Mazda Recalls +12,000 B-Series Trucks Over Botched Takata Airbag Fix

Mazda was alerted to a potential issue by Ford after it discovered technicians were incorrectly repairing the related 2004-2006 Ranger

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Mazda has issued a recall for more than 12,000 examples of the 2004-2006 B-Series pickup truck in the United States because of a Takata airbag inflator that was not repaired correctly during a previous recall.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recall reveals that select B-Series trucks built between May 22, 2003, and May 2, 2006, had been recalled due to a defective front passenger airbag inflator. While the faulty inflator was replaced, Mazda has revealed that the replacement one may have been installed in the incorrect orientation.

The carmaker notes that the airbag may not deploy as intended if installed in the wrong orientation, increasing the risk of injury to occupants. A total of 12,741 B-Series vehicles are impacted by this latest recall.

Interestingly, Mazda was informed of a potential issue by Ford after it discovered technicians repairing 2004-2006 Ford Rangers had not been correctly repairing recalled air bag inflators. Both the B-Series pickup from Mazda and Ford’s popular Ranger share the same platform. Mazda proceeded to investigate the issue for much of this year having identified four cases of improperly installed airbag inflators. Fortunately, the car manufacturer is not aware of any accidents or injuries caused as a result of the fault.

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Owners of impacted Mazda B-Series models will be alerted to the recall on or before January 12, 2024, and asked to return their truck to a dealer where the orientation of the inflator will be determined and if necessary, it will be reinstalled in the correct position.

The fifth-generation Mazda B-Series was introduced back in 1998 and sold until 2006. It went by a host of different names in markets around the work, including the Fighter in parts of Southeast Asia, the Mazda Bravo in Australia, and the Mazda Drifter in South Africa. The North American model was a little different as it was essentially a rebadged version of the Ford Ranger.