Canada Leads Global Mazda Recall

Chris Chase

2017-07-03 · 1 min read

Sticky brakes cause safety concern

Mazda has recalled more than 300,000 Mazda3 and Mazda6 models around the world to fix a parking brake problem first reported on a Canadian car.

The recently-announced recall is to replace parking brake components on the 2014 and 2015 Mazda6 and 2014 through 2016 Mazda3 that could rust and stick, causing the brake to either not engage fully and allow the car to roll after it's parked, or not release properly and cause the brakes to drag as the car is driven.

According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), that first Canadian incident involved a Mazda6 sedan in April 2015, on which the parking brake actuator in the rear brake caliper was prone to water contamination and subsequent corrosion. Later in 2015, Mazda began receiving reports of similar problems in cars being operated in the U.S.

The Mazda3 was originally thought to be immune to the problem thanks to a slightly different rear caliper design, until an August 2016 incident confirmed that smaller would indeed be included in the recall.

Chris Chase

As a child, Chris spent most of his time playing with toy cars in his parents’ basement or making car sounds while riding his bicycle. Now he's an award-winning Algonquin College Journalism grad who has been playing with real cars that make their own noises since the early 2000s.