NHTSA Complaint #10764653 — 2010 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2015, WE WERE TRAVELLING TO OUR LOCAL BEACH AND I NOTICED A LOW TIRE PRESSURE INDICATOR ON THE VANS DASHBOARD. I WAS LUCKY TO KNOW THIS PARTICULAR PART OF THE BRONX, SO WE IMMEDIATELY GOT OFF OF THE HIGHWAY AND STOPPED AT A LOCAL GARAGE. THINKING THAT IT WAS JUST A SLOW LEAK, WE PULLED OVER TO THE PAY-FOR-AIR KIOSK AND I WENT TO FILL THE FRONT, PASSENGERS SIDE TIRE, WHICH APPEARED LOW. THE TIRE WAS NOT FLAT, JUST LOW. TO MAY COMPLETE AMAZEMENT, WHEN I APPLIED THE REQUIRED PRESSURE ONTO THE VALVE STEM WITH THE TIRE INFLATOR, THE VALVE STEM DISAPPEARED INTO THE RIM! THIS IMMEDIATELY DEFLATED THE TIRE. THE KIDS IMMEDIATELY STARTED COMPLAINING THAT THIS WAS GOING TO RUIN THE BEACH TRIP, BUT I ASSURED THEM THAT SINCE THE GAS STATION WE WERE LUCKILY DISABLED IN FRONT OF WOULD BE OF IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE. I ENTERED THE GARAGE AND FOUND THE SOLE MECHANIC TURNED WITH HIS BACK TO ME, WORKING ON A VEHICLE. HE DIDNT SEE US COME IN AND DIDNT KNOW I WAS THERE UNTIL I EXCUSED MYSELF AND TOLD HIM ABOUT THIS CRAZY THING THAT HAD JUST HAPPENED TO ME. LET ME GUESS, ITS A CHRYSLER, RIGHT? TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, HE TOLD ME THAT THE THREADS ON THE CHRYSLER/DODGE VALVE STEMS ARE MADE OF SUCH SHODDY MATERIALS THAT THEY, IN HIS WORDS, TURN TO DUST. WHEN HE FINALLY GOT THE VALVE STEM OUT OF MY TIRE, IT WAS INDEED NEARLY COMPLETELY OXIDIZED. THE NEXT DAY, I BROUGHT THE VAN TO OUR LOCAL TIRE REPAIR SHOP TO HAVE ALL OF THE VALVES REPLACED WITH GOOD, OLD FASHIONED RUBBER ONES. THE REMAINING WERE ALL IN SIMILAR, TERRIBLE CONDITION. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE AFTERMARKET SENSOR WE HAD PURCHASED LAST YEAR. THE TIRE SHOP SAID THAT IT WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE AMONG DODGE AND CHRYSLER VEHICLES. I FEEL THIS SAME CONDITION CAUSED THE BLOWOUT WE HAD EXPERIENCED THE YEAR BEFORE AS WELL.