New Delhi

Mazda Motor Corporation has initiated a significant safety recall in the United States, as reported by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Friday. The recall affects a substantial number of the company's sports vehicles due to a potential safety hazard related to airbag deployment.

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Specifically, the recall encompasses 77,670 Mazda vehicles in the U.S. market. The issue at hand involves a software error that could lead to a dangerous situation in the event of a collision. According to the NHTSA, this software glitch may cause the front airbags to deploy with excessive force during a crash, potentially increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants.

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The recall is not limited to a single model year but spans across multiple years of production for one of Mazda's popular sports car models. The affected vehicles are MX-5 Miata models manufactured between 2016 and 2023. This seven-year production range underscores the widespread nature of the recall and its potential impact on a large number of Mazda owners.

To address this safety concern, Mazda has outlined a remediation plan. The automaker will be providing a free software update for the affected vehicles. Specifically, dealers will update the air bag sensor control module software at no cost to the vehicle owners. This update is expected to correct the software error and ensure that the front airbags deploy with the appropriate force in the event of a crash.

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This recall is not isolated to Mazda vehicles alone. In a related development, Stellantis, the parent company of Fiat, has also announced a recall for similar reasons. On Wednesday, Fiat recalled slightly more than 15,000 vehicles of its 124 Spider model. The Fiat 124 Spider is based on the same platform as the Mazda MX-5 Miata, which explains why both models are affected by a similar issue.

This parallel recall by Fiat highlights the interconnected nature of the automotive industry, where platform sharing between different manufacturers can lead to shared challenges when it comes to safety recalls. It also emphasises the importance of thorough software testing and quality control in modern vehicles, where complex electronic systems play a crucial role in safety features like airbag deployment.

The simultaneous recalls by Mazda and Fiat serve as a reminder of the ongoing vigilance required in the automotive industry to ensure vehicle safety. They also underscore the critical role that software plays in modern vehicles and the potential consequences of software errors in safety-critical systems.