NHTSA Complaint #10560692 — 2010 KIA FORTE

ON JANUARY 19TH, 2014, WHILE THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN ON THE EXPRESSWAY, THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR TIRE SUDDENLY WENT FLAT. UPON INSPECTION, THE HOLE WHERE THE VALVE STEM SHOULD RESIDE WAS EMPTY. THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE OF THIS TYPE. PREVIOUSLY, ON FEBRUARY 28TH, 2013, WHILE DRIVING ON A SECONDARY ROAD AT 55 MPH, THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE FAILED IN THE SAME MANNER. AT THAT TIME, A COMPLAINT WAS SUBMITTED WITH KIA (CONFIRMATION ID K2441671). NO RESPONSE OR CONTACT WAS EVER GIVEN BY KIA. ONCE THE TIRES WERE DISASSEMBLED, AND THE TPMS PARTS EXAMINED, HEAVY CORROSION AND METAL EROSION WAS PRESENT. AT SOME POINT, THE SECURING NUT LETS GO, AND THE STEM EJECTS INTO THE TIRE, RAPIDLY RELEASING THE AIR. IF THIS IS AN ISSUE OF INFERIOR METAL BEING USED WITH THE KIA VALVE STEMS, THEN I FEEL THAT A SAFETY RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED. THUS FAR THE FAILURES HAVE ONLY CAUSED THE LOSS OF TIME, INCONVENIENCE, DRIVING ON THE DREADED SPACE-SAVER TIRE, COST OF REPLACEMENT SENSORS AND TIRES, AND RISK OF CHANGING TIRES AT ROADSIDE, BUT SUDDEN LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLES COULD EASILY LEAD TO SERIOUS INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE TO THE DRIVER AND OTHERS SHARING THE ROADWAY. I AM NOT AWARE HOW COMMON THIS TYPE OF FAILURE MAY BE, BUT IT IS A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS DANGER THAT COULD BE ELIMINATED OR AT LEAST SIGNIFICANTLY MINIMIZED. OVER SEVERAL HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MILES DRIVEN, I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED A NORMAL VALVE STEM EJECTION, NOR KNOW OF ANYONE WHO HAS. THE TPMS VALVE STEMS IN QUESTION SEEM TO BE OF SOME GRADE OF ALUMINUM OR ALUMINUM ALLOY. THE KIA SENSOR BODY PART NUMBER IS 52933-2M000. THANK YOU. *TR