Driver error cause of Mazda5 exhaust fires
Ford issued a press release today stating that its recent recall of the Mazda5 due to exhaust system fires is not
due to defective parts, but rather driver error. Mazda has determined that the cause of these fires is "inadvertent
operation of the vehicle in manual mode of the automatic transmission at highway speeds in second gear." Extended
high-rpm operation can apparently cause overheating, which could lead to a subsequent fire. The recall is still in
effect as Mazda plans to install a warning label with instructions on how to properly operate the vehicle in "M" mode.
The company will also install a heat shield and recalibrate the automatic transmission electronic control unit. About
2,700 vehicles were recalled and will receive these modifications, as well as the company's current unsold inventory.
[Thanks to Richard L. for the tip]
Ford's full press release after the jump…
STATEMENT: 2006 MAZDA5 EXHAUST SYSTEM OVERHEAT
UPDATED ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2005
A safety-related defect may exist in the MAZDA5 as a result of the exhaust system becoming overheated. Although only
three instances have been reported, and there have been no injuries as a result of the fires, Mazda will be initiating
an aggressive campaign to repair all of the approximately 2,700 affected vehicles either at dealers or in customers
possession. Customers will receive a formal recall notification at a later date.
Mazda has determined that the cause of these fires is excessive exhaust heat caused by inadvertent operation of the
vehicle in the manual mode of the automatic transmission at highway speeds in second gear. It is possible that extended
high-RPM operation may cause this exhaust overheat, and a subsequent fire.
Mazda will resolve this situation with the installation of a warning label instructing customers on the proper
operation of the vehicle in the M mode of the automatic transmission. In addition, a heat-shield will be added to all
vehicles as well as a recalibration of the automatic transmission electronic control unit.
Mazda expects all vehicles to be repaired and returned to their owners as soon as possible. New vehicle deliveries
will resume as soon as vehicles in inventory are repaired. In the interim, Mazda will provide all customers with
replacement transportation at no cost.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Haje Jan 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
Wouldn't you just love to have "warning label installer" on your CV, or even as part of your job description? Essentially, Mazda are withdrawing the 3000 cars to put stickers on them to tell the drivers to not be bloody stupid, with something along the lines of "This car has automatic transmission with a Manual mode. If you put it in manual mode, remember to change gears."
In-bloody-credible.
*shakes head*
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Non-Bizarro Adam 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
This just comes back to one of my favorite sayings:
You can and you WILL be held responsible for someone else's gross incompetence.
It reminds me of the ruckus people made a while back about GMs ignition switches catching fire. They had to recall almost two million cars for an ignition "defect" when in reality they would only catch fire if you continuously held the ignition in the "start" position for longer than 45 seconds. If you don't think that is a very high standard, sit and count to 45, then imagine yourself trying to crank your engine continuously for that amount of time. Sometimes, there is no accounting for stupidity.
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mickster 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
Mazda's response is an early April Fool's joke right?
Most Auto-manuals will take over for driver stupidity and automatically upshift; why doesn't the Mazda upshift when the RPM's reach a high threshold, especially in 2nd gear!!
In my Acura TL Type S ('03) (which had its own 2nd gear problems and a recall), the only way I can hold any gear is to put the transmission in a locked gear position on the right rather than using the semi-manual shifting on the left. Plus if I hit the redline, the rev limiter kicks in.
Basically Mazda is saying this car can't run close to its redline or it will have an exhaust fire.
Does this also mean if you have a manual transmission and hold it in 2nd gear instead of upshifting that this could happen too?
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VW-Guy 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
I hope you guys aren't buying into this? C'mon, tell me your not. That would be dumber than driving around at highway speeds in 2nd gear.
Sounds to me like they are buying time until they can figure out what the real problem is, or covering up what the real problem was. Maybe that heat shield that needed to be installed.
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Swifty 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
I hope Mazda don't have plans to sell the 5 in Italy. Can you imagine trying to explain to Fabrizio that he can't rev his motor?
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Number Six 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
VW-Guy, you obviously think that the average human being has enough brainpower to realize that the car is revving way too fast - I am very sorry to say, I doubt that is the case. The average driver is as dumb as a plank.
My wife's Sonata has this manual stick situation and when it reaches maximum revs, it does shift up to the next gear if you leave the gas planted on the floor. Mazda made an obvious error, yes, by not realizing that the average American driver is too stupid to realize that an engine running at maximum revs for a continued period of time might just overhead the exhaust (presumably the cat convertor)! What does that TV cartoon character say? "DOH"
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Sid Ghosh 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
Number Six is correct. This car is European in nature and not suited to the 'AT or Bust' NA market.
They'll fix it now. Big deal. Everyone is recalling these days.
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nezromatron 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
And you guys wonder why we can't have nice things in this country..
I would actually want my auto-manual to stay in whatever gear I selected until I upshift myself. Of course, I wouldn't do a cross country drive with the thing redlining in 2nd gear, but apparently some of my countrymen would.. sad..
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ccweems 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
Lesser cars would have simply blown up when driven for long periods at redline. Sounds like the Mazda engine is "excessively robust". Ford has plenty of experience in fixing such problems...
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mr 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
Ahh, the old "user error" myth.
If drivers were frequently driving the car around in second gear, and this resulted in the car catching fire; this is a design issue.
Why wasn't it clear to drivers that the car was in second gear? Why does driving the car around in second gear result in the car catching fire?
