The latest Mazda recall highlights an unnerving possibility: a modern SUV that keeps insisting you’ve got gas in the tank right up until the moment it quietly dies on the highway. The automaker acknowledged the problem in a recall notice filed with federal regulators.

Certain 2025 Mazda CX-70s and 2024–2025 CX-90 mild hybrid electric vehicles may show fuel in the tank even when it’s bone dry

The defect means the vehicle can suddenly stall. Once the engine cuts out, there’s probably no restarting it without more gas. That risk bumps up the chance of a crash, especially if it happens in traffic.

Plug-in hybrid versions of the CX-90 are not affected.

The company explained the problem starts inside the sub-tank

There, ethanol in gasoline can react with materials on the sending unit circuit board.

Over time, buildup interferes with the signal that tells the instrument cluster how much fuel remains. Without any kind of warning to drivers, the gauge may simply keep showing fuel that isn’t there.

Mazda said in a statement that there haven’t been any accidents or injuries linked to the defect so far.

Still, the numbers are significant: Roughly 16,056 CX-70s and 88,798 CX-90 mild hybrids in the United States and its territories are included in the recall.

The fix will come by way of Mazda’s dealer network

Affected owners will receive notification by mail with instructions on what to do next.

For now, the company directs anyone concerned to visit mazdarecallinfo.com or the NHTSA’s recall site for updates and confirmation of whether their SUV is on the list.