Berkshire County Residents Are Asked To Stop Driving Their Vehicles Immediately

A car manufacturer that produces vehicles under the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram brands issued a warning on Wednesday, advising owners not to drive more than 200,000 of their vehicles.

An FCA US recall revealed that 225,000 older vehicles still have Takata airbags that haven’t been fixed. The NHTSA states these faulty airbags may inflate and explode during deployment, risking serious injuries or fatalities to drivers and passengers.

What Are the Takata Airbags?

The Takata airbag recall is the largest in history, involving 67 million inflators across vehicles from 19 manufacturers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that at least 28 deaths have occurred due to these defective airbags, and 400 additional injuries have been reported from exploding inflators.

“Even minor crashes can result in exploding Takata air bags that can kill or produce life-altering, gruesome injuries, older model year vehicles put their occupants at higher risk, because older air bags are more likely to explode." - NHTSA release

What Is Causing These Takata Airbags to Explode?

The issue originated from how the airbags were built. Takata used ammonium nitrate, which was meant to produce a small explosion to deploy the airbags during a collision. However, this chemical can degrade over time, particularly when exposed to heat and moisture. When it deteriorates, it can cause a much larger explosion than intended, breaking open the canister and sending shrapnel into the vehicle.

The “do not drive” warning concerns the make and models listed below, with their corresponding NHTSA IDs:

• 2006 – 2009 Mitsubishi Raider (15V313, 16V352)
• 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)
• 2006 – 2015 Dodge Charger (15V313, 16V352, 18V021, 19V018)
• 2007 – 2009 Chrysler Aspen (15V313, 16V352, 16V947, 18V021)
• 2008 – 2014 Dodge Challenger (15V444, 16V352, 18V021, 19V018)
• 2005 – 2015 Chrysler 300 (15V313, 16V352, 18V021, 19V018)
• 2007 – 2016 Jeep Wrangler (16V352, 18V021, 19V018)

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How Can I Determine If My Vehicle Is Included in This Recall?

You can determine if your vehicle requires repairs by using the recall lookup tool and entering your license plate number or VIN. Additionally, you can use the SaferCar app or subscribe to NHTSA.gov/Alerts to receive notifications about upcoming recalls.

If your vehicle is included in the recall, visit your nearest dealership to arrange the free repair. The recall began in 2008, and Takata filed for bankruptcy in 2017.