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Stellantis and US safety regulators confirmed that an exploding Takata airbag inflator killed another driver.
The company and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reiterated warnings to owners of 274,000 older vehicles. Dodge and Chrysler vehicles to stop driving them until the defective inflators are replaced.
Stellantis announced two deaths in November caused by airbags and said it suspected inflators caused another. The company formerly known as FiatChrysler confirmed the third death early Monday.
A recalled Takata airbag inflator removed from a Honda Pilot is displayed at the AutoNation Honda dealership service center in Miami, Florida, U.S., June 25, 2015. REUTERS/Joe Skipper/File Photo (REUTERS/Joe Skipper/File Photo/Reuters Photos)
Stellantis is urging people to stop driving Dodge Magnum wagons, Dodge Challenger and Charger muscle cars and Chrysler 300 sedans from model years 2005 through 2010.
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Since 2009, airbag explosions have killed at least 33 people worldwide, including 24 in the United States.
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| STLA | STELLANTIS S.A. | 14.21 | +0.07 | +0.50% |
All three deaths this year were in hot US states and have occurred since April, the company said.
In this file photo taken January 1. On February 19, 2021, the Stellantis sign is seen outside the Chrysler Technology Center in Auburn Hills, Michigan. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File) (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File/AP Images)
Takata used ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate airbags during an accident. But the chemical can become more volatile over time when exposed to moisture in the air and repeated high temperatures. The explosion can rupture a metal canister and send shrapnel flying into the passenger compartment.
Most of the deaths and around 400 injuries have been in the United States, but they have also occurred in Australia and Malaysia.
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Stellantis vehicles under the “Do Not Drive” warning were all recalled in 2015, and free repairs have been available since then. Dealerships have the parts and service is free, and Stellantis will provide transportation to get vehicles to and from a dealership, the company said.
NHTSA said the last person killed was driving a 2010 Chrysler 300.
“Time is critical here because the risk is increasing every day. These airbag inflators are not being replaced,” said Tom McCarthy, global safety and regulatory compliance manager at Stellantis.
the recalls affect vehicles in which the airbag inflators were not replaced as part of the recall.
NHTSA has urged all owners to check their vehicles for an unrepaired Takata airbag recall. Drivers can go to https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls and enter their 17-digit vehicle identification number to see if they have any recalls in progress.
“This holiday season, don’t put yourself or someone you love at risk of death or serious injury from a malfunctioning Takata air bag,” said Ann Carlson, Acting Administrator of the NHTSA.
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In a statement, Stellantis said the vehicle owner asked the company about the airbag recall in 2018, but then declined to schedule the service. The company said it sent 114 urgent notices to the owner over the past seven years.
The owner lent the vehicle to a family member who was killed in an accident in July when the inflator exploded, Stellantis said. The company would not say where the accident happened, but said it expressed its deepest condolences to the family.
Earlier this month, NHTSA said the driver of a 2002 Honda Accord was killed when the driver’s airbag inflator ruptured and threw shrapnel. Honda said the accident happened on February 2. 22 in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
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| HMC | HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD. LTD. | 23.49 | -0.08 | -0.34% |
The potential for dangerous malfunction led to the largest series of automobile recalls in US history, with at least 67 million Takata inflators recalled. The US government says millions have not been repaired. Approximately 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide. The explosive airbags sent by Takata Corp. of Japan to bankruptcy.
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