Which Dodge Vehicles Have Dangerous Takata Airbags?

Posted on
Author
Scott McCracken
Tagged
#airbags-and-seat-belts #recall
A crash test dummy about to hit an airbag superimposed with the Takata logo

The propellent inside the inflators is unstable. During an airbag deployment the explodes with such force that it rips the inflators into metal fragments, shooting them in the direction of vehicle occupants along with the airbag itself.

Because of their instability, the airbags are turning low speed crashes into very dangerous situations.

After years of recalls, Fiat-Chrysler announced they were entering the fourth and final stage of Takata campaigns in January 2019.

Which Dodge Vehicles Have Been Recalled? ∞

MakeModelYearsLimited To
DodgeChallenger2008-2013Zone A
2008-2010Zone B
2008-2009Zone C
Charger2006-2013Zone A
2006-2010Zone B
2006-2009Zone C
2005-2010
Dakota2005-2011Zone A
2005-2010Zone B
2005-2009Zone C
Durango2004-2009Zone A, B
2004-2009Zone C
Magnum2005-2008Zone A, B, C
2005-2010
Ram 15002003-2008
Ram 25002003-2009
2009Zone C
Ram 35002003-2009
2009Zone C
Ram 3500 Cab Chassis2009-2010Zone B
2009Zone C
Ram 45002008-2010
Ram 4500 Cab Chassis2009-2010Zone B
2009Zone C
Ram 55002008-2010
Ram 5500 Cab Chassis2009-2010Zone B
2009Zone C
Sprinter 25002007-2008
Sprinter 35002007-2008

What are Zones? ∞

Some Takata recalls are being broken down into what NHTSA calls "zones". A zone is a group of states and territories where a vehicle was originally sold or registered at some point in time. A few notes about zones:

  1. A vehicle can be recalled in more than one zone.
  2. When no zone is defined, the recall was more widespread. Possibly internationally.
  3. If you find this all very confusing, you're not alone my friend.

So, here we go:

  • Zone A: Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan) and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
  • Zone B: Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
  • Zone C: Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Take Action ∞

Takata inflators have been [linked to 11 deaths][2] in the USA, so far.

Owners of these vehicles are urged to call the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or [lookup your VIN][3] (vehicle identification number).

"Consumers that are uncertain whether their vehicle is impacted by the Takata recalls, or any other recall, can contact their manufacturer’s website to search, by their vehicle identification number (VIN) to confirm whether their individual vehicle has an open recall that needs to be addressed."

Generations Where This Problem Has Been Reported

This problem has popped up in the following Dodge generations.

Most years within a generation share the same parts and manufacturing process. You can also expect them to share the same problems. So while it may not be a problem in every year yet, it's worth looking out for.

Further Reading

A timeline of stories related to this problem. We try to boil these stories down to the most important bits so you can quickly see where things stand. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts for your vehicle over at CarComplaints.com.

  1. Is that a light at the end of the Takata tunnel?

    Fiat-Chrysler (FCA) says they’ve entered the _ fourth and final stage_ of Takata recalls with a campaign to replace the passenger-side inflators in 1.6 million vehicles.

    The bulk of the vehicles are in the US and include the 2010 Dodge Ram 3500, 4500, 5500, the 2010-2011 Dakota, the 2010-2014 Challenger, and the 2011-2015 Charger.…

    keep reading article "FCA Recalls 1.6 Million Takata Inflators in 'Fourth and Final Stage'"

  2. Did you know it’s been almost five years since the first Takata recall?

    And just like the ongoing nightmare it’s become, we find ourselves staring down the barrel of yet another recall expansion.

    Fiat-Chrysler (FCA) is recalling 317,000 vehicles, including the Dodge Challenger, Charger, Dakota, and older Ram trucks. David Woods of CarComplaints.com has the full breakdown of which model years and in what zones.…

    keep reading article "It’s Happening Again. More Dodge Vehicles Recalled with Dangerous Takata Airbags."

  5. J

    ust a few days after switching its name, FCA US is issuing a massive recall for 3.3 million older vehicles with Takata airbag inflators.** The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been not-so-subtly suggesting automakers ditch regional recalls and expand nationwide. It looks like FCA US has listened.

    FCA US says it's aware of one injury related to exploding Takata airbag inflators, but that incident occurred in Florida. The automaker said there have been no other reports of accidents or injuries. In addition, FCA US says over 1,000 laboratory tests have been conducted on airbag inflators but no problems were discovered.

    The recalled vehicles include the 2004-2007 Dodge Ram 1500 / 2500 / 3500 / 3500 Chassis Cab, Durango, Charger, Magnum, and Dakota.

    keep reading article "Regional Recall Issued for Takata Airbag Inflators"

  6. Dodge is part of a new recall of Takata airbag inflators in over 350,000 vehicles.

    The recall is currently limited to areas of high humidity, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Saipan and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

    Chrysler says the vehicles have passenger frontal airbag inflators that are different from other metal Takata inflators used by other automakers. Chrysler says it has received no reports of accidents or injuries and even after laboratory tests on 600 inflators, none of the inflators were defective.

    Recall notices should be sent out around January 15th of next year.

    keep reading article "Regional Recall Issued for Takata Airbag Inflators"

OK, Now What?

Maybe you've experienced this problem. Maybe you're concerned you will soon. Whatever the reason, here's a handful of things you can do to make sure it gets the attention it deserves.

  1. File Your Complaint

    CarComplaints.com is a free site dedicated to uncovering problem trends and informing owners about potential issues with their cars. Major class action law firms use this data when researching cases.

    Add a Complaint

  2. Notify CAS

    The Center for Auto Safety (CAS) is a pro-consumer organization that researches auto safety issues & often compels the US government to do the right thing through lobbying & lawsuits.

    Notify The CAS

  3. Report a Safety Concern

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is the US agency with the authority to conduct vehicle defect investigations & force recalls. Their focus is on safety-related issues.

    Report to NHTSA