One of the country’s long-running recalls has recently reminded Americans they need to be vigilant about getting recall repairs completed in a timely manner as Stellantis just issued a stop-drive alert for vehicles with Takata airbags.
Owners of 2005 to 2010 Dodge Magnums, Chargers, Challengers and Chrysler 300s have been warned by the former Fiat Chrysler to stop driving those vehicles until they get the airbag recall repair completed. The move affects about 276,000 vehicles.
Even minor crashes can result in exploding air bags that can kill or produce life-altering injuries. Older model year vehicles, such as these 2010 sedans, put their occupants at higher risk as the age of the air bag is one of the contributing factors, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“Owners or custodians of these vehicles will be contacted directly, advised to stop driving their vehicles, and urged to obtain the necessary service, which continues to be available free of charge at any certified FCA-brand dealer. FCA — the first automaker to migrate from Takata to an alternate source of replacement parts — has sufficient inventory of new airbags to meet demand,” the company said in a statement.
The repair often takes less than an hour, Stellantis officials noted.
“FCA is and has been engaged in aggressive outreach to encourage vehicle owners and custodians affected by Takata recalls to obtain service. To date, through various initiatives, the company has generated nearly 210 million standard and first-class letters, courier deliveries, e-mails, text messages, while also making phone calls and home visits,” the company noted.
Ongoing issue worldwide
The company notes the longer the vehicles remain unrepaired, the greater the risk to the vehicle’s occupants.
The inflators are part of a massive recall effort after it was determined the inflators are loaded with volatile mix of chemicals that can, under certain conditions, explode, sending pieces of metal and plastic into the vehicle’s cabin, often causing injuries or death.
There have been more than 30 deaths globally due to the issue and nearly two dozen in the U.S. alone, as well as hundreds of injuries.
The action covers about 100 million inflators worldwide, including about 67 million in the U.S. Aside from Honda, there have been fatalities in Ford (2) and BMW vehicles in the U.S. At this point, NHTSA officials estimates show more than 50 million of the 67 million inflators have been replaced or accounted for as part of the recall.
The Takata airbag recall is not only the largest safety-related service action in U.S. history, but also the longest-running recall, with the first advisories going out to vehicle owners back in 2001.
