Photo: Mazda
Ah, the parking brake. To the youngest of drivers, that’s one of the ways to impress a girl. To Mazda, on the other hand, it’s the source of a 227,814-strong recall affecting the Mazda3 and the Mazda6 in North America.
Specifically speaking, Mazda North American Operations informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that a lot of cars equipped with a hand-operated parking brake lever are to be fixed over a manufacturing issue. The problem, as it happens, boils down to “inappropriate sealing performance of the rear brake caliper protective boot.” And it can get worse, particularly under low-temperature conditions.
Ignoring this condition may lead to a few issues. Brakes dragging when driving or slipping when parked on a slope are two of them, and both increase the chance of a crash and of people getting hurt. Happily, however, Mazda hasn’t identified any events connected to this problem.
Owners of record are to be notified by Mazda’s North American division by snail mail, only to be instructed to bring their cars in for repairs. Dealers have been told to check the parking brake’s actuator shafts inside the left and right rear calipers. If corrosion is present, the brake caliper is to be replaced with an improved design. If it isn’t, the original caliper will have its protective boot replaced with improved components.
The vehicles included in the safety recall are the 2014 and 2015 model year Mazda3 (manufactured from January 6, 2014 to September 2, 2016), along with the 2014 and 2015 model year Mazda6 (October 25, 2012 to December 1, 2014). The mid-sized sedan is built at the automaker’s Hofu factory in Japan, whereas the U.S-spec Mazda3 is assembled in Mexico.
Even though they’re getting on a bit, both models are still relevant in their respective segments because they look good, drive sporty, and offer plenty of standard kit for a fair amount of money. The Mazda3 four-door kicks off from $17,845 in Sport flavor, whereas the Mazda6 sedan retails from $21,945.
Ignoring this condition may lead to a few issues. Brakes dragging when driving or slipping when parked on a slope are two of them, and both increase the chance of a crash and of people getting hurt. Happily, however, Mazda hasn’t identified any events connected to this problem.
Owners of record are to be notified by Mazda’s North American division by snail mail, only to be instructed to bring their cars in for repairs. Dealers have been told to check the parking brake’s actuator shafts inside the left and right rear calipers. If corrosion is present, the brake caliper is to be replaced with an improved design. If it isn’t, the original caliper will have its protective boot replaced with improved components.
The vehicles included in the safety recall are the 2014 and 2015 model year Mazda3 (manufactured from January 6, 2014 to September 2, 2016), along with the 2014 and 2015 model year Mazda6 (October 25, 2012 to December 1, 2014). The mid-sized sedan is built at the automaker’s Hofu factory in Japan, whereas the U.S-spec Mazda3 is assembled in Mexico.
Even though they’re getting on a bit, both models are still relevant in their respective segments because they look good, drive sporty, and offer plenty of standard kit for a fair amount of money. The Mazda3 four-door kicks off from $17,845 in Sport flavor, whereas the Mazda6 sedan retails from $21,945.
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