Mazda recalls more than 260,000 older Mazda 3s in U.S. due to potential cracking of airbag plastic brand logo

On July 9, according to foreign media reports, Mazda North America announced a recall of 260,915 2004-2007 Mazda3s in the United States because the airbag deployment may cause the plastic brand logo on the steering wheel module cover to burst and eject debris
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According to documents filed with NHTSA, the debris could hit passengers as the airbags deploy, increasing the risk of injury to occupants in the vehicle
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Mazda plans to notify owners by mail on August 28
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Owners will need to take the car to a dealer to replace the modified airbag module cover, the airbag and inflator do not need to be replaced
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The company said the service won't charge owners, so customers "will not incur costs associated with repairing defects," and the company doesn't have to offer a reimbursement program
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According to a safety recall report published by NHTSA, the branding on the replaced airbag module cover is made from a material that does not contain polyurethane, so there will be no deterioration in the recalled vehicles
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Mazda has confirmed that brand logos made from polyurethane materials can undergo hydrolysis, the chemical breakdown of compounds that react with water, making them brittle and brittle
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According to reports, the deployment of the airbag caused the branding on the cover of the module to burst and fragments were ejected, resulting in injuries in 8 cases outside the United States and 2 cases in the United States
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Mazda notified dealers on Wednesday
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However, the recall has nothing to do with defective Takata airbag inflators being replaced globally, the largest recall in global automotive history
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In the Takata airbag recall case, a defective inflator exploded, sending debris flying, killing dozens and injuring hundreds
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A Mazda spokesman said in an emailed statement that in the company's recall, the airbag inflators were functioning normally, and the risk of injury came from debris from the missile after the plastic brand logo burst
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