Mazda recently announced a recall of 227,814 Mazda 3 and Mazda 6 models to repair a potentially dangerous parking brake defect.
The recall affects Mazda 3 vehicles from the 2014-2016 model years, and Mazda 6 sedans from the 2014-2015 model years with a hand-operated parking brake system.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, water can enter the brake caliper, causing the parking brake actuator shaft to corrode and, in some instances, bind. This prevents the vehicle from engaging or disengaging from park fully. If the parking brake is not engaged properly while the vehicle is parked on a steep hill, the car can roll and crash.
Mazda was first made aware of the issue in April 2015 after a report of a dragging brake in a Mazda 6 sold in Canada. After seven additional issues of malfunctioning parking brakes were reported three months later in the U.S. market, along with a collision reported in the United Kingdom due to a Mazda 6 rolling down a hill unexpectedly, the automaker began its investigation.
The Japanese automaker also recalled 2.2 million vehicles worldwide in the fall last year, including 759,000 in the North American market to fix a rear hatch damper lift support that can drop unexpectedly and fall on people. The lift gate issue, much like the most recent parking brake issue, was caused by water corroding components that could fail and break over time. As with the parking brake recall, no injuries were reported with the call back. That recall included 2010 to 2013 Mazda 3s, 2012-2015 Mazda 5s, 2013-2016 CX-5s and 2015 CX-3s.
Dealerships will be notified by Aug. 7, and owners will be notified via mail beginning Aug. 21. Mazda dealers will check the parking brake actuator shaft and if the part is corroded, it will be replaced free of charge. If the rear brake isn’t corroded, dealerships will replace the protective boot kit as a precautionary measure to keep water out.
This article, by Amanda Silvestri, originally appeared on nydailynews.com
