Yuch! Mazda Recall Prompted By Spiders

Reading more like an urban legend than a recall notice, Japanese carmaker Mazda said it is recalling 52,000 cars because they might be infested - with spiders!

The carmaker said all 52,000 of the Mazda6 models are in the U.S.

While drivers might expect the recall was promoted by concerns that the creepy crawlers could emerge unexpectedly from the glove box or crawl up a driver's leg on a busy freeway, that's not it at all. The government says it worries the spiders will create nests that could clog vital passageways and eventually cause fuel tanks to spring leaks.

Risk of fire

As the canister is purged repeatedly during normal operation, the stress on the fuel tank may eventually result in a crack, potentially leading to fuel leakage ad an increased risk of fire," the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a recall notice.

According to NHTSA, Mazda is recalling 2009 and 2010 Mazda6s because "a certain type of spider may weave a web in the evaporative canister vent line," causing a possible restriction. Besides the cars sold in the U.S., another 13,000 cars are being recalled in Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Dealers will inspect the recalled cars, checking the canisters for spider webs. If they find them, they will reportedly install a spring that will keep the insects from getting inside the part.

Yellow sac spider?

The recall notice did not specify what type of spider may be potentially infesting the Mazda6, but at least one media report identified it as the Yellow Sac spider. Sac spiders belong to the genus Cheiracanthium and the familyClubionidae, according to the University of Nebraska Extension Service.

“They are quite small and easy to overlook-about 1/4 - 3/8 inch long, with no conspicuous markings. The front legs are longer than the other three pairs. Sac spiders are quite pale. A common house species, the yellow sac spider is pale greenish, tan or straw colored. Other sac spiders are light brown,” the service says on its website.

And yes, they bite. Victims are advised to seek medical treatment.