NHTSA complaint: 2013 HYUNDAI ELANTRA — TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS
WE WERE TRAVELING IN A REMOTE AREA AND WHILE GOING DOWN A HILL THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR SYSTEM ALERT CAME ON. THERE WAS NO PLACE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD DUE TO GUARD RAILS, SO I SLOWED DOWN AND CONTINUED DOWN THE HILL UNTIL I COULD PULL OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THERE WAS NO CELL PHONE SERVICE AND THIS CAR HAS NO SPARE TIRE. THE TIRE WAS NOT COMPLETELY FLAT AND A NAIL WAS SEEN IN A REPAIRABLE AREA OF THE TREAD ON THE DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE. THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDES FREE ROAD SERVICE, BUT SINCE THERE WAS NO CELL PHONE SERVICE, I HAD NO CHOICE EXCEPT TO USE THE PROVIDED TIRE REPAIR AND INFLATION KIT. THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE FOLLOWED AND THE TIRE WAS INFLATED TO 32 PSI AS PER THE INSTRUCTIONS. I DISCONNECTED THE TIRE REPAIR AIR PUMP FROM THE VALVE STEM AND MY WIFE WAS ABOUT TO REPLACE THE VALVE STEM CAP WHEN THE TIRE EXPLODED AND FORCE FROM THE AIR KNOCKED HER TO THE GROUND AND ONTO THE ROADWAY. SHE SKINNED HER KNEES AND HAD A HEADACHE FOR HOURS AFTER THIS. THE FORCE OF THE TIRE EXPLOSION ALSO SHATTERED THE WHEEL WELL PLASTIC LINER. HAD THE TIRE EXPLOSION BEEN ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE TIRE MY WIFE WOULD LIKELY HAVE BEEN GRAVELY INJURED. THE LOUD SOUND FROM THE TIRE EXPLODING GOT THE ATTENTION OF A RANCH CREW REPAIRING FENCES IN THE AREA. THEY SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE A SHOTGUN BLAST. ONE OF THE CREW MEMBERS OFFERED US USE OF HIS PHONE TO CALL FOR HELP. WE SPENT 2 HOURS IN THE HEAT ARRANGING FOR A TOW AND WAITING FOR THE TOW TRUCK. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST TIRE SHOP THAT HAD THE COR
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation