Why the Stellantis Recent "Do Not Drive" Warning is an Important Reminder for All Drivers to Check for Recalls

Stellantis brands like Ram, Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler recently issued “Do Not Drive” warnings about 225,000 vehicles that still haven’t had their Takata airbags replaced. This isn’t just a Ram or Chrysler problem. There are still millions of vehicles that may be on the road with potentially dangerous airbags. This recent warning should remind all drivers of an older vehicle, especially if it was bought second hand, to check and see if their vehicle was ever fixed. If not, now is the time to have the recall performed before someone could get hurt. 

 
This is the list of the Stellantis vehicles that have the “Do Not Drive” warning and the recalls that affect them:

• 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)
• 2006–2009 Mitsubishi Raider (15V313, 16V352)
   

Chrysler corporation has already repaired more than 6.6 million potentially defective airbags, but their records show that 225,000 more could be out there.

The Takata Air Bag Issue  
 

The Takata airbag recall was the largest recall in history. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or NHTSA, approximately 67 million Takata air bags have been recalled in 42 million vehicles because the air bags can explode when deployed, causing serious injury or even death. The recall affects both the driver and passenger-side airbag. As of April of 2024, NHTSA said 88 percent had been repaired, that means close to six million could still be out there. It is hard to pinpoint how many could be unrepaired because some vehicles may be in junkyards, but others may have been totaled and then resold under salvage or questionable titles. 

NHTSA has confirmed that 28 people in the U.S. have been killed by a defective Takata air bag that exploded. In addition, at least 400 people in the U.S. reportedly have been injured by exploding Takata air bag 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. 

The recalls affected 20 major automakers and 34 brands.  Every manufacturer from BMW, Honda, Toyota, Ford, GM, Nissan, Mazda and Chrysler bought the airbags from Takata.

What Caused the Air Bag Problem 
 

According to NHTSA, the problem centers on the air bag’s inflator, a metal cartridge loaded with propellant wafers. In some crashes, the inflators ignited with explosive force. If the inflator housing ruptures in a crash, metal shrapnel from the airbag can be propelled throughout the passenger cabin. In other words, passengers could be hurt more by the air bag rather than the actual crash or debris.

How to Find Out if Your Vehicle is Affected

NHTSA is urging all vehicle owners to immediately visit NHTSA.gov/Recalls to see if their vehicle has an open Takata air bag recall. If it is under recall, owners should contact their dealership to schedule a free repair as soon as possible and not drive the vehicle until it is repaired. It doesn’t matter who you bought the vehicle from the auto manufacturer will repair it for free. The recalls affect mostly older vehicles that were produced before 2019. It is easy to use NHTSA’s Recalls Lookup Tool to use your license plate number or vehicle identification number to search for any open safety recalls, including the urgent Takata recall. It is smart to check every so often in case the manufacturer wasn’t able to reach you by mail.

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Mary Conway is a professional automotive journalist and has decades of experience specializing in automotive news analysis. She covered the Detroit Three for more than twenty years for the ABC affiliate, in Detroit. Her affection for the Motor City comes naturally. Her father ran a gas station while Mary was growing up, in Wisconsin.

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