The Mazda MPV is one of the many older models targeted by the ignition switch recall.
Mazda has become the latest automaker to order a recall for ignition switch problems, the Japanese automaker announcing a callback for 1.2 million vehicles sold in the United States during the 1990s.
The size of the recall is about five times as large as the ignition switch recall General Motors announced in early 2014, GM’s defect now linked to more than 100 deaths. But where the GM problem resulted in switches that might inadvertently turn off, the Mazda switches could unexpectedly overheat and catch fire.
Mazda will recall a total of 4.9 million vehicles equipped with the defective switches worldwide, about a quarter of them sold in the United States. The announcement marks just the latest in a series of seven-figure industry recalls announced this week.
Toyota said Wednesday that it would recall 6.5 million vehicles worldwide due to a power window switch that also could cause a fire – a problem that has led to several previous recalls by the Japanese giant. About 2.7 million of those vehicles were sold in North America.
(Click Here for the latest on the Toyota recall.)
GM, meanwhile, announced two relatively small recalls, including one for a defective ignition switch in some of its larger truck models. The maker just last month paid a $900 million fine to settle a criminal investigation by the U.S. Justice Department looking into why the maker waited a decade to act on the original ignition switch issue. A special victims’ compensation fund set up by GM determined the defect led to at least 124 deaths.
A Mazda Protege. The ignition switch defect can lead to vehicle fires.
There’s no immediate explanation for why Mazda is just now ordering the recall for its ignition switch problem which involves vehicles dating back, in some cases, more than a quarter century. The list includes 1989 to 1998 MPV minivans, 1990 to 1996 323/Protégé subcompacts, 1993 to 1998 626 sedans, 1993 to 1995 929 sedans, 1993 to 1997 MX-6 models, and the 1992 to 1993 MX-3.
(GM hit by two new recalls. Click Here for the latest.)
The maker says it know of no accidents, injuries or fatalities linked to the problem, which is the result of using an excess amount of grease inside the switch. That can overheat and cause a fire. Apparently, Mazda noted, the issue only occurs when the vehicle is not running.
Mazda plans to directly notify owners and free U.S. repairs will begin in December.
The size of the new Mazda and Toyota recalls appears to be putting the U.S. on track to approach, and possibly exceed the all-time recall record set in 2014 when more than 60 million vehicles were targeted for safety problems. About half of those were GM vehicles. This year, the biggest problems have involved defective airbag inflators produced by Japanese supplier Takata.
All told, about 24 million vehicles have been affected by that issue, and at a hearing on Thursday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicated it may add millions more to the list because of new evidence showing Takata’s problems are not limited to older vehicles, as had long been believed.
(Breaking News: Feds consider major expansion of Takata recall. Click Here for the latest.)