This was the third of the original valve stems to fail. This one happened when the tire was low and the valve cap was removed and broke off the stem. The needle failed causing the tire to deflate in minutes. Unfortunately, I didn't realize the valve was leaking and drove about a quarter mile until the wheel was no longer supported by the tire. The wheel was now bent and needed replacement.

This is the last of the original valve stems to fail. It actually broke off when the mechanic was changing over to my snow tires. The change over cost me an additional $110 in labor. Since this is the fourth valve stem to fail, the total cost of new valve stem replacement has hit $400. This doesn't include cost of a new wheel from a previous valve stem failure. Mazda should offer new valve stems for the life of the car or replace them with non-corroding stems.