For the past year, car makers have been plagued with airbag issues of some kind. Over the weekend Fiat Chrysler announced it was the latest company to encounter problems with the safety devices: unintended deployment when shutting a vehicle’s doors.
The latest recall for Fiat Chrysler, which has recently faced increased scrutiny and a $105 million fine from federal regulators regarding its recall practices, involves 322,000 model year 2011 to 2014 Dodge Chargers that may have airbags that can deploy unexpectedly when the door is slammed or kicked with excessive force.
According to a notice [PDF] from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the vehicles’ side impact sensor calibration may be overly sensitive, and as a result, the side airbag inflatable curtains and seat airbags may unexpectedly deploy and the seat belt pretension may activate.
If the airbags deploy without warning, it can increase the risk of crash or injury.
Owners of the affected vehicles will be notified by Fiat Chrysler and a local dealer will update the Occupant Restraint Control module calibration.
by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist