Hot Off the Presses
Mazda has come under fire in a class-action lawsuit alleging that the brand’s seat heaters in its Mazda6, CX-9, CX-30, CX-50, and CX-5 models are defective, causing occupants to get burned when in use.
Five owners have come together to file this lawsuit against the Japanese automaker. Car Complaints picked up on the story and said that the class action provides a “reasonable estimate” of the cost to repair, which could mean Mazda will have to pay at least $662,492,128.17 to repair 301,549 vehicles. Averaged out, that’s about $2,200 per car.
Volkswagen is also another brand that came under fire with a similar issue. Mazda’s case is different, however, as it involves more than one and potentially thousands more cars with seat heating features.
Mazda
Things are Heating Up (A Little Too Much)
One of the plaintiffs, Micah Prochaska, purchased a used 2017 Mazda CX-9, and after seven years on the road, the plaintiff alleged that the seat heater overheated and burned a jacket left on the seat, leaving a large hole in the upholstery. There was also smoke coming from the seat on the drive home.
Another plaintiff, Sharmee Anderson, complained that she was burned while using the seat heater function in her 2023 Mazda CX-5, which caused “a half-dollar-sized blister on her left leg.” The resulting injury was classified as a second-degree burn.
Another plaintiff, Patrick Sandoval, purchased his 2018 Mazda6 brand new. Due to his neuropathy, a condition in which sensation is limited, he was unable to feel the excessive heat coming from his seat while using the heater function. This plaintiff alleges that the defective feature aggravated a prior spinal injury.
The same plaintiff, Sandoval, then sold the Mazda6 to purchase a 2023 CX-50. However, Sandoval was already aware of the prior issue and noticed that the CX-50 also had the same issue as the Mazda6 he had just sold.
Finally, Russell Quinn owns a 2016 Mazda CX-9. Nine years later, this plaintiff spotted smoke coming from the heated passenger seat. According to him, he requested that it be repaired for free, but the repair was denied, citing that the vehicle was already nine years old by the time he requested the repair. Instead of repairing the function, Quinn was “incredibly charged’ $650 to disconnect the seat heating system.
James Riswick
Mazda in the Hot Seat
Covering models as old as 2016, the class action includes Mazda models with seat heater functions. The plaintiffs state that Mazda manufactured, marketed, and sold vehicles with defective seat heaters that can cause injury and pose a fire risk to owners.
- 2016 to 2017 Mazda CX-9
- 2018 Mazda6
- 2024 Mazda CX-30
- 2023 Mazda CX-50
- 2023 Mazda CX-5
The lawsuit also alleges that Mazda knew about the seat heater issue but failed to warn its consumers of the risk of bodily injury and property damage.
Mazda
