— More than 49,300 Mazda6 cars are recalled in the U.S. and another 7,000 are recalled in Canada, but the U.S. recall includes only states where road salt is commonly used in the winter.
Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland,Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Mazda suspects there wasn't enough paint coating applied to the front cross members of the 2011-2013 Mazda6 cars, allowing road salt to eat away at the metal. Steering alignment will change once the corroded parts weaken the mounting points, although the automaker says no crashes or injuries have been reported.
Once the parts are corroded and weakened, hitting a pothole is enough to break the cross member and cause immediate steering problems for a Mazda6 driver. The steering wheel will move off-center and a driver will likely hear a strange noise caused by the wheel touching the mud guard.
In May 2018, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation into 2009-2010 Mazda6 cars after multiple complaints about subframe rust and corrosion.
Mazda recalled the cars in September 2018 and NHTSA closed its investigation, but the automaker then learned 2011-2013 Mazda6 models were affected by the same corrosion problems.
Depending on the condition of the car when it's inspected, a Mazda dealer will either install a side member and a drain hose and apply wax to protect from rust, or install a drain hose and an improved cross member.
The Mazda6 cross member recall is expected to begin June 24, 2019, but customers with concerns should contact Mazda at 800-222-5500 and use recall number 2818I.
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