Would-be owners of the Mazda CX-3 can zoom-zoom with peace of mind. Contrary to earlier reports, the soon to be launched CX-3 sub-compact crossover is not covered by the recall on the rear damper stay. This is a clarification made by Mr. Steven Tan, President of Berjaya Auto Philippines, exclusive distributor of Mazda vehicles in the country.

The precautionary recall which affects the rear damper stay (the part that holds up the tailgate hatch) covers units built before December 2015. Therefore, the upcoming local market CX-3 is not included. However, units such as the CX-5, Mazda3 hatchback, and Mazda6 Sports Wagon are.

The nature of the recall is that the damper stay may corrode over time and cause the damper to fail. The likelihood of corrosion is higher in countries with high salt exposure such as those that salt their roads during winter. And even so, corrosion takes a long time.

Though the Philippines is less exposed to salt, Berjaya Auto Philippines is working closely with Mazda Corporation Japan to gather data on affected vehicles using the Vehicle Identification Number or VIN. In turn, Berjaya Auto Philippines will notify the dealers who in turn will notify customers if any course of action is necessary.

Inspection is unnecessary and all rear dampers on affected vehicles will be replaced by Mazda beginning with the older vehicles first.

Read our first impressions of the 2017 Mazda CX-3 here.