NHTSA Complaint #10592677 — 2010 MAZDA MAZDA3

IN THE MAZDA 3, THE TPMS SENSOR IS CONNECTED TO THE AIR VALVE. THE TPMS SENSORS BREAK EASILY, CAUSING THE TIRE TO DEFLATE. IF THE OUTSIDE PART OF THE TPMS SENSOR BREAKS FROM CORROSION OR BEING HIT AGAINST A CURB, THE TIRE WILL DEFLATE. I HAVE HAD 3 TPMS SENSORS BREAK SINCE I HAD THE CAR, WHICH HAS ONLY BEEN 4 YEARS (APPROX 39,000 MILES), AND IS EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE. MY TIRES ARE LESS THAN 3 YEARS OLD. THE PART OF THE TPMS EXPOSED ON THE OUTSIDE WILL CORRODE, AND IF THE OUTSIDE PART BREAKS OFF, YOUR TIRES DEFLATE. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR MAZDA OWNERS. THESE THINGS BREAK AND THEN CAUSE A FLAT, LEAVING THE DRIVER IN A POSSIBLE EMERGENCY SITUATION. THE REASON FOR THE TPMS SENSOR IS SO DRIVERS DON'T HAVE BLOW OUTS, BUT THE EMERGENCY LIGHT IS VERY NONSPECIFIC, SO THE ONLY WAY YOU KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS WHEN THE FLAT HAS ALREADY OCCURRED, WHICH IS UNNECESSARILY CAUSED BY THE TPMS SENSOR. THIS LATEST INCIDENT INVOLVED ME STRANDED IN THE COUNTRY, YET ANOTHER TPMS SENSOR REPLACEMENT ($200 APPROX), A NEW TIRE, AND AN ALIGNMENT - ALMOST $500 TOTAL. IF THE TPMS SENSOR HADN'T BROKEN, THE FLAT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED AT ALL. *TR