Mazda to recall 54,000 cars in China to fix oil hose

Shanghai, April 15 (Gasgoo.com) Japan's automaker Mazda Motor, which operates two Chinese ventures, will start recalling some 54,000 cars of the Mazda 3 model in China to fix an oil hose defect, media reported today. The company will also recall 35,181 units of the model (locally known as the Axela) in Japan.

The company said these cars, produced between January 2006 and March 2009, will be recalled because an oil hose and a radiator shroud panel have been placed too close together and may be damaged by friction when travelling on bumpy terrain, leading to potential leaks.

"The company has received two cases of complaints due to the problem, both in China," said a Mazda spokesman. "No accident because of it has been reported." The Mazda 3 compact car is sold in Japan, China and Europe. Whether the recall will affect other markets is not decided yet.

Changan Ford Mazda, a three-way joint venture in China, has been making and selling the Mazda 3 sedan, and started in December 2009 to sell the imported Mazda 3 hatchback, which was previously sold by another Mazda's another China JV FAW Mazda.

Last month Mazda sold 22,023 vehicles in China, up 55% from a year earlier, bringing its first-quarter China sales up 44% to 53,704 units, mostly boosted by continued hot sales of the Mazda 2 and Mazda 3 models.