Mazda has informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a safety defect concerning certain vehicles across the States.

According to the Japanese manufacturer, the 2010-2013 Mazda 3, 2012-2015 Mazda 5, 2013-2015 CX-5 and 2016 CX-3 have been included in the safety campaign, which affects a total of 575,381 cars in the United States. The problem is corrosion of the tailgate’s gas dampers that could eventually fail and hit users.

On the affected vehicles, insufficient corrosion protective coating was applied to the ends of the external cylinders of the rear hatch/lift gate gas stay dampers. If water containing road salt enters, it can cause corrosion. Over time, increased corrosion may eventually cause it to break, as the rear hatch or liftgate is opened“, as the automaker explains.

Owners of the aforementioned models will be informed of the situation and advised to schedule an appointment with a local authorized dealer, which, in turn, will perform the necessary repairs/replacements, free of charge.

Mazda said it is not aware of any reports of accidents and injuries related to this condition.

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