The Spider-Infested Mazdas Are Back

For the first time in almost 10 years, General Motors mechanics today began fixing fatally flawed ignitions that have put the company in full-on crisis mode. But anyone who spends more than five minutes poring over the list of federal recalls could be forgiven for feeling a little skittish about stepping inside almost any model of car, let alone a horse-trailer (with notoriously sticky locks, according to the recall archives). The roster of occasionally catastrophic flaws is equal parts anxiety-inducing and absurdist. Just consider the latest warning from Mazda Motor: “Spiders may block fuel tank vent line.”

While a spider-infested car does seem problematic, the creepy factor isn’t the impetus for the recall. Attracted to the fuel, the spiders get into and block the fuel line, pressure builds, the tank starts leaking, and the gas catches on fire. In short, a bunch of baby spiders may literally blow up your Mazda. The company is recalling 42,000 vehicles to check for insects—all Mazda6 sedans built from 2009 to 2011—and this isn’t even the first time this problem has surfaced. After a 2011 recall of 52,000 vehicles, Mazda installed a special spider-blocking spring, but the little eight-eyed gas huffers found a way around it. Spiders 2, Mazda engineers 0.