Mazda Seats May be Too Hot to Handle

March 2010

Mazda has issued a recall of 12,300 CX-9 crossover SUVs because of the potential for the model's electric seats to overheat. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the problem can lead to burn damage, as well as smoke and fire in some extreme cases.

The hazard has been attributed to a faulty heater control circuit, found only in Mazda CX-9 SUVs with electrically heated seats. "Insufficient electrical grounding" can result in burned seat upholstery, smoke damage, and even small fires if the circuit malfunctions.

Mazda first became aware of this issue last December. A CX-9 was scorched by a seat heater that couldn't be disabled even after the car had been turned off, sparking the company's internal investigation and present SUV recall.