2018A – Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode – 2009-2010 Mazda RX-8

January 9, 2018

Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

 

NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V017

Manufacturer Mazda North American Operations

Components AIR BAGS

Potential Number of Units Affected 607

 

Summary

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling 2010 Mazda RX-8 vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or “Zone B.”

Additionally, unless covered under “Zone B” Mazda is recalling certain 2009 RX-8 vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or “Zone C.”

These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

 

Remedy

Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. The recall began March 2, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda’s number for this recall is 2018A.

 

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

 

Check if your Mazda has a Recall

 

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2 Affected Products

Vehicle

MAZDA

RX-8

2009-2010

 

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19 Associated Documents

Recall Acknowledgement

RCAK-18V017-3259.pdf 246.086KB

 

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Defect Notice 573 Report

RCLRPT-18V017-7065.PDF 219.364KB

 

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Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc)- March 2, 2018

RCMN-18V017-9728.pdf 115.625KB

 

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ISSUED Owner Notification Letter(Part 577)

RCONL-18V017-4384.pdf 564.645KB

 

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Miscellaneous Document – PARTS AND WARRANTY INFORMATION Safety Recall 2018A

RMISC-18V017-6019.pdf 176.722KB

 

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Remedy Instructions and TSB

RCRIT-18V017-9016.pdf 1530.9KB

 

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Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc)- April 11, 2018 – Subject: *** Updated *** Takata Recall Parts Availability Reminder

RCMN-18V017-8156.pdf 186.314KB

 

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Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc)- January 10, 2018 – Announcement of Expanded Model Years for Takata Air Bag Safety Recalls

RCMN-18V017-5882.pdf 143.51KB

 

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Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc)- Subject: *** Updated *** Takata Recall Parts Availability Reminder

RCMN-18V017-7146.pdf 478.881KB

 

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Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc)- Subject: **UPDATE** – Takata Safety Recall Update for Recall 2618F – Mazda6, Mazdaspeed6 and MPV Launch Delayed until July 6, 2018

RCMN-18V017-3966.pdf 79.984KB

 

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Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc)- June 7, 2018 – Subject: Transition for Passenger Air Bag Inflator Replacement – Affecting Safety Recalls 9416E, 0617A, and 2018A

RCMN-18V017-8116.pdf 120.343KB

 

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Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc)- May 9, 2018 – Subject: *** Updated *** Takata Recall Parts Availability Reminder

RCMN-18V017-5103.pdf 494.335KB

 

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Recall Quarterly Report – Report #2, 2018-2

RCLQRT-18V017-1254.PDF 214.628KB

 

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Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc)- June 7, 2018 – Subject: Transition for Passenger Air Bag Inflator Replacement – Affecting Safety Recalls 9416E, 0617A, and 2018A

RCMN-18V017-5808.pdf 122.005KB

 

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Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc)- June 13, 2018 Attention: Mazda General Managers, Parts and Service Managers Subject: *** Updated *** Takata Recall Parts Availability Reminder

RCMN-18V017-7926.pdf 288.337KB

 

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Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc)- July 6, 2018 – Mazda Dealer Email

RCMN-18V017-2548.pdf 90.378KB

 

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Recall Quarterly Report #1, 2018-1

RCLQRT-18V017-5737.PDF 214.525KB

 

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Recall Quarterly Report #3, 2018-3

RCLQRT-18V017-5519.PDF 211.336KB

 

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Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc)- Mazda Dealer Email August 17, 2018

RCMN-18V017-1330.pdf 252.258KB

 

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1 Associated Investigation

Air Bag Inflator Rupture
NHTSA ID: EA15001
Dated opened: February 24, 2015

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers. All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag systems.

During the course of PE14-016, ODI determined that five additional vehicle manufacturers used inflators of a similar design and vintage also supplied by Takata. No evidence of field failures was found in vehicles produced by these five additional manufacturers. Nonetheless, at ODI’s insistence, all 10 vehicle manufacturers initiated a regional recall within approximately two weeks of the opening of the investigation. The regions recalled initially included Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, areas with high absolute humidity and climatic conditions believed to be a significant factor in the inflator ruptures. As part of the recall actions, inflators removed from remedied vehicles are to be returned to Takata for testing.

Takata’s initial test results on passenger inflators from remedied vehicles indicated a much higher than anticipated rupture frequency for inflators returned from Florida. Accordingly ODI requested all 10 manufacturers expand the regional recalls for passenger inflators to include other geographic areas where high absolute humidity conditions exist, including the Gulf States and other coastal areas. Takata’s testing of the passenger inflators to date continues to indicate this geographic area as having the highest risk, with no ruptures occurring from inflators returned from outside the expanded recall regions. During PE14-016 four additional passenger inflator field events occurred, all in vehicles from the same expanded geographic region.

Also during PE14-016 four additional driver inflator field events occurred including two in vehicles from regions not known for high absolute humidity, specifically California and North Carolina. Accordingly, ODI requested all five of the affected vehicle manufacturers currently using the subject Takata driver inflators expand to nationwide recalls. Significantly, neither of the affected vehicle manufacturers or Takata provided any explanation to account for these two driver air bag inflator ruptures outside the area of high absolute humidity. Takata testing of returned driver inflators indicates a lower rupture frequency as compared to passenger inflator testing. All test ruptures reported by Takata to date have occurred on inflators returned from high absolute humidity areas.

The investigation now includes all manufacturers and vehicles known to be affected at this time. ODI’s investigation will focus on, among other things, root cause analysis, other potential defect consequences, identification of affected vehicles scope, and adequacy of the remedy.

The five ODI reports cited above can be reviewed online at https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification numbers: 10537899, 10568848, 10585224, 10605877, 10651492

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Recalls Documents

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/documentList.xhtml?docId=18V017&docType=RCL

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Last update on 2025-05-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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