A delayed recall affects over 170,000 vehicles after a serious airbag issue Mazda blamed on owners is finally acknowledged
- The automaker is recalling 171,412 Mazda3 and CX-30 vehicles over an airbag issue.
- Airbags can fail to deploy if the battery is accidentally drained in a specific way.
- Mazda avoided a recall for months as they blamed user error, before changing their tune.
Airbags are one of the most important safety features and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates they saved the lives of more than 50,000 Americans between 1987 and 2017. Given their importance, it’s alarming that Mazda is recalling 171,412 vehicles over airbags that might not deploy in the event of a crash.
The recall impacts the 2024-2025 Mazda3 and CX-30. The government says that if owners accidently leave the ignition in the on position for two or more hours – without the engine running – and the battery becomes fully depleted, the car’s Sophisticated Airbag Sensor will “store an internal fault.” This fault will prevent the airbags from deploying in the event of a crash.
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The NHTSA says owners will notice something is amiss as, once the battery is recharged and the vehicle is started, the warning light will be illuminated. It will be accompanied by a message in the instrument cluster indicating an airbag malfunction.
Mazda first became aware of the issue last summer when they received a report about an airbag warning light illuminating following a “low battery condition.” The automaker spent the next few months investigating and eventually determined it was a non-safety related issue, because the problem was caused by “customer usage and/or error.” However, the company updated the Sophisticated Airbag Sensor software in late 2024.
A few months later, in March 2025, the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation inquired about 15 incident reports of airbag sensors being replaced due to airbag warnings. The request for information led to a technical review and Mazda stuck to their “position that the issue does not constitute an unreasonable safety risk, as it arises from customer usage and/or error.”
That’s a terrible look for the automaker and in May of 2025, the company finally decided to conduct a recall in the United States and Canada. Thankfully, Mazda isn’t aware of any injuries or fatalities related to the issue.
Owner notifications are slated to go out next month and customers will be instructed to take their vehicle to a nearby dealership. Once there, technicians will reprogram the Sophisticated Airbag Sensor or replace it.
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