NHTSA Complaint #10629128 — 2008 MAZDA MAZDA3

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY TRAVELING ABOUT 65 MPH WHEN MY TIRE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY MY FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE GOING COMPLETELY FLAT. LUCKILY THERE WAS NOBODY TOO CLOSE TO ME, SO THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT WHEN I SWERVED ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. I CHANGED MY TIRE AND MADE IT TO A SERVICE CENTER WHERE I WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS MY TPMS AND VALVE STEM ASSEMBLY THAT HAD CORRODED AND FAILED, CAUSING MY TIRE TO IMMEDIATELY GO FLAT. NOT ONLY DID I HAVE TO PAY TO INSTALL A NEW TIRE ($300) I HAD TO REPLACE THE DESTROYED TPMS SENSOR AND REPLACE ANOTHER ONE THAT WAS ALSO CORRODING. ($100 EA). THE ENTIRE INCIDENT COST ME ABOUT $500 DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW FROM MAZDA THAT I HAVE NO POWER TO AVOID. THE ISSUE IS THAT IT IS ILLEGAL TO REMOVE OR NOT HAVE THE SENSORS RE-INSTALLED, AS THEY ARE A SAFETY FEATURE. THE IRONY IS THAT I HAVE TO PAY $100 EACH TO INSTALL A COMPONENT THAT CAUSES ONE OF MY TIRES TO IMMEDIATELY DEFLATE RANDOMLY IN THE NEXT 3-5 YEARS, DEPENDING ON WHEN IT CORRODES AGAIN. IT IS INFURIATING THAT I HAVE TO INSTALL A "SAFETY FEATURE" THAT WILL RANDOMLY CAUSE ME TO LOSE CONTROL OVER MY CAR IN THE NEAR FUTURE. AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, I WILL BE FORCED TO DRIVE WITH A COMPONENT THAT, OVER TIME, WILL CORRODE AND FAIL, CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF MY CAR, THEN RE-INSTALL THE EXACT FAULTY COMPONENT. THE SENSOR / VALVE ASSEMBLY SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN MADE OF A MATERIAL THAT IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO CORROSION IN THE FIRST PLACE. I WAS LUCKY THIS TIME THAT THIS DIDN'T CAUSE AN ACCIDENT, BUT IF THE SITUATION WERE DIFFERENT I COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN KILLED OR HAVE KILLED SOMEONE. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. BOTH MAZDA AND THE GOVERNMENT HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THIS ISSUE FOR A LONG TIME NOW. WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN SOMEONE DOES DIE FROM THIS, AND IT COMES OUT THAT THE ISSUE HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR YEARS, BUT NOBODY DID ANYTHING? *TR