NHTSA Complaint #11170360 — 2010 MAZDA MAZDA3

MAZDA3 FACTORY-INSTALLED TIRE INFLATION VALVE STEMS ARE PREMATURELY FAILING RESULTING IN AN IMMEDIATE TIRE DEFLATION WITH NO PRIOR WARNING OR INDICATION OF FAILURE. FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED WHEN THE CAR WAS PARKED AND WHEN MOVING. THERE WAS NO PRIOR INDICATION (I.E. NO WARNING OR SLOW LOSS OF PRESSURE) OF A PROBLEM WITH THE VALVE. PRIOR TO THIS VEHICLE, I HAVE NEVER HAD A TIRE INFLATION VALVE STEM FAIL IN THE 35+ YEARS I HAVE OWNED VEHICLES. HOWEVER, THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES TO THIS SPECIFIC VEHICLE (WHICH WE PURCHASED IN 2014) WITH THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE HAPPENING TODAY, 16 JAN 2019. A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH REVEALED THIS IS A WIDE-SPREAD PROBLEM WITH MAZDA 3 TIRE INFLATION VALVE STEMS. I'VE ATTACHED PICTURES OF TODAY'S FAILURE AS WELL AS AN EXEMPLAR WEBSITE PRINTOUT OF IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS BY OTHER MAZDA OWNERS. GIVEN THE UNWARNED AND RAPID FAILURE OF THESE VALVE STEMS, THIS IS AN IMMEDIATE SAFETY HAZARD DUE TO THE POTENTIAL LOSS OF CONTROL SHOULD THE TIRE INFLATION VALVE STEM FAIL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, ESPECIALLY DURING ADVERSE WEATHER.