Tire Valve problems of the 2003 Hyundai Sonata

I am experiencing the valve stem/tire issues in my 2003 Hyundai Sonata that are currently being investigated. I have had 2 flat tires since July and both times I was told that it was the valve stem. I was told that this is a Hyundai issue and that when you hit a bump the hubcap spins and eventually "snaps" off the valve stem. I have called 2 different Hyundai dealerships and they both denied that it was a Hyundai issue. They both claimed that I probably have the wrong size tire on the car. I felt like my issue was dismissed both times. The tires on the car are the exact size as referenced in my owners manual. I was told that replacing the tires to a "specific brand" would solve the problem. So yesterday, I bought 2 new tires after I could no longer keep air in the front tires for more than 6 hours. When they removed the hubcaps, they said that the tires deflated on their own, through the valve stems. I came online to research this issue and see if anyone else has had the issue and saw an article about the investigation that has just begun and thought it best to lodge a complaint. I have receipts for all of the repairs and new tires if this is needed.

Hubcaps on 2003 Sonata slide around pinching valve stems. This was first noticed when I replaced tires from michelin to bf goodrich . Tires are proper size . This problem of the hubcaps shifting happens daily as I have to remove hubcaps and straighten. Have now removed hubcaps permanently for safety reasons. Have had one blow-out due to stem being twisted. Number of failures below are estimated but the hubcaps until recently were out of position daily. Date of blow-out below is estimated someone around the middle of August.

On 03/26/05, I purchased bf goodrich touring t/a pro series (size p205/65r15) for my 2003 Sonata at sam's club. In a month and a half, I had 4 flat tires and 10 valves replaced because the hub caps spin and slice the valves. I lost 7. 5 hours of work and received a back injury while trying to change one of the tires. I've spoken to Hyundai and bf goodrich - both of which suggested getting the h rated tires instead of the s rated. I did that, but it didn't work. I also paid $75 for a diagnostician to tell me that I had the wrong bead on the tires but whom couldn't suggest a solution. My owner’s manual simply states, “always replace your tires with those of the recommended size� lists the tire size specifications as p 205/65r15. There is no recommended replacement brand named and no mention about having the correct size beading. I took my car to another dealer and learned that the bf goodrich tires have a bead protectant which cause the hub caps to rest directly against my tires thus causing them to spin. There should be a gap between the hubcap and tire. I switched to a goodyear tire and have not had problems since. The problem with slicing valve stems only occurs on the 15 inches tires with hubcaps (as opposed to the 16 inches tires on aluminum wheels. ).

I purchased a 2003 Hyundai Sonata in June 2003. At 18,000 I had to replace my front tires due to wear. I had the correct size mounted and it went flat approximately 5-6 times. My dealer kept saying it was the tire dealers fault however, if the correct size tire is used it could not be their fault. Car dealer refused to look at until about the fifth time. I became irate and they took it in. I was told my car will only use the exact same tire that came on it from factory. This is not in any of the car information or owners manual. Any other tire used causes friction on the wheel cover causing it to move and cut the tire valve. I feel this is a huge safety issue. If the tire had gone flat in heavy traffic or at higher speeds it could have caused a fatal accident. Luckily, it kept going flat after it was parked. I just had two more tires put on, the exact same ones that came on the car standard. We'll see what happens.

When I replaced the tires with the specified size tire after having the car for about 23,000 miles, I had the problem with the hubcaps shifting and shearing off the valve stem. I took the car back to the tire dealership (bf goodrich tires) and they tried to solve the problem. They called the dealership who told them it was the tires, but that was illogical. They wound up putting metal stems on all four tires as it was happening on the front tires but rotation would require metal stems in all tires. This kept the hub caps from shearing the stem, but the caps would slide up over the stems so as to make it impossible for me to check the air in my tires. Finally after about a year and half of headache, I finally bought new wheels for the car. This completely solved the problem. Hyundai would never admit to the problem and tried to tell us that the tires were wrong. Like others have stated, there is nothing in the owners manual that states that one has to buy michelin tires. When I finally bought the new wheels, the tire dealership attempted to mount the new tires on the old rims that came with the car and the tire could not be mounted on the rim and hold air. There very definitely is a problem with those wheels but Hyundai never would admit it and only offered to buy a new set of hub caps which did the exact same thing. I like the wheels I bought but I should not have had to buy them. Hyundai should have replaced the wheels on the car. I experienced five flats on the front end of my car before the metal stems were put in. Very poor design on the wheels.