The Recall Desk
CriticalNHTSA·18V404000·Announced 2018-06-15

Mazda Recalls MPV and RX-8 Vehicles for Air Bag Inflator Defect

Mazda is recalling 2005-2006 MPV and 2005-2009 RX-8 vehicles because the passenger air bag inflators 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.

Plain-English summary

Mazda North American Operations is recalling certain 2005-2006 Mazda MPV vehicles and 2005-2009 Mazda RX-8 vehicles. The recall was initiated for MPV vehicles on July 6, 2018, and expanded on July 9, 2019, to include RX-8 vehicles that were previously recalled under campaign 17V-011 but have not yet been repaired. This recall fully supersedes the previous campaign for the RX-8 models.

The affected vehicles are equipped with specific passenger frontal air bag inflators that may explode during deployment in a crash. This failure is caused by propellant degradation resulting from long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling. The recall applies to vehicles sold or registered in specific states, including Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

An inflator explosion may result in metal fragments striking vehicle occupants, which can cause serious injury or death. Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator free of charge. 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 MPV, RX-8
Brand
MAZDA
Manufacturer
Mazda North American Operations
Category
Vehicle — Air Bag
Hazard
Affected units
4,184

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 (2)

  • MPV
  • RX-8

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

Related recalls

Same brand · MAZDA

Same manufacturer · Mazda North American Operations

See all →

Same hazard · air bag inflator explosion

See all →