NHTSA Complaint #10491888 — 2009 MAZDA MAZDA3

12/26/12, TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON, PULLED OFF HIGHWAY IMMEDIATELY, TIRE FLAT, NUT HOLDING PRESSURE STEM HAD DISINTEGRATED AND STEM WENT INSIDE TIRE. 1/2/13, ANOTHER TIRE WENT FLAT IN PARKING AREA, NEIGHBOR CAME OVER TO PUT AIR IN TIRE, NUT HOLDING PRESSURE STEM HAD DISINTEGRATED AND STEM WENT INSIDE TIRE. MAZDA DEALERSHIP MADE REPAIR AND SAID THE OTHER TWO TIRE STEM NUTS WOULD GO IN ABOUT TWO WEEKS. ALL FOUR TIRE STEM NUTS WERE REPLACED. RESEARCH ON INTERNET SHOWS THAT THIS SAME PROBLEM HAS OCCURED TO MANY PEOPLE OWNING DIFFERENT MAKE/MODEL/YEAR VEHICLES. APPARENTLY A DEFECTIVE NUT AND STEM SYSTEM WITH ONE OF THREE SERIAL NUMBERS WERE ON ALL THE VEHICLES EXPERIENCING THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION. I BELIEVE THESE NUT AND STEM SYSTEMS WITH THESE SERIAL NUMBERS SHOULD BE RECALLED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AS TO AVOID ANYONE EXPERIENCING A DANGEROUS BLOWOUT. A NUT ON THE WHEEL SHOULD NOT BE MADE OF A MATERIAL THAT DISINTEGRATES IN LESS THAN 4 YEARS EVEN IF IT IS IN CONTACT WITH ROAD SALT. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. THE FACT THAT TWO NUTS DISINTEGRATED IN 8 DAYS AND PROBABILITY OF NEXT TWO IN TWO WEEKS SHOULD RAISE RED FLAGS IMMEDIATELY. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN TO ANYONE! I AM SUBMITTING THIS INFORMATION FOR MY DAUGHTER AS SHE IS STILL VERY UPSET OVER THIS HAVING HAPPENED AND HAVING INCURRED GREAT EXPENSE ON HER PART. *TR