Mazda has issued a recall for nearly 70,000 cars to fix fuel leaks that can cause fires.
The recall covers 69,477 RX-8 sports cars in the U.S. that were released anywhere from 2004 to 2008, United Press International reported.
The sports cars have “fuel pump sealing rings” that can break if exposed to engine or exhaust heat, raising the risk of a fire breaking out, according to The Associated Press.
Mazda first received a report about the issue in 2013, prompting manufacturers to request the defected parts and to investigate the problem, UPI noted. By January of 2014, the probe concluded after engineers determined the problem to be “improper maintenance.”
However, another investigation opened up just a year later after Mazda received reports of several cracked fuel pump rings, a problem said to be caused by plastic materials deteriorating from exposed heat, UPI said.
No cars have been taken in for repair yet as Mazda dealers are still waiting on the new parts to come in.
Despite the precautions being taken by the company, documents filed with the government don’t show any reports of any fires or injuries, The Associated Press noted.
Owners who are waiting for a second notice about the recall and have questions can call customer service at 800-222-5500. The recall number is 0516J.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offered the official recall summary: “Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 RX-8 vehicles manufactured April 10, 2003, to February 18, 2008,” the summary noted. “The affected vehicles have fuel pump sealing rings that may deteriorate due to exposure from the engine or exhaust pipe.”
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