Chrysler is recalling 299,718 model year 2008 Chrysler Grand Voyager, Chrysler Town and Country, and Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles manufactured from June 24, 2007 through July 30, 2008. These vehicles may experience a heating and air conditioner (HVAC) condensate leak from the HVAC drain grommet onto the Occupant Restraint Control (ORC) module, which can lead to the illumination of the airbag warning light and a potential inadvertent airbag deployment without warning. An inadvertent airbag deployment could result in injury to the seat occupant in front of the deploying airbag and/or a vehicle crash. The safety recall is expected to begin during August 2011. This air bag safety defect recall has been assigned NHTSA recall number 11V-394.  Chrysler has assigned recall number L01 to this recall.

Chrysler is recalling 367,350 model year 2008 Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles. These vehicles may experience a water leak at the heating and air conditioner (HVAC) drain grommet which can lead to illumination of airbag warning light and a potential inadvertent airbag deployment. An inadvertent airbag deployment could result in injury to the seat occupant in front of the deploying airbag and/or a vehicle crash. The safety recall is expected to begin during February 2010. 10V-611.

The driver of a 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck was involved in a single-vehicle accident.  The front of the Dodge pickup struck a large tree, causing significant damage to the vehicle. 

Dodge Pickup Airbag Failure

However, the driver airbag failed to deploy.  As a result of the airbag non-deployment, the driver suffered fatal blunt chest trauma injuries.

Our investigation also revealed that Chrysler had received hundreds and hundreds of complaints from other consumers indicating that the airbags had failed to deploy in their pickup trucks too.  This case focused on the lack of an air bag sensor at the front of the pickup, even though previous models of the pickup had used such a front sensor.  Our research also revealed that the Dodge pickup truck’s existing sensor was not calibrated properly for the vehicle’s structure, allowing it to be “fooled” especially in crashes involving trees and utility poles.