- Mazda is recalling 52,000 2009-'10 Mazda 6 sedans with the 2.5-liter engine because "a certain type of spider may weave a web in the evaporative canister vent line," which could lead to a fuel leak and increased risk of fire, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- The first report was received from a customer in the U.S., who described fuel leakage from the fuel tank. Mazda said it is not aware of any fires related to this condition.
- Mazda dealers will install a spring in the canister vent line to prevent the spider from entering the vent line. The recall is expected to begin on March 25.
WASHINGTON — Mazda is recalling 52,000 2009-'10 Mazda 6 sedans with the 2.5-liter engine because "a certain type of spider may weave a web in the evaporative canister vent line," which could lead to a fuel leak and increased risk of fire, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It is one of the rare instances where an arachnid has led to an auto recall.
The spider web "may cause a restriction in the line," said NHTSA in its recalls summary of the problem. "If this occurs, the fuel tank pressure may become excessively negative when the emission control system works to purge the vapors from the canister. As the canister is purged repeatedly during normal operation, the stress on the fuel tank may eventually result in a crack, potentially leading to fuel leakage and an increased risk of fire."
Mazda said the first report of the problem was received from a customer in the U.S. who described fuel leakage from the fuel tank. But no abnormality was found. A second report was received and a spider web was found in the canister vent line. In February, Mazda said it "determined that the condition constituted a safety-related defect."
The type of spider involved in the recall was not identified in documentation filed with the federal government.
Mazda said it is not aware of any fires related to this problem.
Mazda dealers will inspect and clean up the canister vent line and install a spring to prevent this type of spider from entering the vent line. The recall is expected to begin on March 25. Owners can contact Mazda at (800) 222-5500.
Inside Line says: If you own the aforementioned Mazda 6, have it checked out ASAP with your dealer. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
Add A Comment »
way2goslick says:
06:57 AM, 03/05/2011
Nice! Mama spider to her children: "Kids when you go out today to play, be sure to keep your eyes out for a new Mazda 6 we can move into!"
redgeminipa1 says:
10:18 AM, 03/04/2011
I wonder if this is a first for any company? Who'd think!
javapowrd says:
05:45 AM, 03/04/2011
Further proof that it's an animal, and insect, conspiracy!
ocramidajzj says:
03:44 AM, 03/04/2011
It would have been nice if they used a picture of a iGT and not the sGT. A nitpick yes. Anyway this has got to be the most telling sign of how completely random life is. Spiders? How in the hell would someone know to verify that a particular species of spider would make it's home in your fuel system? It's not like this is about random insects getting in. It's about ONE damned type of spider deciding hey, this is a nice place to be. I'm guessing there is some chemical in the manufacturing process or a by product of the emissions systems that are attracting them. And people thought software "bugs" were common.
I'll be taking my car sGT into service today and you bet I'll be giving the Mazda Techs a hard time. :-)
On a side note, good for Mazda for taking care of this and kudos to the team who figured it out. Also it's good to see a manufacture taking responsibility for something like this that will no doubtedly attract a lot of snickers.
Sadly people will find this problem somehow worse than anything Toyota has dealt with since it's "Mazda".
dgmail says:
02:32 AM, 03/04/2011
Who buys this car anyways?
52,000? I have yet to see one on the road.
orbit09 says:
05:55 PM, 03/03/2011
Early April Fools post?
nelsonlu says:
05:48 PM, 03/03/2011
Anyone know if this issue affects the Fusion/Milan/MKZ as well?
oxmead says:
03:16 PM, 03/03/2011
This must have happened to someone. That's some detective work in finding out what caused a fire.
usaarc says:
02:54 PM, 03/03/2011
it was probably a fiat spider, they caused lots of fires.
a1c_scg says:
02:33 PM, 03/03/2011
Awesome. Damn spiders, lol.