Mazda to Recall Over 174,000 Vehicles
TOKYO (Reuters) -
Japan's Mazda Motor Corp (Tokyo:7261.T - News) said on Thursday it plans
to recall more than 174,000 vehicles worldwide, including the hot-selling
Atenza sedan, after reports of a defective fog lamp which in one case
caused the bumper to catch fire.
There have been
no reports of any accident resulting from the defective parts, according
to Mazda's report submitted to Japan's Transport Ministry. The automaker
declined to disclose the estimated cost of the recall.
The news deals a
heavy blow to Mazda, coming on the same day that it announced the Atenza
had snapped up 50 awards in 22 countries since its launch a year ago.
Mazda had attributed
the big jump in profits it reported for the business year ended in March
largely to the popularity of the Atenza, especially in its crucial European
market.
Japan's fifth-largest
automaker, owned one-third by Ford Motor Co (NYSE:F - News), said it
would recall 78,505 vehicles in Japan and about 96,000 overseas, including
the United States, Canada and the UK.
Of the cars to be
recalled in Japan, 37,386 are Atenzas produced between March 2002 and
May 16 of this year.
The other models
to be recalled are the MPV multi-purpose vehicle built between May 1999
and February 2003 and Roadster sports cars made between December 1997
and February 2003.
Mazda said the front
fog lamp in all three models was not wired properly.
The Atenza was also
reported to have a faulty brake oil tank that could fail to illuminate
the brake lamp, the automaker said.
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