Stop-Drive Warning Issued for Scores of Older Dodge, Chrysler Cars

Oh boy, here we go again. As reported by Associated Press, three more people have been killed in the past seven months by Takata airbag inflators that exploded and sent shrapnel at vehicle occupants. This brings the worldwide death toll to at least 32, most of them in the U.S.

Today, the American branch of Stellantis issued a warning to owners or custodians of model-year 2005-2010 Dodge Magnum wagons, Dodge Challenger coupes, and Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 sedans who have not yet addressed Takata driver-side air-bag recalls to immediately stop driving their vehicles.

• Also: Problematic Airbags in Volkswagens and Audis
• Also: 30 Million Additional Vehicles With Takata Airbags Now Under Probe

Approximately 276,000 units could be affected in the U.S., with an additional but still unspecified number in Canada.

In its statement, the automaker says it has so far generated nearly 210 million standard and first-class letters, courier deliveries, e-mails, text messages, while also making phone calls and home visits. Dealers apparently have sufficient inventory of new airbags to meet demand, and the repair procedure normally takes less than an hour.

Despite the many different recall campaigns announced by automakers, it’s safe to assume that a fair share of the 100+ million vehicles affected around the world are still equipped with Takata inflators. Making things more complicated now is that these are older models, many of which are no longer in the hands of their original owners.

Drivers are strongly advised to visit Transport Canada’s recall database or the manufacturer’s website to determine whether their vehicle is part of an airbag recall and needs a replacement.