NHTSA – Do Not Drive Recalled 2003 Dodge Rams

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has confirmed another Takata rupture fatality, the first due to an exploding passenger-side inflator that sends shrapnel about the interior. The incident is also the first in a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500, which was one of the 385,686 recalled in 2015. As a result, If you have one of these vehicles, DO NOT DRIVE it until the recall is completed and your defective air bag is replaced, NHTSA said today.

“The older a defective Takata air bag inflator gets, the more dangerous it becomes. Please, get your air bag replaced now for your sake, and for the sake of those who love you,” said NHTSA Acting Administrator Ann Carlson. “Don’t put yourself or someone you love at risk of dying or being seriously injured because of a defective, recalled Takata air bag. These repairs are absolutely free and could save your life.”

NHTSA estimates roughly 84,000 of these pickup trucks are unrepaired, and occupants of these unrepaired vehicles are at grave risk of serious injury or death.

You can visit NHTSA.gov/recalls and enter your 17-digit vehicle identification number to see if your vehicle has an open Takata air bag recall. If it does, contact your dealership to schedule a FREE repair as soon as possible and follow any warnings from the vehicle manufacturer.