NHTSA safety regulators are investigating older Mazda CX-9s.
Older examples of Mazda’s three-row SUV could be experiencing issues with their side curtain airbags. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into the matter in early May, after receiving two complaints that the car’s side airbags went off for no reason.
The NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigations received reports of injuries in one of the incidents. One airbag deployment injured four people in the car, according to the office’s filing. Currently, the investigation concerns 2010 – 2013 Mazda CX-9s, not the current-generation model. The federal agency is currently looking into the scope, frequency and safety concerns of the possible defect.
Both airbag incidents happened while the cars were moving, and neither were involved in an accident that would cause the airbags to deploy. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, the NHTSA may instigate a recall.
According to an Associated Press report, Mazda said it is cooperating with the NHTSA in its investigation. The company sold over 110,000 CX-9s from 2010 through 2013.
