The invention of airbags dates back to 1920, but the modern-day airbag for cars was invented by an engineer in 1952 by American John W Hetrick and also separately by a German engineer Walter Linderer that in 1951. The first commercial use of airbags in cars wasn’t until the 1970s, and they weren’t standard in cars until 1998.
The airbag history wasn’t stellar as the it caused some fatalities but with engineering and design work, having an airbag has been deemed a much safer option than without. Most cars come standard with six airbags or more. As cars started to go faster, the safety of their passengers became more of a concern.
Safety recalls are issued when there is more of a concern of what was thought to be isolated incidents that are no longer considered isolated, but possibly more common. According to the United States Code for Motor Vehicle Safety [Title 49, Chapter 301] “The performance of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment in a way that protects the public against unreasonable risk of accidents occurring because of the design, construction, or performance of a motor vehicle, and against unreasonable risk of death or injury in an accident and includes nonoperational safety of a motor vehicle.”
Stop-Drive Warning Recall
Stellantis (STLA) issued a Stop-Drive Warning for Dodge and Chrysler vehicles that contain a Takata airbag. The airbag is considered dangerous and has reportedly killed two people and another death is under investigation. Two deaths confirmed deaths came from a 2010 Dodge Charger. The vehicles affected are the first-generation LX models between 2005-2010 Dodge Magnum, Dodge Charger, Dodge Challenger and the Chrysler 300, which includes about 276,000 cars.
“Owners or custodians of these vehicles will be contacted directly, advised to stop driving their vehicles and urged to obtain the necessary service, which continues to be available free of charge at any certified FCA-brand dealer. FCA – the first automaker to migrate from Takata to an alternate source of replacement parts – has sufficient inventory of new air bags to meet demand," Stellantis said in a statement.
"The longer these particular vehicles remain unrepaired, the greater the risk of an air-bag rupture, in event of a crash. Free replacement driver-side air bags have been available for this population since 2015.”
The recall was issued to those who own the affected vehicles and will be repaired at no charge. If the affected parts cannot be repaired, they will be replacing the defective part. If a customer has already fixed this issue before the recall, the customer can be awarded a refund for the work performed before the recall. In rare cases the manufacture will repurchase the affected vehicle back from its owner.
What to Do Next if Your Car is Affected
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA has a search tool for using your VIN number to see if a car is included in any recalls.
If a car owner discovers their car is included in this recall or in any other recall, they may contact a local dealer who handles that make of car. Owners can contact s Chrysler or Dodge service department and tell them they have a recall. The local dealer should be able to get people scheduled for a service appointment, and car owners can request car rentals if they are inconvenienced while their car is being repaired.
