Zoom Zoom Boom: Did Mazda Spider Infestation Start At Plant?

Photo by mrmoorey via Flickr

Photo by mrmoorey via Flickr
The Mazda recall is a story of creeping nightmares that includes, but is not limited to, spiders in vents, spiders in the fuel tank, and spiders that make your engine explode. Mazda was alerted of the situation after logging approximately 20 cases of spider infestation from various dealers across the country, reports the LA Times.But were the cars born with a spidey sense? Rather than looking to the garages of Mazda owners, the question being asked is whether new cars accidentally came fully loaded with the venomous yellow sac arachnid and if the spider problem may be linked to an infestation at either an auto parts supplier or assembly plant.

UC Riverside entomologist, John Trumble, does not believe the spiders are getting into the cars while they are parked at home. Trumble said the spider is nocturnal, searching for prey at night . He believes the infestation may be taking place at a warehouse where the spiders are all too happy to spend time inside a tube while waiting out the day so they can hunt. "The spiders probably crawled into the tubes before some worker shipped the tubes to the assembly plant or placed them in cars, he said," notes the LA Times. Mazda maintains that the spiders are entering the vehicles after they leave the factory.

65,000 vehicles from model years 2009 and 2010 were included in the recall to fix this peculiar man vs. nature problem of spiders nesting in tiny rubber hoses. The hoses are linked to fuel tank systems and there are serious concerns about pressurization, ventilation, fuel leaks, cracked gas tanks, and even fires.