR. *JB