Mazda3 Stop Sale Ordered Due to Gas Leak, Fire Risk

by Mark Stevenson

October 6th, 2015 11:00 AM

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mazda3 stop sale ordered due to gas leak fire risk

Mazda stopped selling and delivering 2015 and 2016 Mazda3s built between May 21 and Aug. 24, the automaker announced Tuesday. A faulty fuel shut-off value may lead to fuel being pumped into the charcoal emissions canister, which could lead to leakage, engine stalls and possible fire.

The stop sale and recall affects 14,270 vehicles in the U.S. and 136 vehicles in Puerto Rico.

This isn’t the first gas-related recall for Mazda in recent years.

Last year, the Japanese automaker recalled the Mazda6 for the second time because of spiders being attracted to ventilation lines and making nests within them. In that case, fire was also a risk as negative pressure could crack the tank and cause leaks.

This time around, the recall looks to be a spider-free issue.

Owners of affected Mazda3s will receive mailed recall notices this month. Mazda will replace the gas tank and charcoal emissions canister on vehicles found with the defect. If a customer does not feel safe in driving their vehicle to the dealer for recall work, Mazda Roadside Assistance will be happy to pick you up. Also, a rental or loaner vehicle will be provided to customers while recall work is performed.

#2015 #2016 #EngineStall #FireRisk #FuelLeak #GasLeak #Mazda #Mazda3 #Recall #Stop-delivery #Stop-sale

Mark Stevenson

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14 of 31 comments

Bludragon on Oct 06, 2015

Seems like they are being good and pro-active about this. A little painful to Mazda that they have to replace the gas tank and not just the valve and canister, but it does not seem to have affected that many cars. That spider one sounds like pretty bad luck.

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Eggsalad on Oct 06, 2015

Let me guess... it's the Mexican-built 3i models. In '15, production of the 2-liter cars moved to Mexico. That's why I won't consider one.

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- TMA1 on Oct 06, 2015
  
  I was going to ask the same thing. Are these the growing pains of learning to build cars in Mexico, or are the Japanese-built cars included as well? As for the spiders, that's previous Flint-built model. More of a Ford issue, than being Mazda's fault.
  
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- Demetri on Oct 06, 2015
  
  The 3i is partially sourced from Mexico. Some still come from Japan. Right now for '16 models, it's very regional. In the midwest and east coast, pretty much all the cars come from Mexico. On the west coast, they are mostly Japanese.
  
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- Carlisimo on Oct 06, 2015
  
  @TMA1 According to Consumer Reports, recent Mazdas have been reliable even in their first year, regardless of which factory they came out of. So it hasn't been that bad. I put a deposit down on a Mazda3s GT MT, and it seems to have been held up by the stop sale order. It's coming out of the Hofu, Japan plant.
  
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- Mx5ta on Oct 06, 2015
  
  @carlisimo I bought a 2015 Mazda3 sedan at the end of July (see my other post). I had watched all of the youTube vids about the 3, and it seemed that most were reviewing the same soul red, 6-speed manual, 2.5L Mazda3 S, writing enthusiastically about its relative sportiness, which is apparently not far from that of the MazdaSpeed3. However, when I asked the salesman who sold me my 2.0L 3 about the 3 S, he said he'd never seen one, and this dealership had a good-sized Mazda inventory. I guess my only point is that these pro and amateur car reviewers almost all reviewed a variant that almost no one will buy, or even see on the lot. But do enjoy yours: almost the same mpgs as the 2.0L and quicker.
  
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- TMA1 on Oct 06, 2015
  
  @mx5ta The 2.3 and the 2.5 were pretty common in the previous editions of the car. I'd be surprised if the Skyactiv 2.5 is less common this generation. All of those cars with the 2.5 are coming from Japan; the 2.0 cars are a mixed bag.
  
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APaGttH on Oct 06, 2015

Curse you EPA and NTHSA! It is our God given right to die in a fireball and don't you prevent it. 'merica! F*** ya!

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- 28-Cars-Later on Oct 06, 2015
  
  Why fight Darwin?
  
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- Ryoku75 on Oct 06, 2015
  
  @28-Cars-Later At28D: This article just reminded me of your stance on Mazda, from rusting suspension towers, to sludging rotary engines, to burning 3s. They must be fun in the same sense that an old Alfa Romeos fun, you just never know when something will go wrong!
  
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- 28-Cars-Later on Oct 06, 2015
  
  @Ryoku75 Precisely although in both the cases of Mazda and old Alfa, they at least offered you something unique (MX-5 and Spider) so you would put up with the shenanigans with those.
  
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- Ryoku75 on Oct 06, 2015
  
  @28-Cars-Later True enough, and soon we might actually see real Alfa-Miata mish-mashes if their thing works out, so expect a Miata with Alfas goofy (0V0) front end on it. Even then I expect people to still say that "155hp isnt enough" and yadda yadda.
  
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Mx5ta on Oct 06, 2015

I bought a 2015 Mazda3 at the end of July. A sticker inside the driver's door dates its manufacture, in Mexico, to 05/15, so I guess mine may, or may not, get recalled. If there's a more specific date, I don't know where to find it. Guess I'll wait for the dealer to contact me, or not. I love the car. The only thing I can think of to complain about is the width of the A-pillar, which makes me have to crane my neck a little, at times, but that's as minor a complaint as there is. It replaces a 2001 Taurus, so I'm loving the mpgs. Plenty of power vs. weight, good-looking, takes bumps okay (as opposed to a rental Chevy Spark I recently drove). It's an automatic, though you can manual shift it, although I haven't quite got the hang of that (and my other two vehicles are 5-speeds). I may garage it during the salt months in the Northeast, so rust won't be an issue.

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- Ryoku75 on Oct 06, 2015
  
  As far as I know the rust issues were mostly secluded to the first gen Mazda3 (about 2003-2008), when they started carving jack-o-lanterns in the front bumpers they seemed to have carved away the rust trouble too. Just in case I'd garage it, and should you ever meet sale I'd hose it off once a week (if it isnt too cold), make sure to shoot the fender wells especially.
  
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