NHTSA Complaint #10562548 — 2010 JEEP LIBERTY

I WAS DRIVING 50 MPH ON A PAVED HIGHWAY. THE AIR PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON. A FEW SECONDS LATER THERE WAS A RUMBLE NOISE. I PULLED OVER AND LOOKED AT THE TIRES. ONE WAS COMPLETELY FLAT. I HAD THOUGHT I RAN OVER SOMETHING VERY LARGE CAUSING AN INSTANT FLAT. AFTER REMOVING THE TIRE, WE NOTED THAT THE TIRE WAS STILL GOOD. THE NUT HOLDING THE VALVE STEM/PRESSURE SENSOR IN HAD BROKEN. THE VALVE STEM/PRESSURE SENSOR COMPONENT WAS FOUND INSIDE THE TIRE. THE RESULT WAS A VERY LARGE GAP WHERE THE VALVE STEM WAS, ALLOWING THE TIRE TO INSTANTLY DEFLATE. WHEN CHECKING THE OTHER VALVE STEMS, ONE OF THE OTHER NUTS HOLDING THE VALVE STEMS IN WAS ALSO BROKEN. THE JEEP IS PARKED UNTIL WE CAN REMOVE ALL OF THE VALVE STEMS AND REPLACE THEM. WE WILL NOT DRIVE IT AS IT IS. WE WILL BE REPLACING THE VALVE STEM/PRESSURE SENSOR COMPONENT WITH THE OLD FASHION STYLE VALVE STEMS. I WOULD NOT CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WITH THE STOCK EQUIPMENT. I WOULD ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE VALVE STEM BROKE ON A FRONT TIRE GOING EXPRESSWAY SPEED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. *TR