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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.

Premium design and diesels: Mazda may be the next VW

At the Chicago Auto Show, we had a chance to sit down with Jacob Brown, a Mazda PR representative, and Jacques Flynn, a lead exterior designer at the company, to talk about design and where the company is going. One of the themes of our discussion was the company's desire to move its lineup toward a more premium, upscale feel and image – both in terms of vehicle design and powertrains. We realized the company may be looking to take a page from Volkswagen's American playbook, positioning itself as a prime purveyor of affordable, upscale – and most importantly, fun to drive – automobiles. In the case of design, Flynn talked about how Mazda's KODO design language is going to evolve; that the goal is to simplify and refine the look. We discussed the CX-5 as an example of this evolution. Flynn pointed out that the goal was to add more refinement and simplicity, and showed how Mazda achieved this on the CX-5 by straightening the curves from the previous model to give it more visual length and a more taut shape. The grille also was given more depth and detailing, which isn't simplified per se, but does provide a more premium look. View 9 Photos Mazda's upcoming diesel engines are another piece to Mazda's premium puzzle. The company will finally offer a diesel on the CX-5. While Mazda planned not to use urea-injection, it finally resorted to the system so the engine could both meet performance benchmarks and emissions standards. In addition to the efficiency of the engine, Brown said that diesel engines have a premium nature for buyers. This is due in part to the luxury automakers that mainly offer them in the US, such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz, and to the fact that the technology will add some cost to the product. If all of this sounds familiar, it's because you know these characteristics used to describe Volkswagen: a company known for upscale, affordable cars, providing great driving dynamics – and formerly, for efficient and fun-to-drive TDI diesel engines. While we didn't touch on the driving experience of modern Mazdas in our interview, you can simply look at any of our reviews to see that we generally like what the company builds. The only downside is that we may have to wait a while for some models, and others may never show up here. Brown and Flynn both said that the Mazda2 is unlikely to be offered in the US as anything other than the Toyota Yaris iA, since it's hard to convince people that a subcompact is premium. No surprise there.

Airbag recall widens to include BMW, Chrysler, Ford and Toyota

The recall of faulty airbag inflators supplied by Takata has exploded today to grow to seven automakers. In most cases, only models in certain high-humidity regions were affected because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found in its investigation that moisture played a roll in determining whether there would be a problem. However, some companies opted for national campaigns. The exact number of affected models for these campaigns isn't yet known at this time.
BMW is recalling an undisclosed number of 325i, 325Xi, 330i and 330Xi models from the 2001 through 2005 model years and the 2001-2006 model year versions of the 325Ci and 330Ci for the driver side and passenger side inflators. Only vehicles currently registered in Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the US Virgin Islands are covered under this recall.
Neither Chrysler's filing with NHTSA nor its press release list the specific models affected, but a company spokesperson told Autoblog that at this time it only covers the driver and passenger side inflators for the 2006 Dodge Charger in Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the US Virgin Islands