A problem with the airbag control unit on certain 2009-10 Mazda6 sedans has prompted a recall of over 40,000 vehicles in the United States alone.
According to the notice issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the issue comes down to a protective coating on the computer that controls the airbags’ deployment. That coating “may not have been properly applied… and, as a result, moisture may damage the unit causing it to malfunction.”
Though the issue may seem similar to, it is in fact unrelated to the far-ranging Takata airbag recalls. Where that problem stemmed from airbags deploying prematurely, this problem has them not deploying at all. The component in question is also supplied by Continental, not by Takata.
To fix the issue, Mazda is notifying the owners of 41,918 vehicles to bring theirs in to their local dealership to have the control module replaced – but it could take a while. The necessary components aren’t available yet, so the automaker will send out letters a month from now to notify the owners of the affected vehicles before implementing the fix later on once the parts become available.
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