'No drive' order issued for some Dodge Ram pickups after passenger killed by airbag explosion

Fernando Cervantes Jr., Arizona Republic
2 min read
0

Owners of Dodge Ram 1500 trucks from 2003 are being urged to stop driving them after a passenger was killed by an exploding airbag.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the passenger was killed in May in a crash that caused the airbags to deploy, forcing the agency to issue a no-drive order for these pickup trucks.

This death is the first one of a passenger airbag explosion and brings the total number of deaths in the United States linked to Takata airbag explosions to 26, the administration said.

Officials say that these trucks should not be driven until repairs are made on the airbags.

This incident is also the first involving a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 truck.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the airbags, produced by the Japanese corporation Takata, were first recalled in 2015. The 2003 model of the Dodge Ram 1500 was a part of that recall involving over 380,000 vehicles.

Takata airbags have been well-known for their potential for dangerous malfunction. This led to the largest series of auto recalls in the history of the United States. At least 67 million Takata airbags were recalled in the US.

The administration estimates that about 84,000 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 trucks, nationally, have still not been repaired, which puts drivers and passengers at risk of very serious injury or death.

Repairs for these airbags are 100% free if the vehicle is part of the recall. Drivers can contact their dealership and follow any warnings from the vehicle's manufacturer.

Officials also warned that minor crashes can cause the Takata airbags to explode and kill or cause serious injury. The age of the airbag also affects its chances of exploding as older bags are at higher risk of malfunctioning.

Drivers can check for NHTSA recalls using their recall lookup tool.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Passenger death linked to Takata airbag explosion in Dodge Ram truck

Advertisement

Recommended Stories