PSA…Why???

Posted on by February 12, 2026

Is this still an issue? It’s not like the Takata airbag issue hasn’t been beaten to death over the last few years…

Stellantis, the parent company of Chrysler and Dodge, has issued a “do not drive” notice for 225,000 late-model vehicles due to an airbag issue that could allow metal fragments to enter the vehicle, causing injuries.

The stop-drive directive was issued for 2003 to 2016 Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles that contain Takata airbag inflators, Frank Matyok, a spokesperson for Stellantis, confirmed for USA TODAY on Wednesday, Feb. 11.

“Over time, the chemical propellant inside certain Takata inflators can degrade, particularly in hot and humid conditions, increasing the risk of rupture during airbag deployment and the potential for metal fragments to enter the vehicle cabin,” Matyok wrote in an email.

Full article, HERE from USA Today.

Here are the vehicles on the list-

  • 2003 to 2016 Dodge Ram pickup trucks and Dodge Sprinter vans
  • 2004 to 2009 Dodge Durango SUVs
  • 2005 to 2012 Dodge Dakota pickup trucks
  • 2005 to 2008 Dodge Magnum station wagons
  • 2006 to 2015 Dodge Charger sedans
  • 2008 to 2014 Dodge Challenger coupes
  • 2007 to 2009 Chrysler Aspen SUVs
  • 2007 to 2008 Chrysler Crossfire coupes
  • 2005 to 2015 Chrysler 300 sedans
  • 2007 to 2016 Jeep Wrangler SUVs

From what I could find, Takata ‘knew’ in the early 2000s there was an issue, and the first recalls began in 2008 and continued through 2013.  So WHY was Stellantis still putting defective airbags in vehicles after 2008???

Somebody wanna ‘splain that to me???

I don’t know enough about dealerships, but I wonder if they bear any responsibility for selling a vehicle with a known issue?

Any experts out there please chime in!

And if you own a vehicle on this list, PLEASE get it checked!!!

Comments

PSA…Why??? — 16 Comments

  1. Sounds like a class action suit. You know, the kind filed years or even decades afterward. The kind that holds the mfg over a barrel, knowing restitution (scum lawyers taking 1/3rd) will be least costly than replaacing airbags (which does not remove liability).

    ‘No admission of wrongdoing’ to be part of legal settlement.

    Jim, all of the above, stop order inclusive, only *allege* potential of risk.

    That’s my take.

    • Possible. Ford made a decision on the Pinto that settling lawsuits was cheaper than a $11 fix. Evil incarnate Robert McNamara was Ford’s president. He went on to be Secretary of Defense where his policies killed thousands of servicemen. F**king bean counters.

  2. Notice the dates end in 2016, that’s likely more than ten years ago*

    Why is the ‘do not drive’ order mentioned only now?

    Because it took years before the scum lawyers were ready for settlement. In every class action settlement I have seen, the terms of settlement plus the dollar figure had already been established.

    *vehicles for a specific year made as early as Sept the previous year.

    • heh, that was actually a “spirited” debate in my high school auto shop class, most likely the same as several thousand other high schools.

      • Probably a bit from the auto mfgrs too. Raised the price of vehicles after all. They love their add ons.

  4. Y’all do make some interesting points, and Takata has already gone bankrupt in 2017 and setup the Takata Airbag Tort Compensation Trust Fund, which limited claims to those filed prior to 2022… So the auto manufacturers get off scott free… Grrr!

  5. I’m not a big Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep guy. I’m not saying Big Auto isn’t up to it, but I just never had it in my heart to buy a Chrysler.

  6. Just one more reason to not buy a Dodge truck in addition to their transmissions made of glass and their flimsy front steering gear.

  8. The Takata airbags were everywhere in the 2010’s. Heavily in Honda, Toyota and Subaru, But also in many Ford, BMW, Mercedes, VW and some European makes (Renault and FIAT) mostly not imported to the US. Lead time to fix the issue was HUGE in 2016 like 6 months plus, Daughter was about to buy a used 2013 Honda when the no drive orders came for some of those models. Ultimately the dealership gave her a decent deal on a stripper new 2016 (which did not have the Takata bags). I suspect Takata was the lowest bid vendor and they were running at the edge of safety to cut costs and win the bids.

  9. Thank you for this posting. Found my grand daughter dodge truck has been overlook by prior owners. My son has an appointment with local dealer next week.