NHTSA Complaint #10465676 — 2009 DODGE JOURNEY AWD

I AM A LICENSED COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA CERTIFIED STATE INSPECTION MECHANIC. I JUST ENCOUNTERED A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH A CUSTOMERS 2009 DODGE JOURNEY AWD VEHICLE TODAY, JULY 14, 2012. I WANTED TO BRING THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE PROPER AUTHORITY, WITH THE HOPE THAT THIS COULD BE INVESTIGATED IN DETAIL TO PREVENT A POTENTIAL FATALITY OR A NUMBER OF THEM.TODAY A REGULAR CUSTOMER OF MINE, ARRIVED AT MY FACILITY WITH A FLAT TIRE, AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION; I NOTICED THE VALVE STEM WAS MISSING ( ON THE 2009 JOURNEY AND MANY NEW VEHICLES THIS IS A " TPMS" - TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR SENSOR) THE CUSTOMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROX. 30 MPH AND NOTICED THE LIGHT COME UP ON THE DASH AND WITHIN SECONDS HER TIRE WAS FLAT, NOTHING WAS HIT, NO JOLT, NO WARNING, JUST POOF, THE TIRE WENT FLAT. LUCKILY SHE WAS DRIVING AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED ON A RURAL ROADWAY AND WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND EXIT TO SAFETY WITH HER CHILDREN. ONCE I DISMOUNTED THE TIRE, I FOUND THE TPMS ON THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE LEAVING JUST A HOLE IN THE RIM, HENCE THE LOSS OF AIR PRESSURE. THE THREADS ON THE TPMS WERE COVERED WITH OXIDATION AND NO RETAINING NUT WAS FOUND,THE STEM WAS NOT BROKEN, ALTERED OR VANDALIZED, IT JUST CAME UNATTACHED. THE THREADS WERE OXIDIZED SO BADLY THAT ANOTHER RETAINER COULD NOT BE THREADED ON, SO I REPLACED THE TPMS WITH A NEW ONE. AFTER INSTALLING THAT TIRE, I WENT TO TEST THE AIR PRESSURE IN THE OTHER FRONT TIRE, AS I GENTLY PLACED THE PRESSURE GAUGE ON THE TPMS VALVE STEM TO CHECK THE PRESSURE, POOF THAT TPMS WENT RIGHT THRU THE RIM; THE RETAINING NUT SHATTERED AND BROKE INTO PIECES, QUICKLY CAUSING A MASSIVE AND RAPID LOSS OF PRESSURE.IT IS MY OPINION THAT, HAD THE VEHICLE BEEN TRAVELING FASTER, A VEHICLE OWNER WOULD BE LEFT IN A VERY BAD SITUATION, PERHAPS CAUSING A LOSS OF CONTROL AND A POTENTIAL FATALITY. TPMS SENSORS NEED TO BE INSPECTED OR RECALLED TO PREVENT DEATH. *TR