Takata Airbag Inflators Kill Dodge Ram Driver
The driver of a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 was recently killed by exploding Takata airbag inflators in the vehicle, Jalopnik reports.
The incident occurred in May, according to Reuters, when the Takata passenger-side bag in the vehicle inflated after it suffered a collision. Takata airbag inflators have been a known risk since 2009 after it was found that they are prone to exploding and casting harmful metal shrapnel debris throughout the vehicle cabin.
The truck was one of 385,686 vehicles that were recalled by Stellantis in 2015, but the owner reportedly received six recall notices that went unanswered. Stellantis predicts that there are still 29,000 other affected vehicles still driving on U.S. roadways.
Stellantis has now issued a do-not-drive order on affected Dodge Ram pickup trucks and will offer free replacement of Takata airbag inflators found in them. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has also released a statement instructing affected vehicle owners to not drive their cars until the issue has been fully remedied.
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