Stellantis issues 'Do Not Drive' alert for 225,000 older US vehicles

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Chrysler-parent Stellantis issued a "Do Not Drive" warning on Wednesday for about 225,000 older vehicles in the United States fitted with unrepaired defective Takata air bag inflators.

The warning applies to older Dodge Ram, Durango, Dakota, Magnum, Challenger, Chrysler Aspen and 300, Jeep Wrangler and Mitsubishi Raider vehicles that have not had repairs completed from various model years from 2003 through 2016.

Hundreds of injuries have been reported in various automakers' vehicles since 2009 from Takata air bag inflators that can explode, unleashing metal shrapnel inside cars and trucks killing or injuring drivers or other vehicle occupants.

"This action is intended to accelerate the repair of the remaining affected vehicles to safeguard owners, their families and the general public from the risk of serious injury or death," Stellantis STLAM.MI said in a statement.

"This stop-drive directive is focused on completing repairs on this remaining population," added Stellantis, which has completed recall repairs on more than 6.6 million vehicles, or about 95% of those that were recalled more than a decade ago.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said 28 deaths stemming from crashes involving defective Takata air bag inflators have occurred in the U.S. and warned that "minor crashes can result in exploding Takata air bags that can kill or produce life-altering, gruesome injuries."

Over the past decade, more than 100 million vehicles fitted with Takata airbag inflators have been recalled worldwide, including 67 million in the United States, in the largest-ever such recall in the country's history.

Honda 7267.T in 2024 confirmed 20 U.S. deaths in Honda and Acura vehicles as a result of the Takata air bag problems, which have been blamed on propellant that can break down after long-term exposure to high-temperature fluctuations and humidity.

A number of automakers have urged owners of older vehicles to stop driving them until they get the inflators replaced. In November 2022, Stellantis urged owners of 276,000 older U.S. vehicles to immediately stop driving.