Another investigation is underway regarding automotive airbags that have been randomly deploying, but this time, the focus is on Mazda’s CX-9 crossover SUVs.
According to a report by the Detroit Free Press, U.S. safety regulators are looking into reports of side-impact curtain airbags triggering without any obvious cause.
So far, two owners have reported that their airbags deployed unexpectedly while driving, as per information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In one incident, a total of four people sustained injuries.
Both complaints indicated similar occurrences where the side airbags for both the driver and passenger activated without any recognizable trigger during operation.
Currently, the investigation is focused solely on the first-generation CX-9, which was manufactured between 2010 and 2013. During that time, Mazda sold over 112,000 units of this crossover.
The NHTSA is probing the issue to ascertain the prevalence of the problem and to decide whether a recall for these models should be mandated by Mazda.
While airbags are designed to save lives in crashes, they have faced considerable criticism, especially following the extensive recall of nearly all airbags by Takata, the largest supplier of airbag systems. This recall stemmed from faulty actuators and ultimately contributed to the company’s bankruptcy.
The manufacturer of the CX-9’s side-curtain airbags has not yet been identified, and this investigation is being handled independently from the earlier Takata recall.
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