Customers with unrepaired 2003 Dodge Ram pickups are being urged by manufacturer Stellantis to stop driving them immediately until they are serviced, following a crash death linked to the Takata air bag inflator recall.
The death is the first one related to an exploding passenger-side inflator and brings the total number of U.S. fatalities connected to Takata air bag explosions to 26, involving numerous automakers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
A person who was in the front passenger seat, who was also the owner of one of the trucks, died of injuries in a May 13 crash “consistent with those observed in previous Takata inflator fatalities,” according to a company news release.
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The company, which issued the release under its FCA US LLC operating arm, did not provide additional information about the crash and did not identify the victim.
NHTSA said age is a factor for anyone who continues to drive an unrepaired vehicle under a Takata recall.
“The older a defective Takata air bag inflator gets, the more dangerous it becomes. Please, get your air bag replaced now for your sake, and for the sake of those who love you,” NHTSA Acting Administrator Ann Carlson said in a news release. “Don’t put yourself or someone you love at risk of dying or being seriously injured because of a defective, recalled Takata air bag. These repairs are absolutely free and could save your life.”
Takata air-bag inflators contain chemical compounds that may deteriorate as they age, particularly if exposed to hot and humid climates, the company said in its release.
“Such conditions may cause these inflators to rupture on air-bag deployment, scattering razor-sharp debris capable of causing serious injury or death,” the release said.
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The May incident is the first in a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500, which was one of 385,686 recalled in 2015, according to NHTSA, which estimates that about 84,000 of the pickups remain unrepaired “and occupants of these unrepaired vehicles are at grave risk of serious injury or death.”
The company said it “extends its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the customer whose life was lost in the May tragedy.” It is the fourth such incident known to involve an FCA-brand vehicle. Last year, the company announced stop-drives for the Chrysler 300, Dodge Magnum, Challenger and Charger for model years 2005-2010.
The company said it sent six recall notices that went unheeded to the customer’s home address in the May fatality.
Vehicle owners can call the FCA Takata Call Center at (833) 585-0144 or go to https://www.mopar.com/en-us/my-vehicle/recalls/takata-recalls.html.
For information from NHTSA on the Takata air bag safety recall, go to https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/takata-recall-spotlight.
Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber.
