The first stop in obtaining incidence data for these vehicles is the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint database. The NHTSA is the primary point for collecting statistical data on issues with vehicles.
We started with the year 2008. It was the first full year after the federal Tire Pressure Monitoring requirements and also happens to be the year our source vehicle was produced (2008 Chrysler Town and Country Limited).
The following vehicles have issues reported relating to their aluminum valve stems and TPMS corroding and failing:
| Buick | Enclave |
| Chevrolet | Equinox, Express Van, Malibu, Uplander |
| Chrysler | 300, PT Cruiser, Sebring, Town and Country |
| Dodge | Avenger, Caliber, Caravan, Charger, Dakota, Grand Caravan, Nitro, Ram Truck |
| Ford | Escape, Explorer, F Series trucks |
| Jeep | Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, Liberty, Patriot, Wrangler |
| Kia | Rondo |
| Mazda | CX-7, Mazda 3, Mazda 5, Mazda 6 |
| Nissan | Quest, Titan(?) |
| Pontiac | Grand Prix, Torrent, Vibe |
| Subaru | Outback |
| Toyota | Corolla |
Now, for many of these auto manufacturers there were singular events within a single vehicle model that may be attributable to statistical averages. There are two standout cases in the above documentation: Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep (one company) and Mazda.
In the case of Mazda we have documentation of soft recalls (i.e. fixed when complained about) for corrosion issues relating to the valve stems. They have been upgraded and improved.
In the case of Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep there have been no documented recalls that we can find. The list above: 300, PT Cruiser, Sebring, Town and Country, Avenger, Caliber, Caravan, Charger, Dakota, Grand Caravan, Nitro, Ram Truck, Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, Liberty, Patriot and Wrangler; represents over 50% of the vehicle lineup from this company.
What is it about the Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep Tire Pressure Sensors (TPS) and their Tire Pressure Management System (TPMS) that sucks so badly? Why haven't they corrected it (we've looked at later year complaints)? Why do they lie and tell customers that this isn't a problem?
Stay tuned for more information.
