Do-not-drive order issued for 2003 Ram pickups after new Takata airbag dying

Chrysler-parent Stellantis has warned 29,000 house owners of 2003 Dodge Ram pickups to right away cease driving these vans pending repairs, after the newest dying within the long-running Takata airbag recall. On Might 13, a front-seat passenger in a 2003 Dodge Ram pickup “succumbed to a severe harm in keeping with these noticed in earlier Takata inflator fatalities.”

The dying is the primary reported involving a Takata airbag on the passenger facet, the Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) mentioned in an announcement.

The “Do Not Drive” warning applies to 29,000 2003 Dodge Ram pickups believed on the highway, the automaker mentioned. In November, Stellantis urged house owners of 276,000 different older U.S. automobiles to right away cease driving after three different crash deaths tied to defective Takata airbag inflators have been reported in 2022.

The passenger within the Might crash, who was additionally the proprietor, is believed to be the twenty sixth particular person within the U.S. to die because of accidents from a ruptured airbag inflator, however the first passenger to die; the opposite fatalities have all been drivers. There have been about 30 deaths worldwide, 400 accidents and roughly 100 million automobiles recalled worldwide by a wide range of automakers. Greater than 67 million Takata airbag inflators have been recalled in america. It is the most important auto security callback in historical past.

The Takata airbag inflators can explode, unleashing metallic shrapnel inside automobiles and vans.

Within the 11 years because the Takata disaster started, Stellantis has despatched greater than 210 million notices to house owners. In accordance with the corporate, it despatched six recall notices to the Dodge Ram proprietor’s residence deal with: “All went unheeded.”

The 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 concerned within the Might dying was certainly one of 385,686 recalled in 2015. Roughly 84,000 of those pickup vans are unrepaired, “and occupants of those unrepaired automobiles are at grave threat of great harm or dying,” NHTSA mentioned. Stellantis mentioned its greatest estimate was that 29,000 of these 2003 vans have been nonetheless on the highway — and must be parked instantly.

“When you’ve got certainly one of these automobiles, DO NOT DRIVE it till the recall is accomplished and your faulty air bag is changed,” NHTSA mentioned.

In a ready assertion, the automaker mentioned that is the fourth incident in a car underneath the Fiat Chrysler umbrella. The third incident occurred in December of final 12 months, after which Stellantis issued the identical form of assertion it is issuing now. 

The affected FCA automobiles are the 2005 to 2010 Chrysler 300, Dodge Magnum, Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger, and the 2003 Dodge Ram. The automaker believes there are 233,000 unrepaired items of the Chrysler and Dodge fashions nonetheless on the roads.

Each proprietor who hasn’t had their car mounted is urged to name FCA at 833-585-0144. An proprietor can confirm a car is included within the recall by going to the Nationwide Freeway Transportation Security Administration web site and coming into the automotive’s VIN. They’ll additionally run their VIN by recollects.mopar.com or checktoprotect.org. 

If motion is critical for this, FCA can pay to have the automotive towed to the seller and pay for the proprietor’s transportation. The service is free and normally takes lower than an hour. 

Contains info from AP.