We have reported on Takata airbags numerous times so far. The brand’s scandals seem to be never-ending, and unfortunately, there is another one to add to the list. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the US confirmed on Monday a death due to a Takata airbag, which means that the number of people who have died for the same reason has now risen to five.
Stellantis, which made a statement on the matter, called on the owners of old Chrysler and Dodge vehicles equipped with a Takata driver-side airbag to stop using their vehicles as soon as possible. The brand also urged the company to contact them as soon as possible to plan the necessary repairs and start operations.
The death mentioned occurred in a recent accident in which the Takata side airbag inflator of a 2010 Chrysler 300 exploded. It is worth reminding that in November, Stellantis issued a warning for about 276,000 Dodge Magnums, Chargers and Challengers, as well as Chrysler 300s from 2005 to 2010. The warning stressed that these vehicles should not be used. This warning came after two people died in separate accidents involving a 2010 Dodge Charger with a Takata side airbag that exploded.
Tom McCarthy, Global President of Technical Safety and Compliance at Stellantis, said, “Time is a critical factor here because the risk of these airbag inflators increases every day they are not replaced. We have parts and service is free. We will also provide free alternative transportation to help people go to and from our dealerships when necessary.”
The NHTSA asked all vehicle owners to check if their vehicles were subject to the recall of open airbags and to contact their dealers to plan for free repairs. The situation is so serious that even minor collisions involving faulty inflators in Takata airbags can cause death or serious injury. The age of the airbag increases the likelihood of causing injury in older vehicles such as the 2010 Chrysler 300.
As we near the end of our report, we recommend watching the video we published recently on Takata airbags.