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BillCMU 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
Re - the comments that the autostick shifting on it's own. I own a Mazda6 with the autostick, and Mazda's philosophy of being the 'zoom-zoom' company, their autosticks will not upshift automatically - it is up to the driver to do it, otherwise you will bounce off the rev limiter all day.
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Robert Aitchison 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
It's believable for me. The 2.3 engine is very smooth for an I4, Mazda has a dual balance shaft for the engine designed to reduce NVH from the engine, personally I wish it wasn't there on my 3 because of the affect on throttle response it has but that's another story.
I'll bet many Mazda5 drivers are used to driving a larger minivan or SUV and have never driven anything close to a manual transmission before, nobody's ever taught them when top change gears, I wouldn't be surprised if they don't shift from 1st-2nd until they stop accelerating because they hit the rev limiter (eek).
It just goes to reinforce my plans to not let either of my children get their license until they can competently drive a manual transmission.
I doubt you will find many cars that are capable of driving at high RPMs for extended periods of time.
P.S. It also goes to reinforce my tendency to shy away from used cars, no never know when the previous owner was a retard like this.
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Sid Ghosh 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
"Why wasn't it clear to drivers that the car was in second gear? Why does driving the car around in second gear result in the car catching fire?"
- It clearly shows gear on the dash
- Driving at highway speeds on second gear.
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mr 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
"- It clearly shows gear on the dash
- Driving at highway speeds on second gear."
Have you actually observed someone driving one?
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rjl 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
I driven a Mazda6 AT and sat in the Mazda5 AT (the gague layout is virtually the same) and yes, the gear that you are in is clearly visible.
I think what is apparent is that the number of Americans who have no clue how to drive a manual transmission is continually growing. So, while driver stupidity is somewhat to blame, I guess we might really want to chalk this up to total driver ignorance. If you have never driven a stick shift, it is very likely that the tachometer means little to you and that loud noise you hear, well obviously it must be a by-product of Mazda's "zoom-zoom."
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nezromatron 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
mr, I've actually driven one. There is a number on the dash clearly telling you what gear you are in, and the engine is quite loud at redline. You'd have to be a total moron to not notice it.
Mazda trusted that the driver would be smart enough to upshift on their own and gave them the choice of when they would like to upshift. I much prefer this to the other systems which assume I am too stupid to know when to upshift.
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jstand6 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
I can also confirm that Mazda "sport automatic transmissions" (auto trannies with manual control) will not upshift for you when the redline or rev-limiter is reached, although it will downshift to 1st for you at a stop. I have experienced this with a 2003 Protege5 and 2003 Mazda6.
I find this to be both a driver error and inadequate design issue. If the drivers, while operating in manual mode, always shift the transmission into a higher gear and never let the engine run at very high speeds for an extended period, these fires probably would have never happened. However, heat shields should have been installed by Mazda to prevent fires from happening at maximum possible operating temperatures.
I am also wondering how many miles were on the three vehicles when the fires occurred? I wonder if it is possible that the anti-corrosion coating on parts of the exhaust system caught on fire as a result of the extremely high temperatures? This coating normally burns off over a period of time and you can certainly smell it burning even after relaxed driving.
And as dumb as it sounds, I have experienced my own significant other doing this same thing, although it was on a Mercury Mariner (ironically equipped with the same 2.3L MZR, well "Duratec" in this case, engine) without a manual-mode auto tranny. He had inadvertingly put the gear selector into 2 instead of drive and I noticed after about a minute on the freeway at 70mph that the engine was revving awfully high. I looked over at the tach and then politely told him to put the tranny in drive. Honestly, the sound of the 2.3L at high revs can easily be lost in road and wind noise, and the engine's smoothness combined with drive-by-wire throttle (can't feel the engine through the gas pedal), I can see how this can happen. That's why it is important the the driver monitor the gauges.
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Bigel 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
If it really was driver error, stickers won't be worth a damn. Years ago, we lent our car to a family friend who promptly killed it on the highway by driving in 2nd (pushrod shot through the block and hood). We know this for a fact because the car was still in gear. This was despite bright gear indicators on the shifter and dash, rev limiter, warning lights and other ominous signs right before the catastrophe. Her only indication that something was wrong was that the car couldn't get the car up past 50mph. Her solution was to repeatedly mash the gas to the floor and hold it there. Till this day, she still thinks we lent her a death trap.
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Lee Gibson 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
Incompetence or not, cars should be as fail-safe as possible. Most manumatics will shift for you (or hit the rev limiter) if you over-rev them. Why doesn't the 5?
Yeah, it's a dumb mistake to make, but an easy one to prevent.
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jstand6 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
The 5 does have a rev limiter. However, you have to reach it before it kicks in. You could easily drive around at 6,000rpm without any electronic nannies reaching out and slapping you. And holding an engine speed that high for extended periods is going to produce an awful lot of heat. I could probably do this without harm on my Mazdaspeed Miata, but I doubt the Mazda5 was designed to take this kind of abuse. Regardless, stickers and warnings help alleviate liability of the manufacturer (their real concern), and much-needed heat shields will hopefully alleviate most of the concern.
Perhaps they should add an "Exhaust Overheat" light like the old RX-7s used to have (in addition to "Coolant Overheat" and "Oil Overheat" lights). But then again, a rotary could literally melt the exhaust systems used in the majority of cars.
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