Yellow Sac spider

Spider infestation causes recall of 50,000 Mazda6s in the US. (Yellow Sac spider shown)

Spiders have forced Mazda US to recall more than 50,000 Mazda6 mid-sized sedans.

The yellow sac spider reportedly spins its webs inside part of the car's fuel system, which in turn causes increased pressure in the fuel system, causing the car's petrol tank to crack.

The fault was discovered in late 2009, when a dealer reportedly found a spider web inside the fuel system of a Mazda6 after the car's owner brought the vehicle in to be repaired having noticed a fuel leak.

Mazda says the solution to the spider problem is a simple spring mechanism which can be fitted in the fuel tank's vent line (the part of the fuel system in which the spider has been found). The spring prevents the spiders from getting into the vent line.

Mazda Australia says it hasn't heard of any such problem extending to vehicles available locally. The cars affected by the recall were built in the Mazda/Ford joint manufacturing plant in Michigan between April 2008 and February 2010.

The yellow sac spider is native to northern America. There is an Australian arachnid known as the yellow nightstalking sac spider, but it is unknown whether the local breed has the same taste for fuel fumes.