The Recall Desk
CriticalNHTSA·18V403000·Announced 2018-06-15

Mazda Recalls 2009-2010 RX-8 Vehicles for Air Bag Inflator Defect

Mazda is recalling 2009-2010 RX-8 vehicles because the passenger air bag inflator may explode during deployment, posing a risk of serious injury or death.

NHTSA safety advisory

Do not drive this vehicle

NHTSA advises owners to stop driving this vehicle until the recall repair has been completed.

This is the agency’s own advisory, not our assessment. Contact the manufacturer or a dealer, and see the official NHTSA notice for the current guidance.

What this means for you

Highest-severity recall. Risk of serious injury or death is documented or strongly suspected. Stop using the product now and follow the agency's instructions.

Our severity reasoning: The source text explicitly states that the defect may result in 'serious injury or death,' which aligns with the NHTSA criteria for Critical severity involving potential fatalities or serious injuries.

Plain-English summary

Mazda North American Operations is recalling certain 2009-2010 Mazda RX-8 vehicles that were previously recalled under campaign 18V-017 but have not yet been repaired. These vehicles are equipped with specific passenger frontal air bag inflators that may explode in the event of a crash necessitating deployment. The defect is caused by propellant degradation resulting from long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, which could lead to serious injury or death. This recall supersedes the previous recall 18V017.

Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one free of charge. The recall began on July 9, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4, or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
MAZDA RX-8
Brand
MAZDA
Manufacturer
Mazda North American Operations
Category
Vehicle — Air Bag
Hazard
Affected units
237

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (1)

  • RX-8

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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