- almost 25,000 mazda 3 cars are being recalled in the united states because of wheel lug nuts that could potentially loosen while driving.
- the recall affects 3s built at both mazda's japan and mexico factories.
- dealers will complete the recall free of charge.
mazda is recalling 25,003 new mazda 3s due to defective wheel lug nuts, with 24,865 of those cars being in the united states. of the affected cars, 16,555 are still on dealer lots, and all dealers have been told to halt deliveries until the recall has been completed. the recall affects cars built between september 25, 2018, and may 3, 2019.
the issue is a manufacturing defect that created a partial gap between the hub bolts and the hub flange. because of the potential gap, the lug nuts can come loose and fall off during normal driving, with continued driving possibly causing the wheel itself to come off, leading to a loss of control. a rattling noise would occur before any wheel detachment happens. so far, no incidents have been recorded, and there have been no reported accidents or injuries related to the issue.
the national highway traffic safety administration (nhtsa) and mazda don't say which of the various versions of the 3 are being affected—be it sedan or hatchback, front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, automatic or manual—but it affects cars built both at mazda's hiroshima, japan, and salamanca, mexico, factories.
owners have already begun to be notified of the recall, with mazda saying recall notices will be sent out no later than august 6. dealers will tighten the lug nuts at all four corners free of charge.