ALONG CAME A YELLOW SAC SPIDER, OR TWO, OR MORE...

Mazda recalls 65,000 cars over spider groupies It seems that yellow sac spiders have a particular attraction for Mazda6 sedans. And not just any Mazda6s. No, these spiders are environmentally friendly. No V6s for these spiders, thank you; only four cylinder Mazda6s will do. And only the sexier-looking second-generation Mazda6s built from April 2008 onward. These spiders have good taste. After discovering this odd attraction, Mazda decided to recall more than 50,000 Mazda6 cars in the United States and an additional 15,000 vehicles in Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. It’s not that Mazda has anything against spiders. A company spokesperson said a spider could weave a web in a vent connected to the fuel tank system and clog up the tank's ventilation. This could cause pressure on the fuel tank, which, in turn, could lead to a crack, resulting in fuel leakage and the risk of a fire. Mazda said it was unaware of any fires, injuries or crashes in the vehicles. 20 cases of spider webs in the vents of Mazda6s have been identified by dealers, according to company spokesperson Jeremy Barnes. The webs have been identified as belonging to yellow sac spiders. Barnes said it’s unclear why yellow sac spiders were crawling into the Mazda6 rather than other vehicles. Barnes told Ken Thomas of the Associated Press that the arachnoid attraction to the sporty cars -- which the company has marketed with its "zoom-zoom" tagline—had no specific connection to a particular region of North America. "Perhaps yellow sac spiders like to go zoom-zoom?" Barnes postulated. The recall involves vehicles with four cylinder engines built from April 2008 to February 2010. Mazda says owners will be notified by mid-March and told to take their vehicles to dealers for inspection and repairs. Dealers will inspect and clean up the vent line and install a spring to prevent future spiders from entering the vent line. Owners can call Mazda at 800-222-5500 for more information about the recall.