— A Chrysler 300 driver death from a Takata airbag has been confirmed by Fiat Chrysler and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The automaker is again warning owners of 2005-2010 cars to get their vehicles repaired if the Takata airbag inflators were recalled but never replaced.
Included in the latest warning are these models equipped with defective Takata airbags that have not been used in production since 2016.
- 2005-2010 Dodge Magnum
- 2005-2010 Dodge Challenger
- 2005-2010 Dodge Charger
- 2005-2010 Chrysler 300
FCA released a do-not-drive warning in November for more than 276,000 of the cars after two occupants were killed by exploding Takata airbag inflators. It was suspected a third fatality was caused by an airbag, and now NHTSA and Chrysler have confirmed it as fact.
The latest death occurred when the driver's side Takata airbag exploded in the crash of a 2010 Chrysler 300.
The Takata airbags contain ammonium nitrate which can become unstable due to heat and humidity, causing the chemical to explode the metal canister called the inflator.
At least 24 people in the U.S. have been killed by exploding Takata airbag inflators, with some of those fatalities occurring in low-speed crashes. One person was killed from simply working on the interior of their vehicle.
According to Fiat Chrysler:
"The vehicle’s owner inquired with the Company about the driver-side air-bag recall in 2018, but then declined an opportunity to schedule the free service at a dealership. FCA US continued to send urgent notifications to this owner through 2022, contributing to a total of 114 outreach attempts over a seven-year period."
In July, the Chrysler 300 owner loaned the car to a family member who was killed by the Takata airbag.
The automaker alleges it made 269 attempts to contact the owners of the last three vehicles involved in airbag-related fatalities.
Chrysler has practically begged car owners to have the airbag inflators replaced for free, and since the first Takata airbag recall FCA has "reached out to those affected nearly 210 million times using standard and first-class mail, courier service, e-mail, text messages, phone calls and home visits."
Chrysler dealerships have replacement parts and FCA will provide alternative transportation for free, if needed. The repair will take about an hour.
If you own one of the above cars or know someone who does, you an verify if the car has been recalled and repaired by calling 833-585-0144.
FCA owners may also input their information on checktoprotect.org.