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The reason that 5 million Mazda’s are being recalled is because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sent out a notice advising that the ignition switches could get hot and start a fire. Affected models date all the way back to the late ’80s and cover several series, so here’s what you need to know about this issue. Mazda officially plans to begin the recall this December.
“Grease applied to the contact points inside the ignition switch may become conductive and overheat”, said NHTSA in its recall summary. Mazda doesn’t claim how many circumstances have actually been recorded, just that there have been no accidents or injuries related to the flaw.
The company says continuous use can cause electricity to flow between the points and make the switches overheat. The recall was issued after it was discovered that ignition switches have the tendency to overheat and can catch fire.
Globally, 13 incidents of fires were reported due to the problem but no injuries.
Details about the fix for those vehicles haven’t been released. The situation doesn’t affect the operation of any safety features or devices in the vehicle either, Mazda adds.
Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge.
