Stellantis issues ‘Do Not Drive’ warning for 225,000 vehicles still haunted by recalled Takata airbags – Jalopnik

Remember the Takata airbag scandal, where millions of inflatable safety devices turned into ticking time bombs aimed directly at people’s faces? It happened a while ago, but unfortunately these airbags still kill people. Stellantis just issued a “do not drive” order for approximately 225,000 older vehicles that still contain the defective airbags, according to NHTSA. The order concerns the following models and model years:

• 2003–2010 Dodge Ram (15V312, 15V313, 16V352, 16V947, 18V021, 19V018)
• 2004-2009 Dodge Durango (15V313, 16V352, 16V947, 18V021)
• 2005–2011 Dodge Dakota (15V313, 16V352, 18V021, 19V018)
• 2005-2008 Dodge Magnum (15V313, 16V352)
• Dodge Charger 2006–2015 (15V313, 16V352, 18V021, 19V018)
• 2007-2009 Chrysler Aspen (15V313, 16V352, 16V947, 18V021)
• Dodge Challenger 2008–2014 (15V444, 16V352, 18V021, 19V018)
• 2005–2015 Chrysler 300 (15V313, 16V352, 18V021, 19V018)
• 2007–2016 Jeep Wrangler (16V352, 18V021, 19V018)
• 2006-2009 Mitsubishi Raider (15V313, 16V352)

If these airbags are so dangerous, why are the “do not drive” orders being issued now instead of ten years ago with the original recalls? Stellantis explains this in a statement to CBS News:

“This action is intended to accelerate the repair of the remaining affected vehicles to protect owners, their families and the general public from the risk of serious injury or death,” Stellantis said in a statement. “Over time, the chemical propellant in certain Takata inflators can deteriorate, especially in hot and humid conditions, increasing the risk of rupture during airbag inflation and increasing the likelihood of metal fragments entering the vehicle cabin.”

In other words, the risk of an airbag turning into a claymore mine increases over time. Therefore, this problem has become even more serious than it once was in older vehicles. It’s important to note that Stellantis is far from the only manufacturer to issue “do not drive” orders for this problem over the years. NHTSA also mentions that Honda, BMW, Ford, Nissan, Mazda and even Toyota (plus the Pontiac Vibe, a twin of the Toyota Matrix) have “do not drive” orders for the affected vehicles, in addition to Stellantis brands.

However, the dealer told her that the replacement parts were not available. Millions of airbags were recalled at the same time and the limited supply could not keep up with the high demand. The dealer assured her that she would be contacted as soon as the replacement airbag became available. That never happened. Life happened, other things came up, and this was put on the back burner, especially when it was no longer driven regularly. That’s one of the 225,000 reasons why these unrepaired vehicles are still on the road. And they are still very dangerous; the most the recent death was victim 28, who died in 2024 in a Honda in Alabama.

This truck lived most of its life in Texas and is now in Arkansas. Both places have hot and humid conditions that accelerate the deterioration of the ammonium nitrate propellant that causes these deadly airbag explosions. The truck and its airbags have experienced twenty southern summers, making the risk even greater. I’ll have to do something about this, assuming the parts are available.