Airbags On Mazda's Most Affordable Cars Might Not Work

Over 170,000 Vehicles Affected By Airbag Issues

It’s the start of a new week, and that means new recalls are being issued by the NHTSA. This time, it’s Mazda at fault, with over 170,000 Mazda3 hatchbacks and CX-30 crossovers being recalled for an airbag issue that occurs under very specific circumstances. According to the recall documents, 2024-2025 examples of the abovementioned vehicles could have a faulty sensor logic that may set an error code that deactivates the airbags.

Every Recalled Vehicle Has The Defect

Typically, when manufacturers discover an issue that requires a recall, the remedy only needs to be applied to a select percentage of the overall production run, but in this case, all 51,857 Mazda3s and 119,555 CX-30s (171,412 vehicles in total) have the defect, which only impacts vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. That’s because the issue is not a small physical fault but an issue with the software they’re all running. If the ignition switch is left on for more than two hours without the engine on and the battery dies, the airbag sensor stores an internal fault that causes the airbag warning light to be activated, and the airbags won’t deploy in the event of a crash after the vehicle is restarted. Interestingly, the NHTSA notes that the issue doesn’t appear if the battery is depleted in another way.

No Injuries Reported Despite Year-Long Investigation

Mazda first learned of the issue after a report was made in June last year, and it spent November and December implementing improved airbag sensor technology that will prevent the issue from appearing. Given the unusual circumstance in which the fault becomes evident, it’s no surprise that it took so long for Mazda to correctly determine its cause. Fortunately, no injuries or accidents have been reported as a result of the issue. Dealers have been informed of the new software update for the recall and are preparing to provide a fix to owners at no cost to them. Owners will be notified by July 28, but in the meantime, NHTSA campaign number 25V357000 refers.