2009 MAZDA MAZDA5 Tires Problems

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

Mileage: 84,000

TPMS / TIRE VALVE STEM LEAKED AIR FROM TIRE. THIS IS THE SECOND TPMS OCCURRENCE WITHIN LAST 2 MONTHS (FROM 2 DIFFERENT SENSORS). SERVICE SHOP SAID THAT IT WAS CORRODED. *TR

Mileage: 52,600

WHILE DRIVING AT 70MPH ON US23 IN MICHIGAN, TPMS LOW PRESSURE TELLTALE ILLUMINATED. WITHIN 30 SECS, VEHICLE BEGAN TO PULL HARD TO THE LEFT. PULLED OFF THE SIDE OF THIS 4 LANE 70MPH HIGHWAY IN THE RAIN TO INVESTIGATE. LEFT FRONT TIRE COMPLETELY FLAT. NUT HOLDING THE TPMS SENSOR TO THE RIM WAS MISSING & HAD CORRODED, ALLOWING THE TPMS SENSOR TO FALL INSIDE TIRE CAVITY, RESULTING IN RAPID AIR LOSS. THREADS OF TPMS SENSOR EXHIBITED CORROSION. DROVE VEHICLE TO GMC DEALERSHIP IN MILAN MI WHICH CONFIRMED THE TPMS SENSOR NUT FAILURE DUE TO CORROSION. TIRE DESTROYED, RIM EDGE CHEWED UP. CONTACTED MAZDA USA AND THEY WOULD NOT OFFER ANY CONSIDERATION, STATING THAT THE 3 YEAR WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED 1 MONTH PRIOR, AND THAT CORROSION WAS NOT COVERED BEYOND 3 YEARS. I STATED THAT THIS ISN'T A COSMETIC RUST ISSUE, THAT THE CORROSION RESULTED IN A SAFETY CONCERN FOR ME AND MY FAMILY, BUT MAZDA WOULD NOT OFFER ANY RESOLUTION. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN DURING 3 MILD OHIO WINTERS; THERE IS NOT ANY SIGNS OF CORROSION ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE VEHICLE; I DRIVE THE CAR THRU AUTOMATIC CAR WASHES EVERY 3 WEEKS OR SO IN THE WINTER JUST TO WASH OFF ANY ROAD SALT. NO OTHER COMPONENT ON THE VEHICLE IS EXHIBITING CORROSION. HAD VEHICLE ON LIFT TO INSPECT THE UNDERBODY. IT DOES NOT SEEM TECHNICALLY SOUND THAT A VEHICLE COMPONENT SPECIFICALLY MANDATE BY NHTSA TO PREVENT TIRES FROM BEING RAN LOW IN INFLATION PRESSURE ON A VEHICLE SHOULD INSTEAD CAUSE MY TIRE TO RAPIDLY LOSE ALL AIR PRESSURE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE NEW AND KNOW ITS SERVICE LIFE. THIS TPMS SENSOR WAS IN USE FOR ONLY 37 MONTHS. A 3 CENT NUT PUT MY FAMILY AT SIGNIFICANT SAFETY RISK. *TR

Mileage: 26,500

TPMS SENSOR-VALVE SLOW LEAK: FOUR NEW TIRES (PIRELLI P6 FOUR SEASONS) INSTALLED AT MAZDA DEALER ON JAN 2011. THE ORIGINAL TPMS SENSOR-VALVES WHERE USED ON THE NEW TIRES. AFTER THAT THE TPMS WARNING LIGHT WOULD GO ON EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS. I WOULD CHECK THE PRESSURE IN ALL THE TIRES USING A DIGITAL GAUGE WHICH SHOWED SLIGHTLY LOW PRESSURE (HIGH 20?S PSI) IN ONE TIRE, THE SAME TIRE EACH TIME. I WOULD INFLATE THE TIRE TO THE CORRECT PRESSURE. ONE REASON I AM REPORTING THIS IS THAT THERE IS A WELL-DOCUMENTED HISTORY OF TPMS SENSOR VALVES BREAKING EASILY WHEN PUTTING AIR IN THE TIRE. THE MORE ONE HAS TO INFLATE THE TIRES THE MORE LIKELY THE TPMS SENSOR-VALUES WILL BREAK. *TR

