Takata problems is messing FCA Group models reliability on the US market. The Italian-American brand announced a massive recall accross the Ocean. They are voluntarily recalling an estimated 4.3 million older-model vehicles in the U.S. to replace their front-passenger air bag inflators.

This action follows a defect filing by supplier Takata, which advised the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that the inflators use ammonium nitrate as a propellant, without benefit of a chemical drying agent.

Practically, it is the same problem as Honda and Toyota had. Prolonged exposure to high absolute humidity and high temperatures may cause this propellant to degrade. Activation of degraded non-desiccated ammonium nitrate may cause an inflator rupture, possibly propelling fragments through the vehicle cabin.

FCA Group is unaware of any injuries or accidents involvingvehicles subject to this campaign and nor have there been any ruptures in nearly 6,300 exploratory tests of passenger-side inflators taken from FCA US vehicles registered in regions subject to high absolute humidity.

These test vehicles also were representative of the oldest vehicles in this recall population (mostly model years 2004 and 2005), thus experiencing the longest exposure to potentially problematic environmental conditions.

This campaign includes an estimated 1 million vehicles that would have been recalled at a later date under NHTSA’s coordinated remedy order. Affected are certain vehicles within the following populations:

2007-2009 Chrysler Aspen SUVs
2005-2012 Chrysler 300 sedans
2008-2012 Dodge Challenger coupes
2006-2012 Dodge Charger sedans
2005-2011 Dodge Dakota pickups
2004-2009 Dodge Durango SUVs
2005-2008 Dodge Magnum station wagons
2004-2008 Dodge Ram 1500 pickups
2005-2009 Dodge Ram 2500 pickups
2006-2009 Dodge Ram 3500 pickups
2007-2010 Dodge Ram/Ram 3500 cab chassis
2008-2010 Dodge Ram/Ram 4500/5500 cab chassis
2007-2012 Jeep Wrangler SUVs
2006-2009 Mitsubishi Raider pickups
2008-2009 Sterling/Bullet 4500/5500 cab chassis

An estimated 933,000 additional vehicles are affected in Canada, Mexico and outside the NAFTA region. They include certain pickups, SUVs and sedans exclusive to particular markets.