Spiders prompt Suzuki recall
Nick Ansell/PA Archive
Japanese carmaker Suzuki has been forced to recall more than 19,000 models of its Kizashi saloon in the US, due to spiders causing a potential fire risk.
The eight-legged critters are attracted to the four-door by petrol vapours in the exhaust pipe. It is in the pipes that they then spin webs, causing blockages and a build up of negative pressure that could lead to the petrol tank deforming, with the risk of its contents combusting.
It isn't currently known which species of spider is causing the problem, or why they are attracted to the fuel vapours. Cars built between 2010 and 2013 are affected.
The American Highway Traffic Safety Administration has so far received seven reports of the problem, though it has confirmed that there have not yet been any injuries or accidents caused.
Suzuki
Suzuki will be contacting Kizashi owners individually, inviting them to bring their car to a local service centre where the ventilation hose will be replaced with one which has a filter designed to keep the spiders out. The petrol tank will also be replaced should it be required.
Suzuki isn't the only manufacturer to suffer headaches due to spiders. In April, rival Japanese brand Mazda recalled 42,000 of its 6 saloons for a near identical issue.
The Kizashi saloon proved a popular model in the US, before Suzuki's withdrawal from the market last year after filing for bankruptcy protection. The model was also briefly offered in the UK, but its combination of thirsty 2.5-litre petrol engine and unrefined CVT gearbox, meant it didn't find many homes before it was removed from price lists late in 2012.
