Mazda to recall 315,000 vehicles in North America over power steering loss
18 Aug 2010
Japanese carmaker Mazda Motor Corp yesterday said that it will recall 315,000 Mazda 3 and Mazda 5 vehicles sold in North America due to a possible risk of loss of power steering without warning.
The recall that covers 2007-2009 model year of Mazda3 and Mazda5 vehicles, was announced yesterday by the car maker in a filing with the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The recall is for 215,000 vehicles in the US and 100,000 vehicles in Canada and Mexico. The vehicles were imported from Japan and sold in these countries
Hiroshima-based Mazda said that the vehicles could experience a "sudden loss" of power steering, making it difficult to steer the vehicle, which could increase the risk of a crash.
The car maker said that the problem could be due to rusting of the power-steering pump, which could cause the system to shut down.
The NHTSA had launched an investigation on 28 June 2010 into steering problems in 2007-2009 Mazda3s after receiving 33 complaints that included 3 crashes.