Daimler Recalls 40,061 Sprinter Vans for Defective Air Bag Inflators
Daimler AG made 40,061 vans from 2005 to 2008 with air bags that must be replaced, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.
The affected vehicles, the 2007-2008 Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 and the 2007-2008 Dodge Sprinter 2500 and 3500, were manufactured from July 1, 2005, to July 31, 2008, and “are equipped with a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture upon its deployment,” NHTSA said.
Daimler Vans USA will notify Freightliner owners and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV will alert customers who bought the Dodge model, according to NHTSA. Dealers have been instructed to replace the air bags free of charge. No schedule has been announced for the swaps.
NHTSA also confirmed a seventh highway death tied to faulty air bags. A 22-year-old woman died two days after an April 5 crash. Takata Corp., which produced the air-bag inflator that ruptured and injured the woman, agreed on May 19 to expand its recall effort to cover about 34 million units — the largest product-safety recall ever in the United States.
