Flaws in the power-steering system are driving Mazda to recall more than half a million vehicles worldwide, the company announced.
Mazda said it plans to recall 215,000 vehicles in the United States and more than 10,000 in China. Additional recalls are being planned in Europe and Australia, bringing the total to about 514,000 vehicles, a company spokesman said.
The affected models include the Mazda3 and Mazda5, as they are known in the U.S., manufactured in Japan from 2007 to 2008.
The company said the vehicles could experience a sudden loss of power steering, increasing the risk of a crash. Three accidents have been attributed to the defect in the United States, none involving injuries or deaths.
