Fiat Chrysler recalls nearly two million cars due to airbag defect
Fiat Chrysler is having to recall nearly two million cars globally due to an airbag defect that has been linked to three deaths and five injuries. This marks the latest in a string of vehicle recalls related to airbags that have plagued auto manufacturers, from unstable inflators to software faults; just last week, General Motors had to recall over four million cars due to a software fault that prevented the bags from deploying resulting in one death. Many of the recalls are connected to the Japanese manufacturer of airbag controllers, Takata, and it is claimed that one in four cars recalled contained Takata inflators. 

Fiat Chrysler announced the recall of 1.9m vehicles worldwide on Thursday related to an airbag controller defect that has been linked to three deaths and five injuries.

The recall includes models sold between 2010 and 2014, including the Chrysler Sebring and 200, Dodge Caliber and Avenger, Jeep Patriot and Compass SUVs and aims to resolve a defect in a device called an occupational restraint controller – a computer that controls the deployment of airbags and automatic seat-belt tighteners in crashes.

In the recalled models, the computer may trigger airbags and tighteners unexpectedly, or it might not deploy them at all in the event of a crash.

“FCA US no longer uses the occupant restraint controllers or wire routing design found in the affected vehicles,” the company said in a statement. A spokesman for Fiat Chrysler said the company would not disclose who had made the defective part.



It’s the second recall this year for this specific type of device at Fiat Chrysler. In February the company recalled airbag controllers in 112,001 cars due to a problem with a desiccant – a substance added to keep its workings safe from moisture. That recall was related to an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) into airbag controllers manufactured by Continental Automotive Systems.

But the problem with desiccants in airbag systems is wider spread than a single supplier or even a single automaker: Takata, the Japanese manufacturer of airbag inflators that supplies Toyota, Nissan and Honda, used ammonium nitrate to expand airbags. When that company did not include desiccants in some inflators, the moisture sometimes caused the inflator to explode into shrapnel. The resulting recall of cars containing Takata inflators affected one in every four cars in the US.

In a May press conference, NHTSA administrator Mark Rosekind asked reporters to urge their readers to act rapidly if they discovered they had a vehicle affected by the Takata recall: “Please, as you report your stories, include this: Vehicle owners who have received notice that there are parts available for their repair should take action immediately.”

The cars affected in the current Chrysler recall include the 2010 Chrysler Sebring, the 2011-2014 Chrysler 200s, the 2010-2012 Dodge Calibers, the 2010-2014 Dodge Avengers and the 2010-2014 Jeep Patriots and Compasses.

In Canada, an additional 142,959 vehicles are recalled; in Mexico 81,901 will be recalled, including the 2010 Chrysler Cirrus compact car. Models sold outside North America include the 2012-2013 Lancia Flavias in addition to the models listed, totaling 284,051 additional cars.

Customers can contact Dodge for information on how to schedule service at (800) 853-1403.