I own a 2010 Mazda 3 the dashboard is melting, sticky, and smells, Mazda would not relace it under warranty, I was just outside warranty window, my last Mazda purchase!!!

- Port At Lucie, FL, USA

Today as I am reporting is the 3rd incident of this type since I bought the car brand new, and my car now has only 44 K miles on it. The TPMS sensors on the Mazda 3 are connected to the air valve in the tires. TPMS sensors are very fickle and tend to corrode and break with seasonal weather. When the TPMS sensor breaks on a Mazda3, it lets all the air out of your tire and gives you a flat, stranding you wherever you are. TPMS sensors are supposed to aid drivers to let them know there is a problem, but in this case, they actually cause the problem. The air valve being connected to the TPMS is unique to the design of this car, and has never been a problem for me with other vehicles. This can lead to dangerous situations, depending on how fast the car is traveling and where. I have lost air on the highway and been stranded on the side of the road. TPMS sensors/installation are 200 bucks each approximately, and if your tire gets ripped up during the incident, you must also buy a new tire.

- Chicago, IL, USA

In the Mazda 3, the TPMS sensor is connected to the air valve. The TPMS sensors break easily, causing the tire to deflate. If the outside part of the TPMS sensor breaks from corrosion or being hit against a curb, the tire will deflate. I have had 3 TPMS sensors break since I had the car, which has only been 4 years (approx 39,000 miles), and is expensive to replace. My tires are less than 3 years old. The part of the TPMS exposed on the outside will corrode, and if the outside part breaks off, your tires deflate. This is a common problem for Mazda owners. These things break and then cause a flat, leaving the driver in a possible emergency situation. The reason for the TPMS sensor is so drivers don't have blow outs, but the emergency light is very nonspecific, so the only way you know what the problem is when the flat has already occurred, which is unnecessarily caused by the TPMS sensor. This latest incident involved me stranded in the country, yet another TPMS sensor replacement ($200 approx), a new tire, and an alignment - almost $500 total. If the TPMS sensor hadn't broken, the flat would not have occurred at all.

- Chicago, IL, USA