NHTSA Complaint #10442692 — 2009 MAZDA MAZDA6

VALVE STEM CRACKED THEN COMPLETELY BROKE OFF UNDER THE PLASTIC CAP. THE TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT HAD BEEN COMING ON 2-3 DAYS PRIOR TO INCIDENT. EACH MORNING WHEN COLD DURING FIRST START UP LIGHT WOULD COME ON, AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF DRIVING AFTER VEHICLE WARMED LIGHT WOULD TURN OFF. ON WAY HOME FROM WORK TRAVELING 70MPH LIGHT CAME BACK ON. TOOK THE NEXT EXIT AND STOPPED AT GAS STATION TO FILL UP TIRES, REMOVED VALVE STEM CAP AND INSTALLED AIR HOSE. AIR HOSE COULD NOT FILL UP TIRE, AIR JUST CAME OUT OF THE SIDE OF STEM, REINSTALLED VALVE CAP. AT THAT TIME WE DIDN'T KNOW THE STEM WAS CRACKED SO I DROVE THE CAR VERY SLOWLY APPROX 3 MILES TO MY PARENTS HOUSE SO MY DAD COULD HELP. HE TRIED TO REMOVE THE VALVE CAP, AT THIS TIME THE STEM COMPLETELY BROKE OFF AT THE THREADS AND STAYED WITH THE CAP. THE STEM INTERNAL PARTS SPRANG OUT SO IT WAS NECESSARY TO REMOVE THE TIRE AND INSTALL THE SPARE. WE TOOK THE TIRE TO NEAREST BELLE TIRE SO THEY COULD REPLACE THE STEM BUT SINCE IT WAS A DEALER ONLY PART ALL THEY COULD WAS REPLACE IT WITH A STANDARD RUBBER STEM WITH NO SENSOR. THEY MENTIONED IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM THEY HAD SEEN BEFORE, TO WHICH I WAS VERY SURPRISED. THESE SENSORS WERE CREATED TO COMBAT LOW AIR PRESSURE AFTER THE "TREAD ACT" AND IRONICALLY ARE CAUSING A LOW AIR PRESSURE. THE ORIGINAL CAUSE OF THE PRESSURE LIGHT WAS DUE TO A SLIGHTLY BENT RIM ON THE INSIDE. THIS HAD A SLOW LEAK AFTER BELLE TIRE REPLACED THE STEM. WE TOOK THE TIRE TO BRIGHTON MAZDA THE FOLLOWING DAY TO REPLACE THE SENSOR, THEY TOO SAID THEY HAD SEEN CRACKED STEMS IN THE PAST. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AND DETERMINE IF THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I THINK ITS VERY IRONIC THIS IS HAPPENING WHEN THE FREE RUBBER STEMS ALMOST NEVER FAIL AND $70 SENSORS ARE BREAKING ON A 3 YEAR OLD CAR. *TR