Mazda Motor Corp. said Friday it is recalling 923,672 vehicles amid fears that potentially defective ignition switches can catch fire.
The carmaker reported 13 fire incidents since 2003 resulting from the problem. There were no reports of injury or death caused by the defect, Mazda said.
The transport ministry said Mazda had not responded properly to vehicle owner complaints, and ordered the carmaker to improve its response.
The recall affects 21 models, including the Familia compact, Demio subcompact and Ford Laser compact, produced between January 1989 and December 2005.
Mazda also plans to recall cars overseas due to the same problem, saying it is now calculating how many vehicles would be affected.
Suzuki Motor Corp. recalled in March and April some 1.99 million vehicles, including police cars, here due to similar problems. The ignition switches were made by the same supplier.
