According to an article by Consumer Reports, vehicles that have been manufactured by 19 different automakers have been recalled to replace frontal airbags on the driver’s or passenger’s side. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, the recall is “the largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. history.”

Affected vehicles include different models of Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Dodge, Jeep, Mercedes Benz, and Chrysler. A Chrysler 300 airbag recall has been issued, affecting vehicles manufactured between model years 2010-2015.

Chrysler 300 Airbag Recall

The alleged airbags were made by Takata Corporation, an automotive parts company based in Japan. The airbags had been manufactured and installed into vehicles of car models between 2002 and 2015. And according to reports, these airbags may deploy explosively, causing death and serious injury to the car’s occupants.

The core of the issue is the airbag’s inflator. Within it is a metal cartridge comprised of propellant wafers. This inflator has allegedly exploded, and Consumer Reports says that if the inflator “ruptures in a crash, metal shards from the airbag can be sprayed throughout the passenger cabin- a potentially disastrous outcome from a supposedly life-saving device.”

According to the article, the root of the problem is that the airbag uses an ammonium nitrate-based propellant without a drying agent. It has been theorized, however, that with high temperatures and high humidity, the propellant can cause the inflator to inflate explosively and send shrapnel into the occupant.

The two dynamics, therefore, between the heat and humidity are believed to cause the propellant to degrade, leading to the Chrysler 300 airbag recall and other vehicle recalls.

According to Consumer Reports, roughly 180 injuries have resulted due to the defective airbags, and 11 deaths have also been associated.

Due to the Chrysler 300 airbag recall and other vehicles being affected by the recall, Takata Corporation, has been reportedly hit with several lawsuits and massive fines. Consumer Reports says that in February 2017, Takata finally “pleaded guilty to deceiving automakers about the safety of its airbags.” And that, “now automakers are disputing charges that they knowingly installed the defective airbags in their cars.” The company has since filed bankruptcy.

Many vehicle owners and lessees have questioned why automakers such as the manufacturer of the Chrysler 300 airbag recall had waited so long to issue the recall in the first place. Critics say that automakers such as Chrysler have not only failed to inform their customers of the alleged situation at a proper time, but have also allegedly failed in fixing the issue. Automakers have cited a lack of proper parts needed to repair their consumers’ vehicles.

Vehicles going through a recall are reportedly not safe to drive until they are fixed. Additionally, obtaining an alternate vehicle for transportation can be pricey, and not all vehicle manufacturing companies have made arrangements to help their consumers with alternate transportation.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The airbag injury attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual defective airbag recall lawsuit or defective airbag recall class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, defective airbag recall lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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