2010 Mazda CX-7 Tires & Wheels Problems

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, TAKING A LEFT TURN, WHEN MY CAR JOLTED TO A STOP IN THE INTERSECTION. I WAS UNABLE TO MOVE MY CAR OUT OF THE INTERSECTION, BECAUSE THE WHEEL WASN'T ATTACHED PROPERLY ANYMORE. I CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK, AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL AUTO SHOP. AT THE AUTO SHOP THEY DISCOVERED THAT A PREVIOUSLY RECALLED PART (LOWER CONTROL ARM) HAD FAILED, WHICH IS WHAT CAUSED ALL OF THE DAMAGE. I WAS NOT AWARE OF THIS RECALL. I CALLED THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE TO ASK FOR ADVICE. I WAS ADVISED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AT MY LOCAL AUTO SHOP, AND THEN TO SEND THE INVOICE TO MAZDA TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE RECALLED PART/LABOR. I SENT THE INVOICE TO MAZDA, AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T PROVIDE REIMBURSEMENT UNTIL THE RECALL WAS CLOSED, AND IN ORDER TO DO THIS I NEEDED TO HAVE EVERYTHING CHECKED OFF/RECALL CLOSED BY A MAZDA DEALERSHIP. I TOOK MY VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT FROM, THEY DID THE INSPECTION, AND CLOSED THE RECALL. THEN I SENT THE INVOICE AND THE DOCUMENTS STATING THE RECALL HAD BEEN CLOSED, BUT MAZDA STILL DENIED MY REQUEST SAYING THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE HAD THE REPAIRS DONE AT A MAZDA DEALERSHIP. I AM REQUESTING TO STILL BE REIMBURSED FOR THE LOWER CONTROL ARM (AT LEAST THE COST OF THE PART), SINCE I FOLLOWED THE ADVICE I WAS GIVEN FROM BOTH THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP AND MAZDA.

ON 4/21/2016 AROUND 1:15PM, I WAS HEADING EAST ON I-694 AT ABOUT 65 MPH. SUDDENLY, THE TIRE LOW PRESSURE INDICATOR LIGHT UP ON THE DASHBOARD WITH THREE WARNING CHIMES. I TRAVELLED FOR ANOTHER 5-6 MILES AND THE TIRE NOISE BECAME MUCH MORE NOTICEABLE IN THE BACK. I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE OF THE 3 LANE INTERSTATE AND TWO MORE LANES ON THE RIGHT TO EXIT MN HIGHWAY 252. WITH NO EASY ACCESS TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER AND HEAVY TRAFFIC, I PULLED OFF ONTO THE LEFT SHOULDER, PUT ON THE EMERGENCY HAZARD FLASHERS. UPON EXITING THE CAR, I NOTICED MY LEFT REAR TIRE HAS BLOWN OUT, WITH A ONE FOOT GASH ON ITS SIDEWALL, TOTALLY FLAT, SMOKE CAME OFF FROM THE INSIDE, AND THE TPMS WAS MISSING FROM THE WHEEL OPENING. WAITED FOR 45 MINUTES FOR AAA TO ARRIVE AND PUT ON THE EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE. SUBSEQUENTLY, LIMBED MY WAY FOR 2 MORE MILES TO EXIT AT HWY 65 AND TOOK LOCAL STREETS HOME. THE LOCAL REPAIR SHOP DIAGNOSED THE TIRE BLOWOUT AS A TPMS HEX NUT FAILURE DUE TO CORROSION. ALSO FOUND OUT THAT THE FRONT LEFT TPMS HEX NUT HAS SPLIT IN HALVES DUE TO CORROSION AS WELL. IT COULD HAVE BEEN A REAL TRAGIC ACCIDENT WITH INJURIES OR EVEN FATALITIES. SUDDEN FAILURES OF TPMS UNITS, ESPECIALLY AT HIGH SPEED DRIVING, ARE SIGNIFICANT SAFETY RISKS THAT SHOULD BE REMEDIED THROUGH RECALLS AND AWARENESS TRAINING TO THE PUBLIC.

IN MARCH 2016, TWO OF THE NUTS SECURING THE TIRE PRESSURE SENSORS CRACKED. ONE SENSOR LOOSENED CAUSING THE TIRE TO LOSE AIR AND GO COMPLETELY FLAT. UPON INSPECTION OF THE REMAINING THREE SENSORS, MECHANICS FOUND ANOTHER CRACKED NUT ON A PRESSURE SENSOR. IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO REPLACE THE NUT. CORROSION ON THE TIRE PRESSURE SENSORS CORRODED TO MUCH TO ALLOW NUTS TO BE REPLACED. IN THE END, TWO TIRE PRESSURE SENSORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR CORROSION ON THE EXPOSED THREADS AND CORRODED/CRACKED NUTS.

MY 2010 MAZDA CX7 HAS BEEN IN DIRE NEED OF NEW TIRES. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL REPAIRS FROM PUNCTURES IN THE TIRES WHICH ARE BRIDGESTONE DUELER 215/70R17 WHICH IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY ARE SOFT TIRES AND THE RATING IS NOT THAT GREAT ON THIS TYPE OF TIRE BUT IT IS THE ONLY TIRE RECOMMENDED FOR THIS MODEL. THIS IS THE ONLY TIRE RECOMMENDED THROUGH MAZDA. THEY ARE ALSO EXPENSIVE. I AM VERY UPSET THAT MAZDA GIVES NO ALLOWANCE OF THE BRAND TIRE THAT A CONSUMER MAY CHOOSE. EVEN THE MAZDA DEALER THAT I BOUGHT FROM DIDN'T HAVE THEM IN STOCK. I FEEL THIS HAS BEEN MISREPRESENTATION ON THE DEALER'S PART AND MAZDA. I HAVE BEEN READING FORUMS OF THIS PROBLEM AND IT IS RECOMMENDED TO REPLACE EVERY YEAR BECAUSE OF TYPE OF TIRE. I LIVE IN FLORIDA AND DO NOT NEED WINTER TIRES. IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO? I AM TEMPTED TO CONTACT EVERY TIRE DEALER AND MEDIA. *TR

WHILE ON INTERSTATE THE TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR ILLUMINATED. HUSBAND CHECKED ALL TIRES AND DISCOVERED THAT ONE OF THE VALVE STEMS WAS BROKEN. THE OUTSIDE WAS CORRODED. THE SLIGHTEST PRESSURE ON IT WAS RELEASING AIR AT A RAPID RATE. WE HAD ONLY JUST PURCHASED THE CAR A WEEK BEFORE. HOW THIS WAS NOT CAUGHT BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP IS BEYOND ME. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE STEM, BUT WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. REALLY? THEN WHY AREN'T THERE ANY RECALLS ON THIS? AFTER READING THE OTHER NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT OUR MODEL, I AM BECOMING INCREASINGLY NERVOUS OVER OUR HASTY PURCHASE. RESEARCH IS KEY IN CHOOSING A VEHICLE. *TR