NEWS:  Mazda recalls 215,000 vehicles in U.S. for steering

YAHOO NEWS -- August 18, 2010 – Mazda Motor Corp will recall 215,000 Mazda 3 and Mazda 5 vehicles sold in the United States because of the risk that they could lose power steering without warning.

The Mazda recall of vehicles from the 2007 through 2009 model years was announced in a filing with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Monday.

Mazda said the vehicles under recall could experience a "sudden loss" of power steering, increasing the risk of a crash. The notification did not detail any incidents.

The defect occurs because rust could break loose from a high-pressure pipe, straining the power steering pump and causing the system to shut down, the Japanese automaker said.

Mazda also said it was facing a shortage of parts to repair recalled vehicles at its dealerships.

The automaker said it would begin to notify affected owners of the recall in September and send notices to all owners by February.

The Mazda recall stems from a customer complaint in the Japanese market in March 2008, NHTSA records show.

Mazda had told dealers to monitor vehicles for the problem in the United States but had not issued a safety recall because it judged that the problem remained relatively rare.

Earlier this year, Mazda said it realized that more U.S. owners were experiencing the loss of power steering.

In June, NHTSA opened a preliminary investigation of the problem.

The Mazda recall comes as the automaker's larger rival Toyota Motor Corp faces continuing scrutiny of its handling of safety recalls. It was fined a record $16.4 million by NHTSA, the maximum then allowed, for moving too slowly to recall vehicles with defective accelerator pedals.

MORE RECALL INFO:    Mazda 3       Mazda 5

NEWS:   Feds investigating Mazda3 for steering problems

USA TODAY -- July 3, 2010 -- The government is opening investigations into possible power steering problems in Mazda3 passenger cars and BMW Z4 sports cars.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened investigations of possible loss of power steering in more than 290,000 Mazda3 sedans from the 2007-2009 model years and nearly 50,000 BMW Z4 sports cars from the 2003-2005 model years.

NHTSA said it has 33 steering complaints for the Mazda3's and reports of three crashes tied to the problem. It has received 107 complaints for the Z4 and one crash report.

Depending on the findings, NHTSA probes may or may not lead to recalls.

MORE RECALL INFO:    Mazda 3

FEBRUARY 2010 -- Mazda is recalling certain model year 2010 CX-9 vehicles equipped with electrically heated front seats. There is a possibility under extremely cold conditions for the seat heater control circuit to overheat and fail due to insufficient electrical grounding. This may cause burn damage of the seat cushion surface, or a risk of smoke/fire. Dealers will install an additional ground harness on the seat heater control system. The seat heater control circuit will be replaced if necessary and/or the seat will be repaired free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or before March 9, 2010.  10V-051

MAY 2009 -- Mazda is recalling 7,100 MY 2009 Mazda3 vehicles equipped with dynamic stability control for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 126, "Electronic Stability Control System". The yaw rate measured after completion of the sine with dwell steering input exceeded the test  standards. Improper operation of the electronic stability control. Dealers will inspect and have the unit replaced free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided an owner notification schedule. Owners may contact Mazda at 1-800-222-5500.  09V-187

AUGUST 2008 -- Mazda is recalling 7,200 MY 2007-2008 Mazda6 vehicles with California emission specifications. The metal fuel tanks on the affected vehicles may have had the PVC protective coating on the outside of the fuel tank damaged during the assembly process which may result in reduced corrosion resistance. This could lead to perforation of the fuel tank, causing fuel leakage. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire. Dealers will inspect the bottom surface of the fuel tank for damage to the protective coating and, if necessary, repair the coating or replace the fuel tank. The recall is expected to begin during September 2008.   08V412

August 2007 -- Mazda is recalling 76,000 MY 1998-2002 B-Series trucks equipped with a speed control system. The speed control deactivation switch may, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn. This could result in an underhood fire. Dealers will install a fused wiring harness. The manufacturer has not yet provided an owner notification schedule for this recall. This recall was the subject of an Engineering Analysis, EA05-005, conducted by the Office of Defects Investigation. 07V-347

• Mazda MX-5 Recall -- April 11, 2006 -- ConsumerAffairs.com

• Mazda recalls cars for safety problems -- (April 12, 2006) - Reuters

NHTSA is also recalling 2,600 Mazda MX-5 Miata sports cars because the bolt attaching the horn assembly to the steering wheel hub may fail during driver-side air bag deployment in extremely low temperatures