Mazda recalls 300,000 cars (Mazda3 and Mazda5) in US, Canada and Mexico

Problems with power steering on Mazda3 and Mazda5 models could cause crashes
James Meikle
The Guardian, Wednesday 18 August 2010

Mazda is recalling more than 300,000 cars in the US, Canada and Mexico, warning that problems with their power steering could lead to crashes.

The company said repairs were needed to Mazda3 and Mazda5 models built from April 2007 to November 2008, faults that were put right a year ago in Japan. About 215,000 of the cars involved were sold in the US.

Mazda said the vehicles could have a sudden loss of power-steering, making it difficult for the driver to steer and increasing the risk of a crash.

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into steering problems in 2007-2009 Mazda3s in June, citing 33 complaints alleging steering problems, including three crashes.

Mazda told the agency last week it was first informed of similar steering problems in Japan in March 2008 and the company began its own investigation in July 2008.

By summer 2009, it had found that the problem was caused by rust forming inside a high-pressure pipe in the power steering system. Rust particles could then enter the power steering pump and cause it to shut down to avoid overheating.

An "improvement campaign" last summer to repair vehicles was organised in Japan "due to a high occurrence rate of this problem," according to the company's letter to the US agency. It did not issue a recall in North America, instead issuing a technical service bulletin to dealers since the "occurrence rate was low". That included repair procedures for customers who reported steering problems.

Mazda told NHTSA in the letter that in the spring of 2010, "we realised the occurrence rate was increasing in the North American market and then we began to study further field action for the market."

The Mazda action follows trouble with Toyotas in the US, although preliminary findings by the US government suggest the sticking accelerators that prompted a recall might have often been caused by driver error.