The Recall Desk
SevereNHTSA·19V781000·Announced 2019-10-31

Mazda Recalls Vehicles Due to Front Passenger Air Bag Inflator Defect

Mazda is recalling specific 2003-2008 models because front passenger air bag inflators may explode, 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

Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The source explicitly states that the defect may result in 'serious injury or death' and involves a structural vehicle safety component (air bag inflator), which aligns with the rubric criteria for a Severe (4) rating involving significant injury reports or structural defects.

Plain-English summary

Mazda North American Operations is recalling certain 2003-2008 Mazda6, 2004-2005 MPV, 2004 RX-8, and 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 vehicles. These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature, and temperature cycling.

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death. The recall affects approximately 47,006 vehicles.

Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 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 MAZDA6, MPV, RX-8, MAZDASPEED6
Brand
MAZDA
Manufacturer
Mazda North American Operations
Category
Vehicle — Air Bag Inflator
Hazard
Affected units
47,006

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 (4)

  • MAZDA6
  • MPV
  • RX-8
  • MAZDASPEED6

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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