Stellantis issues ‘do not drive' warning for 29,000 Dodge Ram pickups

WASHINGTON — The U.S. arm of Stellantis has issued a "do not drive" warning for about 29,000 unrepaired 2003 Dodge Ram pickups subject to Takata airbag recalls.

The warning comes after a May 13 crash involving one of those vehicles that resulted in a death from an exploding inflator.

"One such vehicle was involved in a collision that caused its airbags to deploy," Stellantis said in a statement. "An occupant in the front-passenger seat, who was also the vehicle's owner, succumbed to a serious injury consistent with those observed in previous Takata inflator fatalities."

Six recall notices had been sent to the customer's home address. "All went unheeded," the automaker said.

In 2022, Stellantis issued "do not drive" warnings for four other FCA-brand vehicles subject to Takata airbag recalls: the Chrysler 300, Dodge Magnum, Challenger and Charger from model years 2005 to 2010.

NHTSA on Tuesday also confirmed the death — the first caused by an exploding passenger-side inflator, the agency noted. It is also the first incident in a 2003 Dodge Ram, which was one of nearly 386,000 vehicles recalled in 2015.

The agency confirmed 26 people in the U.S. have been killed by defective Takata airbags.

"The older a defective Takata airbag inflator gets, the more dangerous it becomes. Please, get your airbag replaced now for your sake, and for the sake of those who love you," Ann Carlson, NHTSA's acting administrator, said in a statement. "Don't put yourself or someone you love at risk of dying or being seriously injured because of a defective, recalled Takata airbag. These repairs are absolutely free and could save your life."