Mazda Southern Africa says it is “concerned” by the low response rate to its local recall of around 28 000 vehicles fitted with possibly defective Takata-supplied airbags.
The local arm of the Japanese automaker, which earlier announced a recall of Mazda2, Mazda6 and RX-8 models produced between 2002 and 2014, said that just 9% of owners had responded to the recall, despite the company loading information on its website and placing print advertisements in “several national and regional newspapers”.
“Mazda is concerned that the majority of customers haven’t come in for replacement fittings. These Mazda customers are still driving around with possibly defective airbags,” the automaker said in a statement.
“For this reason, Mazda is embarking on a recall awareness campaign and reaching out to Mazda drivers with possibly affected vehicles via the radio and digital platforms, encouraging them to establish if their vehicle is affected.”
To check whether their vehicle forms part of the recall, owners can visit the brand’s local website (keep the vehicle’s VIN number on hand), call the Mazda SA customer care centre on 0860 983 000 (or email [email protected]) or visit a Mazda dealership.
The Takata airbag recall is a massive campaign impacting a number of manufacturers and millions of vehicles globally.