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Mazda halts Mazda3 sales for fuel tank problem

Mazda is issuing a stop sale and recall on 14,406 examples of the 2015-2016 Mazda3 in the US with build dates between May 21, 2015, and August 24, 2015, due to a possible fuel leak. There are no reports or accidents or injuries from this problem. According to the company, a defective fuel shut-off valve can allow gasoline to move from the tank and fill the charcoal emissions canister. If it gets too full, there can be a leak, which obviously carries the risk of a possible fire. The engine might stall, as well. Affected owners will be notified to bring their Mazda3 in "as soon as possible." Dealers will inspect the vehicles, and if a problem is found, the fuel tank and charcoal emissions canister will be replaced. During the downtime, customers will get a free rental or loaner car, as well. Those who are particularly concerned can also call Mazda roadside assistance to have their vehicle delivered for the check and possible repair. Related Video: Mazda Issues Stop Sale and Stop Delivery for Mazda3 Fuel Tank Recall WASHINGTON, DC (October 2, 2015) – Mazda Motor Corporation will conduct a Safety and Emission Recall Campaign for certain 2015-2016 Mazda3 vehicles (built from May 21, 2015 through August 24, 2015), which could have a safety-related problem. A defect in the fuel shut-off valve may allow fuel to flow from the fuel tank into the charcoal emissions canister. With this condition, the check engine light may illuminate, and if the fuel exceeds the canister capacity, fuel leakage could occur, increasing the risk of a fire and/or engine stalling. Approximately 14,270 vehicles in the U.S. and 136 vehicles in Puerto Rico are affected. Owners of subject vehicles will be notified by mail in early October. They will be informed to bring their vehicle to the nearest Mazda dealer as soon as possible. Dealers will inspect the fuel tank to determine if the defect exists on the vehicle. If the defect exists, the dealer will replace the fuel tank and charcoal canister at no cost to the customer. A rental or loaner vehicle will be provided at no cost to the owner, until the vehicle is repaired for this concern. If there are no concerns, the vehicle will be returned to the customer. Should a customer not want to drive the vehicle to the dealership, they may contact Mazda's 24-hour Roadside Assistance service at 800-866-1998 and have the vehicle picked up and delivered to the dealership. There have been no reports of accidents or injury related to this issue.

Mazda reports highest profits in its 94-year history

We may only be a third of the way through 2014, but for Japanese companies, March 31 marked the end of fiscal 2014, and it was a banner financial year for Mazda's global operations. The Japanese independent saw its highest global operating profits in its nearly 100-year history. Its global operating profits were up a huge 238 percent. Yes, a 238 percent increase over 2012 to 1.36 billion euros ($1.88 billion), eclipsing the brand's previous best year, 2008, by 12 percent. Net earnings, revenue and global sales volume also saw increases over the last fiscal year.
What's most impressive, though, is where Mazda saw improvement. The notoriously rough European market was rather kind to the Zoom-Zoom brand, where sales increased 25 percent to 163,000 units. That figure was bolstered by a 35-percent sales increase in Great Britain and a 20-percent jump in Germany, Europe's two largest markets. Japanese sales, meanwhile, were up a respectable 13 percent, to 244,000 units. In China, Mazda saw a 12 percent bump.
Notice we aren't talking about North American sales? That's because Mazda only saw a moderate, five-percent gain in the New World, with sales climbing to 391,000 units in the US, Canada and Mexico. This is particularly disappointing considering Mazda has launched three critically acclaimed products (CX-5, Mazda6 and most recently, Mazda3) for the North American market over the past two fiscal years. Still, it isn't a particular reason to be concerned, as IHS industry analyst Stephanie Brinley notes. "Five percent isn't terrible," Brinley told Autoblog, saying that Mazda should see a bump in 2014 as the Mazda3 picks up steam.

Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Mercedes also under diesel emissions scrutiny

The controversy over Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal isn't limited to the US. In Europe, where diesel engines are far more popular, the issue is shining a harsh light on the NEDC emissions test. As already known, the evaluation does a poor job of reflecting real-world production of NOx, and it appears a significant number of automakers are affected. The Guardian in the UK has been reporting on real-world test results from a company called Emissions Analytics. After the latest round of checks, vehicles from Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Mazda and Mitsubishi were found to generate far more NOx than they should. The newspaper also published similar results for Renault, Nissan, Hyundai, Fiat, Volvo, Jeep, Citroen, VW, and Audi. On average, the figures are about four times over the limit of producing the pollutant. Unlike VW and its defeat device, these automakers aren't actually breaking the rules. The vehicles perform up to the NEDC lab test for emissions, but those results simply aren't translated to the street. "The VW issue in the US was purely the trigger which threw light on a slightly different problem in the EU - widespread legal over-emissions," Nick Molden from Emissions Analytics said to The Guardian. A big fight to decide the future of this issue appears to be on the horizon. Automakers claim that they can't meet the next round of tightening emissions regulations and are asking for compromises. Although, spokespeople for Mercedes and Honda told The Guardian that the brands would be in favor of the stricter rules. Meanwhile, some European governments began backtracking their support of diesels well before this scandal came to light. The added scrutiny certain hasn't helped the future of the oil-burner. Related Video: