Washington, D.C. – July 24, 2018 – Mazda  (OTCMKTS: MZDAY) has recalled almost 700 vehicles potentially equipped with defective air bags, according to documentation submitted to the National Highway Traffic Administration. The campaign affects 2018 Mazda CX-5 sport utility vehicles produced between April 11 and April 27, 2018. The Japanese automaker suspects just 1 percent of the models involved in the action contain the defective components.

The Defect

Affected vehicles contain side-curtain air bags that may fail to unfold properly during deployment, leaving occupants unprotected in the event of an accident involving side impact or a rollover. The defect therefore poses a serious threat to owners and their passengers. However, Mazda has yet to receive reports connecting the problematic parts to any collisions or injuries.

Timeline of Events

Mazda on April 26, 2018, received information from its air bag supplier, the Ashimori Industry Company, indicating that the fabric used in certain assemblies did not meet adhesion requirements. Ashimori revealed that production personnel had failed to properly dry the cement adhering the silicone air bag base to the side-curtain fabric, meaning the resulting equipment would leak air and therefore not inflate upon deployment. On April 27, 2018, the vehicle manufacturer stopped shipment of models with defective air bags. More than a week later, Mazda production teams rolled out replacement side-curtain air bag models.

On June 12, 2018, the automaker reviewed its production logs and found that multiple vehicles containing the problematic air bags had been shipped to dealers. Members of the Mazda Quality Audit Committee convened June 21, 2018, and decided that a voluntary recall was necessary.

The company notified dealers of the forthcoming action June 29, 2018.

The Solution

Mazda has directed dealers to replace the side-curtain air bags in affected models free of charge, according to an NHTSA recall acknowledgement document. Owners should have received notification via first-class mail July 16, 2018. Those who have yet to hear about the recall or require additional assistance can speak with Mazda customer service personnel by calling (800) 222-5500. Callers should use the internal recall reference code 2718F. Owners can also reach out to the NHTSA directly using the agency’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236.