Exploding airbag inflators may have killed three people in recent months in 2005-2010 Chrysler and Dodge vehicles. The automaker and the federal government are asking everyone else who drives a car at risk of the same problem to stop driving until dealers can fix them.
The order applies to Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger, and Dodge Magnum models from the 2005 to 2010 model years.
History’s Largest Recall Still Claiming Lives
It’s a problem you’ve probably heard about before. But it may also be a problem you haven’t dealt with in your car.
The warning is the latest chapter in the ongoing saga of the largest recall in automotive history.
The Takata airbag recall started in 2013 and included cars made by 34 manufacturers and sold on at least five continents. The federal government’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says at least 67 million cars on American roads carried the deadly parts when dealers first sold them.
A Grenade in Your Steering Wheel
An airbag inflator is a small metal capsule containing chemicals that combine to create a rapidly-expanding gas. In an accident, the inflator is supposed to squirt that gas out of a nozzle, quickly inflating a folded airbag so that it can cushion occupants from hitting collapsing car parts.
Some Takata inflators can explode under pressure rather than squirting the gas out of the nozzle as designed. Their capsule sometimes bursts under the sudden force of the chemical reaction. That can send hot metal fragments flying into the cabin like shrapnel.
The Takata corporation supplied inflators to much of the global auto industry.
According to the Associated Press, that phenomenon has killed at least 32 people worldwide and 23 in the U.S. At least three of those deaths came this year, with the two most recent coming in Chrysler or Dodge cars. Another recent death in a Chrysler or Dodge is still under investigation, the AP says.
Not Just a Chrysler, Dodge Problem
This latest warning comes from Chrysler, Dodge, and their parent company Stellantis. However, almost every automaker that has sold cars in America since 1998 has recalled vehicles due to the Takata airbag problem. They can all perform the free repair.
The Risk Grows with Time
The chemicals in Takata inflators degrade over time, increasing the risk of an explosion. “Every day that passes when you don’t get a recalled airbag replaced puts you and your family at greater risk of injury or death,” said NHTSA Acting Administrator Ann Carlson.
The Repair Is Free
The repair to eliminate the risk is simple and free. Dealers will remove your car’s Takata airbag inflator and replace it with an inflator from another brand. Almost every dealership in the U.S. can perform the service in under an hour and at no charge.
In a statement, Stellantis says its dealers have enough replacement inflators in stock to repair every one of their cars.
17 Million Still Driving Around with Them
NHTSA believes that, of the 67 million American cars covered by the recall, 50 million have been repaired. That leaves as many as 17 million driving around at risk. “Even minor crashes can result in exploding airbags that can kill or produce life-altering injuries,” NHTSA warns.
How to Find Out if Your Car Needs Recall Repairs
Automakers have been reaching out to owners to warn them about the recall for years. Stellantis says it has sent “nearly 210 million standard and first-class letters, courier deliveries, e-mails, text messages, while also making phone calls and home visits,” asking owners to bring their cars in for the free fix.
But inevitably, some owners slip through the cracks. If you’ve moved since you bought your car, or if you purchased your car used, they may not have the information they need to reach you.
Last year, NHTSA confirmed another Takata airbag-related death in a man who had received more than 100 notices to bring his car in for a free, new inflator.
Check whether your car has any outstanding recalls with the easy VIN tool at our recall center.
Vehicle owners who prefer talking directly to the manufacturer can call the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Takata Call Center Phone at 833-585-0144 or go to the website. To find out Takata-specific information from other vehicle manufacturers, please check here.
