Mazda issued two different recalls for its 2019 Mazda 3 model on Thursday, with a further voluntary recall issued on Friday relating to Takata airbags. The latter also includes models from Toyota and Suzuki.
One of the recalls relates to a fault with the Mazda 3’s Smart Brake Support (SBS) system, affecting 13,768 cars, while the second deals with a fault in the model’s start/stop software programming, affecting an estimated 14,583 cars. Both faults were identified as part of the Takata recall of roughly 78,000 vehicles.
The first fault appears in Mazda 3s sold between March 26 and December 24 of 2019 and can make the SBS system falsely detect objects in front of the car, causing the automatic braking function to kick in. As the ACCC puts it, “If the automatic brake function is initiated, the vehicle will unexpectedly slow down and stop, increasing the risk of an accident and injury to vehicle occupants and other road users.”
You can check if your vehicle is affected here.
The second fault affects Mazda 3s sold within the same timeframe and prevents the engine from restarting from idle stop mode, forcing the user to use the start/stop button.
“If the vehicle does not restart in idle stop mode, there is an increased risk of an accident and injury to vehicle occupants and other road users,” the ACCC says. You can check to see if your vehicle is affected here. In either case, affected owners can expect contact from Mazda to book in a time for repairs.
Lastly, Toyota, Mazda and Suzuki have issued further voluntary recalls for further vehicles containing the Takata NADI 5-AT airbags. This one affects more than 18,000 vehicles manufactured between 1996 and 1999.
“These airbags could injure or kill people in the car by misdeploying in an accident and propelling parts or metal fragments into the cabin of the vehicle at high speed,” Acting Chair for the ACCC, Stephen Ridgeway, said in a statement.
“The airbags have also, in some instances, not fully inflated in a crash, thereby failing to protect drivers as expected.”
You can see a full list of affected models here. If you do own one of these vehicles, the ACCC has recommended you stop driving it immediately and book a free inspection with the manufacturer.
Toyota will offer to buy back the vehicles or provide alternatives transport options until replacement airbags are made available, while Mazda and Suzuki are offering buybacks only.
You can find more info on the Takata airbag recall here.