Takata Airbag Recall Issued for 2003 Dodge Ram 1500
Stellantis issues do-not-drive orders for about 84,000 trucks that are still equipped with Takata airbags.
This past Tuesday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced a recall from Stellantis for 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup trucks. This recall came as a direct result of a very recent and unfortunate airbag incident on that ended in the fatality of a passenger. This incident marked the 26th Takata airbag related death — making the repair an extremely important repair to have done.
“The older a defective Takata airbag inflator gets, the more dangerous it becomes,” Ann Carlson, acting administrator, said in a statement. “Please, get your airbag replaced now for your sake, and for the sake of those who love you. 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.”
As many of us are aware, Dodge is not the first to be affected by the deadly Takata airbag scare of 2015. Many Japanese automakers issued the same recall, and Dodge has recalled nearly 400,000 of their trucks over the years to replace the airbags. Other trucks that were affected were the 2500 and 3500 models.
Even recently, around 90,000 2023 model year BMWs have been recalled. Like other recall notices of the past, the repair comes at absolutely no cost to the owner, and Stellantis says it’s such an urgent repair, that owners should not drive the vehicle until the repair has been done. The repair is incredibly simple, and rarely takes more than an hour or two to have done.
If you own a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 and have not yet received a letter, it’s recommended to check your VIN on the NHSTA’s website to double check that your vehicle is not affected. You can also call Stellantis directly at (833) 585-0144, or look up your VIN on the Mopar website.
