NHTSA Complaint #10671511 — 2009 MAZDA MAZDA5

THE TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR ILLUMINATED AND I CHECKED TO SEE IF THE TIRE WAS FLAT. IT WAS NOT. I DROVE TO A FILLING STATION TO TOP OFF THE PRESSURE AND AS I WAS DRIVING AWAY FROM THE AIR PUMP THE VALVE STEM TO THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE BROKE AND THE TIRE DEFLATED INSTANTLY. THE VALVE STEM WAS CORRODED. APPARENTLY IT WAS INITIALLY CRACKED SLIGHTLY CAUSING THE TIRE TO FIRST LOSE AIR SLOWLY. THEN, UPON MANIPULATION FROM THE PUMP FITTING, THE STEM WAS FURTHER DAMAGED CAUSING THE STEM TO BREAK OFF. I DID HAVE THIS HAPPEN ONCE BEFORE. THE EXPLANATION FROM A SERVICE STATION WAS THE SAME. IN THIS MODEL THE VALVE STEM AND PRESSURE SENSOR IS A SINGLE ASSEMBLY SO WHEN THE TIRE IS CHANGED THE VALVE STEM IS NOT CHANGED EVEN IF IT IS OLD AND SHOWING SIGNS OF AGING. OTHERWISE THE COST OF REPLACING A TIRE WOULD BE NEARLY DOUBLED. THE SENSOR ITSELF WILL LAST MUCH LONGER THAN ITS VALVE STEM. CONSEQUENTLY, THE STEMS DO EVENTUALLY CORRODE AND BREAK OFF AT INCONVENIENT, POSSIBLY DANGEROUS, TIMES. THE SERVICE STATIONS SAY THIS IS COMMON FOR THIS VINTAGE OF MAZDA. THE SERVICE REP SAID MINE WAS THE SECOND THEY REPAIRED ON THE VERY SAME DAY! AS I SAID, THIS HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE WHEN A STEM BROKE OFF AS I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY HOME PARKING SPOT. A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE THE THIS REPORTED EVENT, I TOOK A LONG ROAD TRIP AND A SUDDEN DEFLATION LIKE THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEED. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TRAGIC! I HAVE CHECKED ON-LINE AND HAVE FOUND MANY IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS. IF IT HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED TO NHTSA BEFORE NOW, I AM QUITE AMAZED. *TR