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Mazda recalls 193k CX-9 crossovers over corroded suspension

An issue with the suspension on the CX-9 has prompted Mazda and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to recall 193,484 vehicles across the United States. The campaign specifically affects units from the 2007-2014 model years, manufactured between October 24, 2006, and December 28, 2013. In those affected vehicles, the ball joints in the front suspension may corrode due to water leaking into the fitting. According to the statement below, if the ball joint rusts, the front lower control arm could separate, resulting in a loss of steering control. And needless to say, that could lead to a crash. To repair the issue, Mazda will have to replace both the left and right lower control arms, and will naturally do so free of charge, but will undertake the repairs in stages. First, owners of the affected vehicles will receive a notification that a recall campaign is under way. Then they'll get a second letter when the parts are ready and they can bring their vehicles into their local dealers. The company will start first with 2007-09 vehicles, specifically those registered in the snowy states of the Northeast and Midwest. Specifically: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Washington, DC. (Oddly, states in the the western portion of the Midwest, as well as the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest, were not included in that initial phase. Nor was Alaska, for that matter.) After that they'll call in 2010-14 models in the same states before undertaking repairs on vehicles in other areas to the west and south. Related Video: RECALL Subject : Corrosion of Front Suspension Ball Joint Report Receipt Date: JUL 20, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V451000 Component(s): SUSPENSION Potential Number of Units Affected: 193,484 Manufacturer: Mazda North American Operations SUMMARY: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2007-2014 CX-9 vehicles manufactured October 24, 2006, to December 28, 2013. The affected vehicles have front suspension ball joints that may corrode from water leaking into the fitting. CONSEQUENCE: Over time, the ball joint corrosion may result in the front lower control arm separating from the ball joint, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Mini Cooper Countryman only small car to earn good grade in latest IIHS crash tests [w/video]

Competitors in the small-car segment didn't do nearly as well. Four vehicles earned "poor" grades.
Only one small car out of 12 tested earned a good grade in the latest round of crash-test results compiled by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The Mini Cooper Countryman received a "good" ranking on the organization's small-front overlap test.

What a 181-horsepower 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata means for us, and you

Last month, we reported on a VIN filing dug up by Road & Track that showed that the 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata's 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G engine would get a power bump, from 155 to 181 net horsepower. As for how the 2019 Miata would make that extra power, we heard rumors it'd utilize a new cylinder head allowing higher revs, accounting for that extra power. Now we have what appears to be a leaked document from Mazda Canada showing exactly where that extra power comes from. According to the document posted at Miata.net (registration required to see the image), Mazda will alter camshaft lift and valve size on both the intake and exhaust side, fit freer-flowing exhaust, and smooth and enlarge the piping on the air intake side. There are also internal engine modifications: lighter pistons with lower crowns for better swirl in the combustion chamber, lighter connecting rods, and a crankshaft balanced for higher-RPM operation. All those extra revs mean extra vibration and noise, so Mazda will ditch the single-mass flywheel for a "low-inertia" dual-mass flywheel – which will attempt to find a nice balance between DMF damping action and SMF directness. Overall, it's a pretty serious engine revision with some driveline changes that will heavily affect the driving characteristics of a fantastic driver's car. Contributing Editor James Riswick and Senior Editor Alex Kierstein, both well versed in Miatas past and present, are here to analyze what this could mean for the little roadster. James Riswick: I don't know much about them lighter crank combustion rods, but I for one welcome the news of more power to the Miata. The jump from 155 to 181 seems like a very prudent Mazda-like thing to do, accomplishing that task through various aforementioned technical wizardry as opposed to slapping on a turbocharger, exclaiming "yee-hah" and calling it a day. Alex Kierstein: That's true. I'm wary of additional power, but you do make a good point that at least this is the right way to do it. Going all-motor will keep the bright responsiveness of the engine intact. But higher revs might make power delivery peakier. Frankly, I'd be ok with moving the torque and horsepower peaks up a bit in the rev range, making it a bit more work to access the engine's sweet spot. The dual-mass flywheel should also help if low-end torque suffers, so less stalling in traffic. JR: Did wonders in the 911 and 718s.