Mileage: 48,000

TPMS SENSOR-VALVE FAILURE: I WAS DRIVING TO WORK GOING ABOUT 40 MPH WHEN TPMS LIGHT WENT ON. I COULD NOT PULL OFF IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE OF ROAD CONDITIONS. SHORTLY AFTER THAT I COULD HEAR THE SOUND OF A VERY FLAT TIRE. WHEN I MANAGED TO PULL OFF AND CHECK THE TIRES, ONE WAS COMPLETELY FLAT. TIRE WAS TOO DAMAGED TO RE-INFLATE. THE RELATIVELY NEW TIRE AND THE TPMS SENSOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TR

Mileage: 48,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MAZDA MAZDA5 EQUIPPED WITH BRIDGESTONE POTENZA TIRES, SIZE: P205-50-R17 GO19GRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE TIRES WERE BEING INSPECTED, BLISTERS WERE LOCATED ON THE TIRES. THE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,000.

Mileage: 47,000

AUTO HAS HAD TO HAVE COMPLETE SET OF TIRES BECAUSE OF PREMATURE WEARING ON OUTER EDGE OF TIRES AFTER ONLY 32,000 MILES. NEW TIRES ARE ALREADY SHOWING SIGNS OF PREMATURE WEARING EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE BEING ALIGNED AND ROTATED REGULARLY AT ONLY 52,000 MILES. *TR

THIS VAN HAS 67,000 MILES ON IT AND I'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE TIRES TWO TIMES. I HAVE FLATS GOING DOWN THE ROAD. THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE IS EAT AWAY. WE HAVE HAD THE TIRES BALANCED AND ALIGNED TO NO AVAIL AND COMPLAINED TO MAZDA. LOOKING AT FORUMS ON THE WEB, THERE SEEMS TO BE MANY ISSUES WITH THIS HAPPENING. *TR

MY HUSBAND PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2009 MAZDA5 AND IN FEBRUARY 10TH 2011, AS I WAS DRIVING MY TIRE LOST ALL AIR, THE VALVE HAD SNAPPED IN HALF. THE DEALER SAID I MUST HAVE HIT SOMETHING BUT I KNOW I DIDN'T, I WOULD HAVE FELT SOMETHING IF IT WAS STRONG ENOUGH TO BREAK THE VALVE, PLUS THERE WAS NOTHING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD CLOSE ENOUGH TO HIT THE CAR. THEY MADE ME PAY $150 TO REPLACE IT. IN MAY 29TH I WAS PUMPING AIR AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON A DIFFERENT TIRE. AT THIS TIME I HAD 37,200 MILES. I CALLED MAZDA AND THE REPRESENTATIVE SAID THAT THEY NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM AND IT WASN'T COVERED. I GOOGLE IT AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME AND I EVEN SAW SOME REPORTS OF MAZDA KNOWING ABOUT FAULTY VALVES. I HAD ANOTHER ONE BREAK ON DECEMBER 15TH, THIS WAS #3. THIS IS BEYOND RIDICULOUS!!! THIS PRODUCT IS DEFINITELY DEFECTIVE. AT THIS POINT I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE ANOTHER ONE OF THESE VALVES PUT ON MY TIRES. MAZDA SHOULD RECALL THEM BEFORE SOMEONE DIES ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE TIRES GO FLAT BECAUSE OF THE VALVES. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE NEW FROM THE DEALER AND HAD EXTENDED WARRANTY ON IT, WHICH DID NOT COVER MY VALVES. THEY SAID I WAS PROBABLY PUSHING TOO HARD WHEN I WAS PUMPING AIR. AGAIN, THE VALVES SHOULD BE RECALLED BEFORE SOMEONE DIES. *TR

