Mazda Issues Recall Over Airbag Inflator Issues

USA- According to ConsumerAffairs.com, Mazda issued a recall of 155,436 Mazda CX-9s vehicles manufactured between 2014 and 2015 over concerns that the airbag inflators can rupture and lead to injuries or deaths. Additional models are subject to the recall as well, depending on the years and where they were sold.

The vehicles have airbag inflators that are installed in the passenger front airbag modules. The defective parts may be part of the original equipment or the replacement equipment. In crashes in which the airbags deploy the inflators can explode because the propellant used can degrade after being exposed to humidity and temperature cycling for long periods of time. Sharp fragments of metal can strike the vehicle occupants and result in severe injuries and deaths.

Drivers impacted by the recall will receive notifications from Mazda. Dealerships will perform replacements at no cost. It is expected that the recall will start on November 12, 2018.

The recall is part of the larger Takata airbag recall. Most automobile manufacturers have been impacted by the Takata airbag recall. The recalls prioritized vehicles in certain states. Recalls of vehicles in states with hot, humid weather were considered a priority because this weather makes for a greater likelihood of the airbags exploding.

Takata airbag recalls now impacted about 40 million vehicles around the world, and that number will likely continue to rise. The recall has been referred to by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as “the largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. History.” The airbags have been responsible for 23 fatalities and 300 injuries around the world.