Chrysler Expands Takata Airbag Recall Again

Chrysler is expanding the reach of its recall for vehicles that use airbags made by Takata.

For the second time, Chrysler is has announced that its is adding an additional 208,783 vehicles to its airbag recall. The issues stems from airbag inflators which can rupture when activated, causing pieces of shrapnel to fly out at the passengers.

Originally, the recall was only issued in Florida, Louisiana, Guam and Puerto Rico because humidity was originally believed to be the root cause. But now Chrysler has expanded it to include Alabama, Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi, Texas and the territories of American Samoa, Saipan and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Vehicles affected include the 2003 to 2005 Dodge Ram pickup, the 2005 300, the 2005 Dodge Magnum and the 2005 Dodge Dakota.

SEE ALSO: Chrysler Expands Takata Recall

Initially it was believed that the issue was only present in cars that were sold in high humidity areas, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has since requested that automakers do a country wide recall to replace the inflators.

Honda and Toyota, two of Takata’s biggest customers, have both called for an industry-wide probe on the Takata inflators to find out exactly why they have been breaking. Representative from ten automakers that use Takata airbags met on Thursday to discuss how they should proceed. The group issued a joint statement that reads, “The objective of seeking an outside expert to test these inflators is to promote the safety, security and peace of mind for all customers. Based on the initial organizing meeting today, we feel we have positive momentum and look forward to the next steps of the process.”

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