Mazda is warning approximately 71,000 vehicle owners in Canada to address a critical safety recall involving Takata airbag inflators. The company has issued a “Do Not Drive” advisory for vehicles equipped with Takata non-desiccated airbag inflators due to the serious safety risk they pose.
The recall covers the following Mazda models:
- 2004 to 2009 B-Series pickup
- 2003 through 2013 Mazda 6
- 2006 and 2007 Speed6
- 2004 through 2011 RX-8
- 2004 through 2006 MPV
- 2007 through 2012 CX-7
- 2007 through 2015 CX-9
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the U.S. has issued similar warnings for Ford and Mazda vehicles.
The NHTSA has reported that faulty Takata inflators, which use volatile ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate airbags in a crash, can deteriorate over time when exposed to high temperatures and humidity. This deterioration can cause the inflators to explode with excessive force, potentially rupturing metal canisters and sending fragments into the vehicle’s interior. This defect has resulted in 27 fatalities and over 400 injuries in the U.S. alone.
Globally, at least 35 people have died as a result of faulty Takata inflators, with deaths reported in Malaysia, Australia, and the U.S.
