This could be the first spider induced recall. The real issue is bad computer programming.
Mazda is recalling 2009 and 2010 Mazda 6 models built at the Flat Rock, Michigan plant because spiders can weave a web in the evaporative canister vent line, causing a blockage that leads to fuel tank cracks and leaks during normal operation.
In a notification to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Mazda said it first became aware of the problem back in May of 2009 when an owner reported a fuel leak.
A second fuel leak report in October of 2009 resulted in the discovery of a spider web in a fuel system vent line, and ultimately the determination by Mazda late last month that a safety related defect existed.
Owners will be notified to take Mazda 6 models to a Mazda dealership to have the vent line cleaned, a spring to prevent spider intrusions installed and the reprogramming of the engine control computer to prevent an excessive vacuum from occurring in the fuel tank during purging.
No, I am not making this up…
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