ON DEC.8,2011, I WAS DRIVING EASTBOUND ON INTERSTATE HWY 167., THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE HAD GONE FLAT. I WAS ABLE TO GET ON THE AUXILIARY ROAD WITHOUT GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT. I INSPECTED THE TIRE AND COULD NOT FIND ANY HOLES. I USED A PORTABLE TIRE INFLATER AND DROVE APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE TO A TIRE REPAIR STATION. THE TIRE WAS REMOVED AND UPON CLOSER INSPECTION, IT WAS REVEALED THAT THE ENTIRE INNER SIDE OF THE TIRE HAD BEEN WORN OFF. THE MECHANIC CHECKED THE OTHER TIRES AND SHOWED ME THAT THE SAME TYPE OF WEAR WAS EVENT ON THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE TIRE. IT WAS THEN THAT THE MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS COMMON IN MAZDAS' AND THAT A SIMPLE PART HAS BEEN USED ON MAZDA5S' TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I TAKE MY VEHICLE FOR REGULAR CHECKUPS AND FLUID CHANGES EVERY FOUR MONTHS. YET NOT ONCE WAS I EVER TOLD OF THIS POTENTIAL DANGEROUS HAZARD, THAT COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL HAD IT OCCURRED ON AN OPEN HIGHWAY, WHERE THERE ARE NUMEROUS TURNS ON STRETCHES OF ROAD THAT LOCATED ON CURVES AND ARE WELL OVER 200 FEET ABOVE GROUND. (I HAVE THE TIRES INVOLVED). *TR

Mileage: 31,600

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MAZDA MAZDA 5. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ADD AIR TO THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE TIRE THE ALUMINUM VALVE STEM END BROKE DUE TO CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIANS REPLACED THE VALVE STEM. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000.

Mileage: 23,000

VALVE STEM BROKE OFF WHILE LOW FILLING TIRE WITH AIR. EACH TIME THE TIRE LOOKED A LITTLE LOW AND WHEN AIR NOZZLE WAS USED IT BROKE OFF AND FLEW FORCEFULLY AND ALL THE AIR CAME SUDDENLY RUSHING OUT. THE COMPUTER LOW TIRE LIGHT WAS ON THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED, THAT IS WHY I CHECKED THE PRESSURE. I HAD TO CALL SERVICE BOTH TIMES AND HAD THEM CHANGED TIRE AND REPLACE VALVE STEM WITH NON-COMPUTERIZED KIND. THEY DID NOT FIND ANY REASONS THAT THE TIRES HAD GONE LOW OTHER THAN THE VALVE STEM MAY HAVE BEEN ALREADY LEAKING. I THEN WENT TO DEALER TO GET NEW PARTS, WHICH WERE STILL UNDER WARRANTY, AND THEY SAID IT WAS FROM MISUSE AND WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THEY WERE VERY RUDE. SAID IT WAS FROM HITTING CURB. IT WAS NOT. THE VALVE STEM IS WELL PROTECTED INSIDE THE RIM. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE WITHIN THE LAST SIX MONTHS. BOTH FAILURES WERE NEARLY IDENTICAL. I DID NOT REPORT THE FIRST TIME, BUT AFTER CHECKING AROUND I FOUND OUT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHERS AND TIRE REPAIRMEN SAID THEY HAVE HAD TO CHANGE OUT SEVERAL. HAD I NOT SEEN THAT THE TIRE WAS A LITTLE LOW AND CHECKED IT IN MY GARAGE THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE DEVASTATING. I'M ALMOST AFRAID TO DRIVE IN CASE ONE OF THESE WOULD BREAK ON THE ROAD AND KILL ME. THE FAILURES HAPPENED IN DECEMBER 2010 AND APRIL 2011. THE VEHICLE I'M DRIVING IS A 2009. *TR

Mileage: 37,000

AT ABOUT 30,000 MILES, I NOTICED CONSIDERABLE VIBRATION AND A THUMPING NOISE, PARTICULARLY PROMINENT IN THE RIGHT FRONT QUADRANT. WHEN THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED THE PROBLEM IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS UNEVEN TIRE WEAR ON THE FRONT TIRES AND I PURCHASED TWO NEW TIRES AND HAD AN ALIGNMENT PERFORMED. THE PROBLEM RECURRED WITHIN 10,000 MILES, AFTER THE NEXT SERVICE. ONCE AGAIN THE DIAGNOSIS WAS UNEVEN TIRE WEAR, THIS TIME ON THE SET OF TIRES WHICH HAD NOT BEEN REPLACED. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AS THEY WERE A SAFETY RISK. ADDITIONALLY THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE MAZDA 5 WAS HARD ON ITS REAR TIRES (FROM WHICH THESE HAD BEEN ROTATED AT THE LAST SERVICE). A QUICK REVIEW OF A VARIETY OF FORUMS WOULD INDICATE THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED AND THAT, IN ADDITION TO THE POOR QUALITY TOYO TIRES WHICH ARE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, WEAK ALLOY WHEELS MAY ALSO PLAY A ROLE. *TR

Mileage: 30,000