Mazda are recalling 190,000 CX-7 sport vehicles after a potentially dangerous steering control problem was identified which could lead to a driver losing control of the steering function.
Water can reportedly enter the front suspension ball joint fittings which may then lead to corrosion and separation of joints, and eventually steering control loss.
The affected vehicles are said to have been manufactured between February 2006 and May 2012
A serious issue
Vehicle recalls are common, but when it comes to a recall where the defect may put someone’s life in danger, it’s a serious issue indeed.
It doesn’t take an expert to demonstrate the risk if a driver was to lose the ability to steer their vehicle. So far, reports indicate that no one has suffered any injury as a result of a defect in one of the affected vehicles. But Mazda will need to get the word out ASAP and recall the vehicles before the worst happens.
How does the law work for vehicle defect claims?
In the UK we have regulations that allow a person to pursue compensation from either a manufacturer or a supplier of a product if it turns out to be defective and causes an injury. The Supply of Goods and Services Act generally means that a product must be fit for purpose, as described, and shouldn’t lead to anyone coming to harm.
A steering defect like the one we see here in the Mazda recall case is a serious one, and if anyone was to be injured as a result of it, then they may have a claim here in UK law. Generally speaking, recalls do not stem from intentional acts, and are discovered through manufacturing flaw. We know there’s no intention in these things most of the time, but that doesn’t allow for a manufacturer to escape liability if someone is injured.
Of course, there are some intentional acts that have led to recalls, like the Volkswagen Emissions Scandal, in which we are acting for thousands of people affected. But you are afforded protection in law should you be injured due to a defective product arising from incidental manufacturing flaws.