NHTSA Complaint #10447527 — 2009 NISSAN MURANO

THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. THE NUT HOLDING THE TPMS SENSOR/TIRE FILL VALVE FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY WITH 2 LONGITUDINAL CRACKS WHILE TRAVELING 70 MPH ON INTERSTATE 5 NEAR VALENCIA, CALIFORNIA. TIRE PRESSURE RELEASED SUDDENLY (NO PREVIOUS WARNING BY THE TPMS SYSTEM). THE CAR PULLED STRONGLY TO THE LEFT (FAILURE WAS IN THE FRONT LEFT TIRE). REGAINED CONTROL OF THE CAR AND PULLED OFF TO SHOULDER. NUT SHOWS EVIDENCE OF CORROSION AND DIRT IN ONE OF THE TWO CRACKS. TIRE WAS UNDAMAGED BY ANY ROAD HAZARD, ONLY THE TPMS SENSOR/FILL VALVE WAS LOOSE IN THE WHEEL, AND THE NUT CAME APART WHEN HAND INSPECTING THE VALVE. A NISSAN SERVICE BULLETIN EXISTS FOR CORRODED NUTS IN EASTERN STATES WHERE SALT IS USED ON ROADS, HOWEVER THIS VEHICLE HAS STRICTLY BEEN IN CALIFORNIA, WITH LESS THAN 10 TRIPS TO SKI AREAS IN CALIFORNIA, WHICH DOES NOT USE SALT ON ITS ROADS. TIRE AND NUT ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. THIS APPEARS TO BE A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE AS CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IS AT RISK DUE TO THE SUDDEN NATURE OF THE TIRE PRESSURE LOSS AND DEFLATION. *TR