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Mazda recalls 374,500 vehicles because of Takata inflators

The Basics: Mazda will recall 374,519 examples of the 2003-2008 Mazda6 manufactured from May 29, 2002, to May 5, 2008; the 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 built from July 1, 2005, to June 29, 2007; and the 2004 RX-8 made from June 25, 2003, to June 30, 2003. The Problem: These vehicles contain front passenger airbag inflators from Takata that could rupture in a crash. If this happens, it could spray metal shrapnel at an occupant, which could seriously injure or even kill the person. Injuries/Deaths: The report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration didn't mention injuries or deaths, but Autoblog reached out to Mazda for confirmation. Takata's rupturing inflators allegedly have links to nine deaths globally and around 100 injuries. The Fix: Mazda dealers will replace the passenger side airbag with a new one. If You Own One: Mazda has not said when the replacements for these vehicles will begin. Experts believe that prolonged exposure to high humidity can cause the inflators' ammonium nitrate propellant to ignite too quickly in an accident. More Information: This recall is a nationwide expansion of Mazda's passenger's side airbag recall, which was previously limited to high-humidity regions. The population now includes 310,592 additional examples of the Mazda6, Mazda spokesperson Tamara Mlynarczyk tells Autoblog. The company discovered this new issue after Takata tested an inflator taken from a Mazda6, and it ruptured, according to NHTSA documents (PDF). The company already had a national safety campaign to fix the driver's side airbags in these vehicles. Related Video: RECALL Subject : Passenger Air Bag Inflator May Rupture Report Receipt Date: DEC 23, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V869000 Component(s): AIR BAGS Potential Number of Units Affected: 374,519 All Products Associated with this Recall Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) MAZDA MAZDA6 2003-2008 MAZDA MAZDASPEED6 2006-2007 MAZDA RX-8 2004 Details close Manufacturer: Mazda North American Operations SUMMARY: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2003-2008 Mazda6 vehicles manufactured May 29, 2002, to May 5, 2008, 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 vehicles manufactured July 1, 2005, to June 29, 2007, and a limited production of model year 2004 RX-8 vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, to June 30, 2003. The inflators in the front passenger air bags are susceptible to rupture in the event of a crash necessitating the deployment of the front passenger air bag.

Mazda6 Skyactiv-D Racecar ready to bring diesel to Grand-Am

It may not be quite as radical as some of the company's past rotary racers, but the new Mazda6 Skyactiv-D racecar does have a notable powertrain underhood: the automaker's brand-new clean diesel four-cylinder engine.
Three of these new diesel-powered Mazda6 racers will take to the track in the Grand-Am GX class of the upcoming 2013 Rolex 24 at Daytona on January 26, with five drivers on each team. The car you see above, number 70, is sponsored by Mazda's longtime motorsports partner, SpeedSource.
Check out our full gallery of high-res images live from the 2013 Detroit Auto Show above and feel free to read through the related press release from Mazda below.

Mazda's first-quarter profit slumps on weak sales in U.S. and China

TOKYO — Mazda reported a 79% drop in quarterly operating profit, falling significantly short of estimates, as it continues to struggle with declining U.S. and Chinese sales, while a strengthening yen also cut into its bottom line. Operating profit at JapanÂ’s No.5 automaker was 7.0 billion yen ($64 million) in the first quarter ended June, versus around 33 billion yen a year ago and less than half of an average forecast for 18.5 billion yen from analysts polled by Refinitiv. Mazda, however, reiterated its forecast for a 33% rise in operating profit to 110 billion yen in the year ending March. ThursdayÂ’s profit announcement marks MazdaÂ’s poorest first-quarter operating performance since the June 2012 quarter. The automaker has been struggling with falling demand for its cars over the past year or so, while it is also recovering from flood-related damage to its factories in Japan that led to a quarterly loss in the July quarter of 2018. The Nikkei business daily on Wednesday had reported that operating profit at the company would fall around 70% for the quarter due to lower sales in the United States. Mazda posted global sales of 353,000 units for the quarter, down 12% from a year ago. Its sales in the United States, its biggest market, fell 15% to 68,000 units, while in China, Mazda sold 54,000 vehicles, down 21% on the year. A trade war between the top two economies and slowing growth in China, the worldÂ’s biggest auto market, have prompted a broad-based sales downturn in the global auto sector. Automakers are grappling with easing demand for cars just as they must invest heavily in new technologies including electric cars, autonomous driving technologies and ride-sharing services to survive a major industry shift away from car ownership. Many of MazdaÂ’s rivals at home and abroad have been reporting disappointing quarterly results, with Nissan and Ford also announcing job cuts and possible plant closures earlier this month. The United States is a key source of revenue for Mazda, but it imports all its vehicles sold there, exposing it to a threatened hike in U.S. tariffs on imported cars from Japan. To limit its vulnerability to possible tariffs and currency fluctuations, Mazda is investing in a new plant in the U.S. state of Alabama, a joint project with Toyota.