FCA US Issues “Do Not Drive” Warning for 225,000 Older Vehicles
The Takata airbag inflator saga appears to be never-ending as FCA US, the entity that produced Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram vehicles before Stellantis, issued a “do not drive” warning for 225,000 select vehicles produced between 2003 and 2016.
The warning, which was published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Feb. 11, tells owners of the affected vehicles who have not yet had their cars in for repair to “not drive it until the repair is completed and the defective airbag is replaced.”
FCA US says it has repaired more than 6.6 million vehicles; there are still hundreds of thousands still on the road. Those models include:
- 2003-2010 Dodge Ram
- 2004-2009 Dodge Durango
- 2005-2011 Dodge Dakota
- 2005-2008 Dodge Magnum
- 2006-2015 Dodge Charger
- 2007-2009 Chrysler Aspen
- 2008-2014 Dodge Challenger
- 2005-2015 Chrysler 300
- 2006-2009 Mitsubishi Raider
As they age, the inflators can become unstable, especially in warm environments. They may explode, sending pieces of metal and plastic shrapnel into the vehicle’s cabin. According to NHTSA, more than 67 million vehicles in the U.S. have been recalled due to the problem.
Exploding inflators have accounted for 28 deaths, and more than 400 injuring in the U.S. To find out if your FCA US — or any brand of vehicle — is part of the recall, visit NHTSA.gov/Recalls. If so, federal safety officials advise to not drive the vehicle and make an appointment with a nearby dealership to schedule a repair.
[Images: Stellantis]
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Michael Strong has spent more than 25 years writing about the automotive industry. A Detroit-area native, he’s written about everything from local car shows to product reviews to financial news. Currently he writes and edits for a variety of national and local publications. He’s also a longtime member of the Automotive Press Association and the International Motor Press Association, and a graduate of Georgia Southern University. Hail Southern! Despite a love for ’70s land yachts and BMWs from the late ’80s and early ’90s, his personal vehicle is neither of those.
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If I owned one of these models, it would make sense to have a mechanic remove the airbags entirely, not just disable them, and keep driving. As long as you keep using your seat belts, you have most of the collision protection you had even WITH functioning air bags.
What about any car any make of air bag that's say 35 yrs old & never garaged? Air bag(driver's only in '91!) has gotta be all dried out & sensors/contacts all corroded by now- ain't it? & who still makes parts for that?