Mazda recalling up to 42,000 vehicles that may have an airbag dysfunction

There always seems to be a recall in the automotive industry!

One of the latest is yet another problem with airbags for Mazda vehicles, as Mazda North American Operations announces an airbag recall for its Mazda 6 model produced from 4th February 2008 to 3rd December 2009.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration pressed Mazda to recall 41,918 2009-10 model-year vehicles due to the potential air bag defect. The issue is that the protective coating on the airbag may have been improperly applied, meaning moisture could damage the unit and cause corrosion, and eventually lead to the airbag shutting down (source: NHTSA).

“Failure of the air bag control unit would illuminate the air bag warning light and prevent the air bags from deploying in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury”.

Given the statement above, this is obviously something Mazda will not want to be held liable for, so they must act fast to prevent any liability for injuries caused to vehicle owners and passengers.

As with most car manufacturers facing technical faults, Mazda are offering free repairs to fix the problem. However, according to Automotive-Fleet, replacement parts are not yet available. In the meantime, Mazda are due to be sending out letters to notify vehicle owners from 3rd October, and then a further letter is due to be sent out when the replacement parts are available for the actual repair. This procedure is due to take a while before all 41,918 vehicles are fixed.

Some may draw comparisons to the recent ongoing Takata airbag recalls, which is similar in nature. With the Takata airbag recall, the airbag function was inflating prematurely, which meant that the function was not actually being deployed when necessary.

The Mazda issue is slightly different in that the current issue is that the airbags may not inflate in the event of a crash. The Maza airbags were supplied by Continental Automotive Systems, although Mazda are reportedly linked to the Takata airbag recalls as well; one that has caused havoc to millions of vehicles worldwide.

The issue was discovered on 28th January this year. As the recall date has started, we wonder whether it will take Mazda as long as it has taken for Volkswagen to recall the cars for the notorious “defeat devices” that were installed in their vehicles, discovered September last year.

We hope Mazda will not fall foul of the game and play by the rules of fixing the vehicles as soon as possible.

It’s not just financial depreciation of the vehicles that is a concern, but injuries to owners too. Until the airbag unit is fixed, the airbags may not inflate properly in the event of an accident. Personal injury liability is most certainly something that Mazda will not want on their shoulders, so time is ticking for the Japanese car manufacturer to get this sorted.