Stellantis, the parent company of the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram brands, has issued a “do not drive” warning for certain late-model vehicles, telling drivers not to operate their automobiles until defective airbags are replaced, according to a notice from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
This stop-drive directive was issued for 225,000 U.S. vehicles from 2003 to 2016 that contain the “defective, deadly” Takata airbag inflators, and it is part of a larger, ongoing recall. Since 2008, more than 67 million Takata airbags have been recalled in tens of millions of vehicles across the U.S.
“Over time, the chemical propellant inside certain Takata inflators can degrade, particularly in hot and humid conditions, increasing the risk of rupture during airbag deployment and the potential for metal fragments to enter the vehicle cabin,” Frank Matyok, a spokesperson for Stellantis, tells Fast Company.
Such explosions have caused injuries and death, according to the NHTSA, which confirmed that 28 people in the U.S. have died as a result of defective airbags exploding and at least 400 people have been injured. Older vehicles pose a higher risk, as they are more likely to explode.
Meanwhile, a separate group of defective Takata airbags was recalled in late 2019, which involved non-azide driver inflators.
Which vehicles are being recalled?
Stellantis tells Fast Company that these are the affected vehicles:
- 2003–2016 Dodge Ram pickup trucks and Dodge Sprinter vans
- 2004–2009 Dodge Durango SUVs
- 2005–2012 Dodge Dakota pickup trucks
- 2005–2008 Dodge Magnum station wagons
- 2006–2015 Dodge Charger sedans
- 2007–2009 Chrysler Aspen SUVs
- 2007–2008 Chrysler Crossfire coupes
- 2008–2014 Dodge Challenger coupes
- 2005–2015 Chrysler 300 sedans
- 2007–2016 Jeep Wrangler SUVs
What should I do if I own one of the recalled vehicles?
A spokesperson for Stellantis tells Fast Company that it will fix the vehicles free of charge, and the company began notifying affected customers on February 9.
Drivers can also find out if their vehicles are affected by this recall by contacting the Stellantis customer service hotline toll-free at 833-585-0144, or by entering their 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN) at the NHTSA.gov website.