Mazda recalls 42,000 cars that are vulnerable to damage by ... spiders

A spider species that isn't more than three-eighths of an inch long has caused Mazda to recall 42,000 cars, the Associated Press reported on Friday.

The automaker discovered that yellow sac spiders are capable of doing damage to Mazda6 model cars with 2.5-liter engines released between 2010 and 2012. The company had issued a similar recall in 2011.

The AP reported that the spiders, formally known as Cheiracanthium mildei, have shown not only an attraction to hydrocarbons, but an ability to get past vent covers in the fuel line, where their webs can cause pressure to build in the fuel tank.

Though no injuries or fires have yet been reported due to the issue, the company plans to issue free software updgrades protecting the cars from building up undue pressure in their fuel tanks.

[Image via Wikipedia Commons]