Tokyo, May 30: Japan's Mazda Motor said on Thursday it plans to recall more than 174,000 vehicles worldwide, including the hot-selling Atenza sedan, after reports of a defective fog lamp which in one case caused the bumper to catch fire. There have been no reports of any accident due to defective parts, claims Mazda. The automaker declined to disclose the estimated cost of the recall.

The news deals a heavy blow to Mazda, coming on the same day that it announced the Atenza had snapped up 50 awards in 22 countries since its launch a year ago.
Mazda had attributed the big jump in FY03 profits largely to the popularity of the Atenza, especially in its crucial European market. Mazda said it would recall 78,505 vehicles in Japan and about 96,000 overseas, including the US, Canada and the UK.
Of the cars to be recalled in Japan, 37,386 are Atenzas produced between March ’02 and May 16 of this year. The other models to be recalled are the MPV multi-purpose vehicle built between May ’99 and February ’03 and Roadster sports cars made between December ’97 and February ’03. Bureau Report