Air bag issue prompts massive Mazda to recall older vehicles

The driver side frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture

By James Limbach Image may be NSFW.
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Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Mazda North America Operations is recalling 330,000 model year 2004-2008 Mazda6, 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6, and 2004-2008 RX-8 vehicles.

Upon deployment of the driver side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture. Metal fragments could strike vehicle occupants, causing serious injuries.

Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began October 17, 2014 for those vehicles originally sold, or currently registered, in Florida, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii. All other affected owners will be notified by mid-February 2015.

Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 7914J.