Takata Airbag Recall Continues to Grow
Chrysler has recalled 88,346 Dodge Challengers due to defects in their airbags. Takata has found themselves in hot water recently, thanks to these faulty airbags. Granted, faulty could be a massive understatement; eight deaths have been attributed to their airbags malfunctioning, as well as hundreds of injuries around the world.
Over 57 million cars have been recalled around the globe to fix the disastrous mess that Takata has caused, and it seems like every week more and more cars are added to this astonishing number. This week it’s a Chrysler recall. Chrysler announced that they will be recalling 88,346 Dodge Challengers to fix the frontal airbag on the driver’s side. This latest Chrysler recall puts the total amount of Chrysler cars Takata has caused companies to recall at 2.1 million in America and 5.3 million combined worldwide.
Which Challenger Models Are Affected?
The Chrysler recall is, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, centered around 2008-2010 Dodge Challengers. Even more specifically, those model Challengers that were manufactured from September 2007 to October 2010. As a result of this Chrysler recall, they will be repairing the air bag inflators in front, though the NHTSA also says that these are not currently available.
The airbags in place currently are subject to something known as moisture intrusion. If someone was to get into a crash, the airbags could come out with too much force. This results in a rupture that sprays metal fragments at the driver, which has been largely responsible for the deaths attributed to Takata.
Chrysler Could Be In Trouble As Well
This is not the first Chrysler recall stemming from Takata airbags. Back in May, Chrysler announced that they would be recalling a large number of vehicles that they had produced from 2004 to 2011. However, a recent audit showed that the Dodge Challengers of the new Chrysler recall were excluded from the first Chrysler recall despite needing new, safer airbags. That audit prompted today’s Chrysler recall, but Chrysler isn’t necessarily getting out of this that easy. A spokesman from the NHTSA said that these delayed recalls could result in consequences for Chrysler. Chrysler could be fined, or they could even be forced to buy back the vehicles that have defective Takata airbags.
