Mazda Southern Africa issues airbag recall

Mazda Southern Africa today announced that roughly 19 000 of our local vehicles form part of the Japanese firm's global recall for potentially defective airbags. Produced by the Takata Corporation (we've heard that name used in vain before), the airbags in question are apparently fitted with dodgy inflators.

"The recall is due to an inappropriate production condition and storage of the propellant in the inflator," says Mazda Southern Africa. "The density of the propellant may be insufficient in the inflator. This might cause the propellant to ignite abnormally at the time of airbag deployment and potentially result in extremely high inner pressure of the inflator causing a rupture of the inflator case.  In a case of a rupture, the airbag might not deploy as designed and may lead to injury."

Now even though no cases of abnormal deployment or dangerous flaws have been found in any Mazda vehicles in the course of the investigative recall, the concern had deemed an extended formal recall campaign necessary.

So what vehicles are affected? Well according to Mazda all Mazda2, Mazda6 and RX-8 vehicles produced from 2003 with VIN numbers starting with MM6DE, JM6GG and JMZSE are on the recall list. This includes Mazda2, Mazda6 and RX-8 models equipped with the "PSDI-4" driver-side air bag inflator, the "SDI-160" driver side air bag inflator, or the "SPI", "SDI-230" and the "PSPI" passenger-side air bag inflators.

What is Mazda Southern Africa doing to address the problem? Well apparently "conducting a repair procedure to replace the driver-side air bag and/or passenger-side air bag inflator with an improved unit on the possibly affected vehicles."

If you think your vehicle is affected by the recall then please contact Mazda SA Customer Care Centre on 0860-069-700 or email . – Thomas Falkiner