NHTSA Complaint #10508812 — 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, MY CAR'S TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS)ASSEMBLY ON ONE TIRE FELL APART/RUSTED OUT, CAUSING MY TIRE TO DEFLATE RAPIDLY. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD TO A SAFE, FLAT AREA, AND ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THE DAMAGED TIRE SO I COULD ATTACH THE SPARE AND BE ONE MY WAY. UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE STEEL WHEEL FROM THE HUB, AND ENDED UP CALLING MY AUTO CLUB FOR HELP. THE ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE PERSON SENT TO HELP ME ALSO ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THE WHEEL AND ALSO FAILED. I CALLED MY AUTO CLUB AGAIN, AND THIS TIME THEY SENT OUT A TOW TRUCK. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER USED A PIECE OF METAL FROM HIS TOWING EQUIPMENT TO BEAT ON THE TIRE RIM UNTIL IT BROKE LOOSE. HE ATTACHED THE SPARE TIRE, AND WAS ON HIS WAY. MY INABILITY TO REMOVE THE WHEEL FROM THE HUB HAS COME UP TWICE BEFORE WITH DIFFERENT HUBS ON THIS VEHICLE. THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED, I CALLED MY LOCAL MAZDA DEALER FOR ADVICE, AND A GUY AT THE SERVICE DESK TOLD ME TO BEAT ON THE TIRE RIM WITH A SLEDGEHAMMER, SAYING "THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO SOMETIMES TO REMOVE A WHEEL." DOESN'T THIS ACTION JEOPARDIZE THE INTEGRITY OF THE RIM? AND WHAT HAPPENS IF I ACCIDENTLY HIT ANOTHER PART OF THE CAR WHILE DOING SO? SHOULDN'T MAZDA HAVE A BETTER REMEDY FOR THIS ISSUE? I ALSO HAD THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM ASSEMBLY RUST OUT ON A DIFFERENT TIRE FOR THIS CAR. THE OWNER'S MANUAL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE SECTION SAYS NOTHING ABOUT TPMS INSPECTION OR SERVICING. DETERIORATION AND ULTIMATE FAILURE OF THIS PART IS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS AND HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE HUMAN FATALITY. I WANT TO KNOW IF MY EXPERIENCE IS JUST AN ISOLATED INCIDENT OR IF OTHERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR EXPERIENCES. IF IT'S WIDESPREAD, THEN MAZDA NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT BEFORE SOMETHING SERIOUS ACTUALLY HAPPENS. *TR