NHTSA Complaint #10486291 — 2010 DODGE CARAVAN

1ST TIME: TIRE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WHEN CHECKING THE AIR PRESSURE, THE VALVE STEM BROKE OFF MID WAY UP THE STEM EXPOSING THE VALVE ITSELF. WHEN ALL WAS SAID AND DONE IT COST APPROXIMATELY $150.00 TO REPLACE AND PROGRAM. 2ND TIME: CHECKING AIR PRESSURE BEFORE LEAVING FOR A LONG TRIP. I COULD VISUALLY SEE A TIRE WAS LOW ON PRESSURE (TIRE SQUATTING), LATER REMOVING THE CAP ON THE VALVE STEM I COULD SEE A DISTINCT WHAT I CALL WEAR RING NEAR WHERE THE CAP, WHEN INSTALLED, WOULD END ON THE STEM. AS THIS IS THE AREA THE PREVIOUS STEM BROKE, I SPRAYED THE STEM WITH SOAPY WATER AND CONFIRMED A SLOW LEAK FROM THIS WEAR RING. HAD THIS STEM REPLACED WITH A STANDARD SAFE VALVE STEM. THIS IS A VERY UNSAFE COMPONENT AND SHOULD BE RECALLED! THE FIRST OCCURRENCE TOOK THE TIRE ABOUT 20 SECONDS TO GO COMPLETELY FLAT. IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHILE LOADED DOWN WITH A FAMILY GOING ON VACATION, THIS COULD END UP WITH A LOT OF SERIOUS INJURIES IF NOT FATALITIES. I'M HAVING ALL STEMS REPLACED WITH THE TRADITIONAL STYLE UNTIL THE MANUFACTURER RECALLS AND PROVIDES AN ENVIRONMENTALLY TESTED REPLACEMENT. I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS TYPE OF SAFETY TESTING IS NOT ALL READY REQUIRED. *TR