Stellantis Says To Stop Driving Some Older Vehicles After 3 Air Bag Deaths

Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler, is warning the owners of several older model vehicles to stop driving them after three people were killed after Takata air bags apparently exploded.

The warning applies to Dodge Magnum wagons, Dodge Challengers, Dodge Chargers, and Chrysler 300 sedans from the 2005 through 2010 model years.

The automaker said it confirmed two cases in which the driver's side air bag inflators blew apart, killing the driver. It is investigating a third fatality that may also have been caused by the issue. The incidents all occurred in the past seven months in states with warm weather.

The vehicles were all subject to recall in 2015, but Stellantis said many drivers have not taken their cars for service to have the airbag inflators replaced.

"Left unrepaired, recalled Takata air bags are increasingly dangerous as the risk of an explosion rises as vehicles age," Ann Carlson, acting administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said in a statement. "Every day that passes when you don't get a recalled air bag replaced puts you and your family at greater risk of injury or death."

The deaths bring the total number of people killed by Takata airbags to 32, including 23 in the United States.