Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced today that it will vastly expand its recall of older Dodge, Chrysler, and Mitsubishi vehicles to replace driver’s-side airbags manufactured by disgraced auto supplier Takata. The expanded recall affects an estimated 3.3 million vehicles built between 2004 and 2007, 2.9 million of which are in the U.S. See below for the full list of affected models.
In a statement, the automaker says that neither FCA US nor Takata has identified any defects in the airbags used in the newly recalled vehicles, despite conducting “more than 1,000 laboratory tests.” The Takata components used in the newly recalled FCA vehicles are a different design from those linked to injury or death caused by shrapnel shooting out of the airbag during deployment. The automaker reports one U.S. injury linked to an older Chrysler vehicle, which occurred in Florida.
But in the wake of the increasingly disastrous findings about potentially deadly Takata airbags, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has publicly criticized automakers for not extending their recalls nationwide, and the agency’s deputy chief David Friedman singled out Chrysler in a scathing criticism in early December. FCA US had previously conducted a small recall action limited to high-humidity regions of Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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- Takata Discovered Airbag Problems in 2004, Destroyed Data
- NHTSA Demands Nationwide Recall on Takata Airbags
With this decision, FCA US joins Ford, Toyota, Honda, and Mazda in launching nationwide recalls on Takata components. Affected vehicles are listed below. For ongoing Takata-airbag recall coverage, check out this continually updated information portal.
Model years 2004 through 2007 are affected for all listed vehicles.
Dodge Ram: 1500, 2500, 3500 pickups; 3500 Chassis Cab
Dodge: Durango, Charger, Magnum, Dakota
Chrysler: Aspen, 300
Mitsubishi: Raider