NHTSA Complaint #10465276 — 2008 DODGE DAKOTA

ON 9 JULY 2012, I TOOK MY VEHICLE INTO T J TIRE AND SERVICE IN RICHLANDS, NC. I WAS THERE TO HAVE TIRES INSTALLED ONTO MY TRUCK. THE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A VERY BAD SITUATION WITH MY VALVE STEMS AND THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PERFORM THE INSTALL WITH THE CURRENT VALVE STEMS. THE PROBLEM WITH THE VALVE STEM IS THAT THEY WERE SEVERELY CORRODED AND WERE BREAKING AND FRAGMENTING APART. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED CHRYSLER CORPORATION TO SEE IF THERE WAS A TSB OR A RECALL. THEY RESPONDED THAT THERE WAS NOT ONE IN EFFECT OR PENDING. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VALVE STEM IT WAS FOUND TO BE COMPOSED OF AN ALUMINUM STEM, BRASS VALVE CORE AND A CAP OF UNKNOWN METAL/ALLOY. THIS COMBINATION OF DISSIMILAR METALS ON A COMPONENT EXPOSED TO WEATHER AND ROAD CONDITIONS IS NOT ADVISABLE. THERE IS SUBSTANTIAL REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN THE DISSIMILAR METALS AND INCREASED RATE OF CORROSION. THIS COMPONENT IS SUBJECT TO FAILURE AND WOULD POSE A SIGNIFICANT RISK AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. *TR