NHTSA Complaint #10487660 — 2009 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

I WAS COMING UP TO SPEED ON THE HIGHWAY AND MY TPMS LIGHT CAME ON, 2009 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SXT, AND I COULD FEEL A SHAKE OF A FRONT TIRE GOING FLAT. I PULLED OVER AND THE TIRE WAS INDEED FLAT, PUT ON THE SPARE AND RETURNED HOME. I PUMPED THE TIRE BACK UP, OR ATTEMPTED TO AND NOTICED AIR COMING OUT THE SIDE OF THE METAL VALVE STEM. I CONTACT CHRYSLER CUSTOMER AFFAIRS NUMBER AND GOT A SONG AND DANCE THAT REQUIRED ME TO GO TO A DEALER TO GET IT INSPECTED BUT NOT REPAIRED, THEN TO RECONTACT CHRYSLER TO SEE IF THEY ARE GOING TO DO ANYTHING. DEALERSHIP SAID IT'S NOT A WARRANTY ITEM AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, AND THAT I SHOULD DO ALL 4 TIRE STEMS AS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM...HELLO, $600 FOR 4 TIRE STEMS, ARE YOU NUTS? THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, I HAVE READ MANY PAGES OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT TOTAL FAILURE OF THESE METAL VALVE STEMS LEADING TO CRASHES AND SEVERELY DAMAGED TIRES DUE TO SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED FAILURE OF THE POORLY DESIGNED VALVE STEMS. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. I SEE CHRYSLER CHANGED THE DESIGN IN MID 2010 TO A MORE RELIABLE RUBBER DESIGN...HMM, PERHAPS THIS WAS DUE TO ALL THE COMPLAINTS. UNFORTUNATELY THERE WILL NEED TO BE MORE INJURIES OR DEATHS DUE TO THIS FLAW BEFORE SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING ABOUT IT. VEHICLE IS EXTREMELY WELL CARED FOR AND HAS 22,300 MILES. *TR