Mazda’s Smallest Models Are Facing A Huge Safety Risk

Mazda recalls are few and far between, but they do happen every once in a while. One of those rare moments happened recently, with Mazda recalling more than 170,000 units of the 2024 and 2025 Mazda 3 and CX-30 in the US and Canada. The problem? A defect in the affected vehicles’ airbag systems could prevent the basic safety feature from deploying in a crash.

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  Base Trim Engine

  2.5L SKYACTIV-G I4 ICE

  Base Trim Transmission

  SKYACTIV-Drive 6-speed automatic

  Base Trim Drivetrain

  Front-Wheel Drive

  Base Trim Horsepower

  191 HP @6000 RPM

  
  

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  Base Trim Engine

  2.5L Inline-4 Gas

  Base Trim Transmission

  6-Speed Automatic

  Base Trim Drivetrain

  All-Wheel Drive

  Base Trim Horsepower

  191 hp

  
  

The issue stems from an unusual but possible scenario: if a driver leaves the ignition in the “ON” position for two or more hours without starting the engine, the car’s battery may completely drain. When the battery is recharged and the vehicle is restarted, the airbag control module – known as the Sophisticated Airbag Sensor (SAS) unit – can store a fault that disables the airbag system.

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According to recall documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the problem doesn’t show up if the battery drains for other reasons, like leaving the lights on. But if it happens through this specific sequence, the airbag warning light will illuminate and a message will appear in the instrument cluster – both signs that the airbags are now offline.

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Mazda began its internal investigation in mid-2024 after receiving a field report from the US and originally did not consider it a safety risk, attributing the situation to customer error. However, following NHTSA’s March 2025 inquiry and further engineering analysis, the company did a complete 180 and issued the recall on May 29. Mazda admits the issue appears unique to the US and Canada, which may reflect different usage habits compared to other global markets.

While no injuries or crashes have been linked to the defect so far, the voluntary recall was prompted after the NHTSA opened an inquiry into 15 warranty claims involving airbag warning lights and replaced SAS units.

Newer 2025 Models Are Not Affected

The affected models include 51,857 units of the Mazda 3, built both in Mexico and Japan, and 119,555 units of the CX-30, all built in Mexico. Production dates range from May 2023 to January 2025, but Mazda clarified that any vehicles produced after specific dates in late 2024 and early 2025 already include the updated software fix and are not part of the recall. That means buyers of newer 2025 units likely won’t be affected, but owners of earlier builds should take notice.

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Owners will be contacted by mail starting July 28 and advised to bring their vehicles to a Mazda dealer. The fix will either involve reprogramming the SAS module or replacing it entirely, depending on the car. All work will be done free of charge, and since the vehicles are still under warranty, no reimbursement plan will be offered.

Source: NHTSA