Mazda Recalling 1999 Miatas to Replace Faulty Filler Valve

Mazda Motor Corp. is recalling 22,000 of its 1999 Miata roadsters to replace a valve in the fuel-filler pipe that could stick and cause gasoline to spill during refueling.

Dealers will replace the valve, which is between the fuel tank and where gasoline is pumped into the car, without charge, the Japan auto maker said. The company expects the repairs to take less than an hour.

Auto makers typically pay for such repairs out of a warranty reserve, and it is not unusual for a company to have more than a dozen recalls a year.

Mazda, which is one-third owned by Ford Motor Co., sold 243,708 vehicles in the U.S. last year, including 17,738 Miatas. Mazda’s U.S. operations are based in Irvine.