NHTSA Complaint #10594550 — 2010 MAZDA MAZDA3

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY MY TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR SYSTEM (TPMS) LIGHT CAME ON TO INDICATE A LOW TIRE. I PULLED INTO THE GAS STATION NEAR MY HOUSE RIGHT AFTER AND CHECK MY TIRE PRESSURES. WHEN CHECKING THE DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE PRESSURE WITH A TIRE PRESSURE GAUGE THE TPMS SENSOR AND STEM PUSHED IN AND AIR BLASTED OUT, BLOWING SEVERAL PIECES OF THE SLEEVE THAT KEEPS THE STEM IN PLACE OFF OF THE WHEEL/STEM. I PICKED UP THE 2 REMAINING PIECES (ONE THIRD OF THE SLEEVE WAS MISSING AND PRESUMED TO HAVE FALLEN OFF WHILE DRIVING) AND THEY HAD CRACKED LENGTH-WISE AND HAD A LARGE AMOUNT OF WHITE CORROSION IN THE THREADS. THE REMAINING STEM WAS ALSO COVERED IN WHITE CORROSION ON THE THREADS AND THE TIRE HAD LOST MOST OF ITS PRESSURE. I STILL HAVE THOSE PIECES OF THE CRACKED TPMS SENSOR SLEEVE IF NEEDED TO BE EXAMINED. I TOOK THE VEHICLE AND WHEEL TO THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY INSPECTED THAT WHEEL AS WELL AS THE OTHERS. THEY STATED THAT 2 OF MY OTHER TPMS SENSORS HAD CRACKED SLEEVES THAT COULD COME OFF AT ANY TIME IN ADDITION THE ONE THAT HAD FAILED. IF ONE OF THOSE HAD FAILED ON ONE OF MY FRONT WHEELS THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE DRIVING. *TR