Yellow Sac Spider Blamed for Mazda Recall

Posted on April 13, 2014

The yellow sac spider has been linked to a Mazda recall. The spider is fond of building webs in Mazda engines. BBC News reports that the yellow sac spider is attracted to the smell of petrol. The webs can cause a blockage and a pressure build-up. The spiders and their webs have also been linked to fires in the vehicles. Mazda is adding a software update that will monitor the pressure level and warn drivers of any risk.

There are about 42,000 vehicles involved in the recall, which is listed here on the NHTSA website. The recall notice says, "In the affected vehicles, spiders may weave a web in the evaporative canister vent hose, blocking it and causing the fuel tank to have an excessive amount of negative pressure." A New York Times story says Mazda has been having trouble with yellow sac spiders for years. A Mazda spokesperson is "terrified of the damn things."

The troublesome yellow sac spider may also be responsible for some spider bites blamed on brown recluse spiders. A fact sheet here says "C. mildei will readily bite, despite their small size, and they have been observed crawling across the human skin surface and biting without provocation."

Here is a CBS Evening News report about the recall. The news anchor incorrectly refers to the yellow sac spiders as "insects." Take a look:

SPIDERS