DANGER: On certain Mazda vehicles, the automatic emergency braking system detects non-existent obstacles and suddenly stops the car
Mazda announced on Thursday that it had alerted the American authorities of a braking system defect on certain copies of the 2019 and 2020 versions of the Mazda 3. The Japanese manufacturer sent an official malfunction notification and organized the recall of all the vehicles concerned.
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According to the brand, 35,390 cars are affected in the United States. The problem comes from a programming bug in the automatic emergency braking system (SBS). On faulty cars, the device triggers on its own by detecting imaginary obstacles while the road is completely clear.
Drivers were notified in February at the latest
The car then brakes unexpectedly, which can cause a collision with the vehicle behind it. Just before activation, the Mazda SBS emits an audible signal and a warning light comes on on the dashboard to warn the driver, the Mazda press release said. The malfunction has so far caused no accidents, says the company.
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The owners of Mazda 3 concerned will receive an official notification by mail at the latest on February 17, specifies the AutoBlog site . Some faulty cars just need a software fix via an update. Others, older, will have to undergo a complete reprogramming of the SBS, or even a replacement of the entire system.
