New air bag death prompts ‘Do Not Drive’ warning in 29,000 Dodge Ram pickups

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Chrysler-parent Stellantis said Tuesday a new death had been reported after a Takata air-bag inflator exploded in a 2003 Dodge Ram pickup, prompting the automaker to urge 29,000 owners to immediately stop driving pending repairs.

This is believed to be the first fatality involving a Takata passenger-side bag. The “Do Not Drive” warning applies to 29,000 2003 Dodge Ram pickups. In November, Stellantis urged owners of 276,000 other older U.S. vehicles to immediately stop driving after three other crash deaths tied to faulty Takata air bag inflators were reported in 2022.

Over the last decade, more than 67 million Takata air bag inflators have been recalled in the United States and more than 100 million worldwide, in the biggest auto safety callback in history. More than 30 deaths worldwide — including at least 25 U.S. deaths — and hundreds of injuries in various automakers’ vehicles since 2009 are linked to Takata air bag inflators that can explode, unleashing metal shrapnel inside cars and trucks.