Mazda BT50, Infiniti Q30 And QX30 Recalled
Safety issues flagged for Mazda and Infiniti
Two new and unrelated vehicle recalls have been announced this week, concerning Mazda’s BT-50 ute and the Infiniti Q30 and QX30 twins.
In Mazda’s case, BT-50 utes with manual transmissions may have been built with a gearshift cable retaining clip that isn’t fully engaged. Should the clip fail the gearshift cables have the potential to contact the propeller shaft.
Damage may occur to both the cable and propeller shaft, it may become more difficult to change gears, or a loss of drive may occur posing a crash risk to occupants and other road users.
Affected vehicles were sold between July 2015 and February 2016 with owners to be contacted by Mazda in writing. Anyone wishing to know more can contact Mazda Australia on 1800 034 411.
The Infiniti recall concerns an electrical fault where the steering column is not properly grounded except for its connection to the spiral cable, a component of the airbag system. The brand's small Q30 and QX30 crossovers are involved in the recall.
Should the spiral cable become damaged the airbag light will illuminate, but over extended periods electrostatic charge will build up. In extreme circumstances this could lead to unintended deployment of the driver’s airbag.
Infiniti is yet to confirm parts availability, but will get in touch with affected owners advising them contact their dealer to arrange the installation of a slip ring to provide adequate grounding.