Chrysler Group recalling 270,000 minivans to fix airbag sensors
The Detroit News is reporting that DaimlerChrysler has recalled 270,000 units of the 2005 Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country minvans to fix airbag sensors that could corrode and fail to activate. The recall, however, only affects minvans that were sold in 20 states and Washington D.C. where lots of salt is used on public roads to melt ice and snow. Apparently these UF sensors have brass bushings that may corrode from road salt and crack, allowing to water to reach the sensor, which causes it to fail and illuminate a warning light on the dash.
So if you own a 2005 Dodge Caravan and live in Florida, you're probably safe. If you live in Buffalo, NY, however, you might want to visit your local Dodge dealer this weekend. The number of vehicles affected includes as many 270,958 minivans built from April 24, 2003 to February 2, 2005. We've included a list of the 20 states affected after the jump along with the recall report from the NHTSA. DaimlerChrysler will notify owners in each state and replace the brass bushings with steel ones to prevent the sensor from failing in the future. If you live in a different state than one on the list, DCX will offer you lifetime free replacement of any UF airbag sensor that fails on your minivan. If you have more questions, you can contact DCX at 1-800-853-1403.
[Source: The Detroit News, NHTSA]
NHTSA Recall Report
2005 CHRYSLER / TOWN AND COUNTRY
2005 DODGE / CARAVAN
Manufacturer : DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 07V192000
Mfr's Report Date : MAY 01, 2007
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE
Potential Number Of Units Affected : 270958
Summary:
CERTAIN MINIVANS ARE BEING RECALLED IN STATES WHICH USE LARGE AMOUNTS OF SALT FOR ROAD DE-ICING, TO REPLACE THEIR UP FRONT (UF) AIR BAG SENSORS. UF SENSORS WITH BRASS BUSHINGS MAY CORRODE AND CRACK ALLOWING WATER TO ENTER THE SENSOR, CAUSING IT TO FAIL, ILLUMINATING THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT.
Consequence:
UF SENSORS PROVIDES ENHANCED AIR BAG PERFORMANCE IN CERTAIN TYPES OF FRONTAL CRASHES. IN ONE OF THESE CRASHES, WITH ONE OR BOTH OF THE VEHICLE'S UF SENSORS INOPERATIVE, THE OCCUPANTS WILL NOT BENEFIT FROM THE ENHANCED AIR BAG PROTECTION THAT THESE SENSORS WOULD PROVIDE.
Remedy:
IN STATES THAT USE LARGE AMOUNTS OF ROAD SALT, INCLUDING MAINE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, VERMONT, MASSACHUSETTS, RHODE ISLAND, CONNECTICUT, NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, PENNSYLVANIA, DELAWARE, MARYLAND, WEST VIRGINIA, OHIO, INDIANA, MICHIGAN, ILLINOIS, WISCONSIN, MINNESOTA, IOWA, MISSOURI, KENTUCKY, NORTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, UTAH, NEBRASKA, KANSAS, ALASKA AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, DAIMLERCHRYSLER WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE SUPPLEMENTAL UF AIR BAG SENSORS THAT CONTAIN BRASS BUSHINGS WITH UF SENSORS CONTAINING STEEL BUSHINGS AND HOUSINGS MOLDED OF CRASTIN MATERIAL. IN THE OTHER STATES, DAIMLERCHRYSLER WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND WILL PROVIDE LIFETIME FREE REPLACEMENT OF ANY UF SENSOR THAT FAILS. OWNERS ARE REMINDED TO SEEK IMMEDIATE REPAIR IN THE EVENT THEIR AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JULY 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
Notes:
DAIMLERCHRYSLER NOS. G09/X16. THIS ACTION IS DEEMED A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN AND IS NOT BEING CONDUCTED IN FULL ACCORDANCE WITH THE SAFETY ACT. DAIMLERCHRYSLER HAS INFORMED NHTSA THAT IT WILL PROVIDE THE ABOVE REMEDY AT NO COST TO THE OWNERS.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Phil L. 3:07PM (5/11/2007)
So... If I bought a used Chrysler minivan, and don't know how many miles were spent in the salt, I have to wait until the airbag system fails to get the sensor fixed? That doesn't make me feel very warm and fuzzy...
Reply
DW 4:07PM (5/11/2007)
Doesn't surprise me.... I drive an 05' Caravan whose airbag light has been on for weeks now. I'm also an engineer for DCX and nothing shocks me about this outfit.
Reply
Mike 3:13PM (5/11/2007)
no, anyone at anytime can have a dealer run their vin to make sure all recalls have been performed... and I believe it is mandatory for a dealership to do so before selling the vehicle.
Also, the system does not fail without warning. The airbag light will come on. If the airbag light is on, a reasonable person would take the vehicle to the dealership to find out why.
Nice swipe at ChryCo, though you are still a moron.
Reply
c 3:20PM (5/11/2007)
Yes #1 is a complete moron !!!Hope he enjoy's his honda,Oh if it start's!!!(crappy honda fuel pumps)or his toyota sienna if it's not completely rusted out in 6 month's(toyota problem)
Reply
Gardiner Westbound 3:21PM (5/11/2007)
"f you live in a different state than one on the list, DCX will offer you lifetime free replacement of any UF airbag sensor that fails on your minivan."
This presumes you will still be alive to collect on the warranty!
It's this kind of chiseling that has so endeared automakers to the public.
Reply
Mike 3:30PM (5/11/2007)
"This presumes you will still be alive to collect on the warranty!"
If you ignore THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT THAT COMES ON WHEN THE SENSOR IN QUESTION FAILS, you probably deserve what is coming to you, and society is probably better for it.
Reply
Dude 3:35PM (5/11/2007)
Who cares? I thought this was an "enthusiast" blog. Minivan shminivan.
This is just to get hits on autoblog from the fanboys vs. anti-fanboys. Nobody really cares about Chrysler minivan recalls.
Reply
Brad 3:52PM (5/11/2007)
Dude, then why don't you take over the site and edit out the stories that you don't think fits the "enthusiast" category?
Reply
Dude 3:55PM (5/11/2007)
Brad,
What happened? Did the airbag light come on in your minivan on the way take junior to soccer practice?
Reply
BC 3:58PM (5/11/2007)
A little off topic, but there is a thread on the Consumer Reports website about air-bag sensors on Toyota Siennas. According to a plus-sized Sienna owner, if you are too fat (295+) the sensor, will deactivate the system. Don't know if this is a real issue or not. I'm not a Toyota basher or anyting, but since the topic is minivan airbags....
Reply
felipe 4:04PM (5/11/2007)
my 2003 caravan was the biggest pc of crap.
door rubber seals fell off. constant rattles and thumps, and constant front end work. 4 break jobs on 30miles. passenger door didnt close right from the day i bought it. and a dash board that made for a little tykes truck.
Reply
Mike 4:12PM (5/11/2007)
Strange filepe, my 2001 grand caravan with 215,000 miles still runs like a top.
Reply
Don 4:20PM (5/11/2007)
Who cares about the airbag sensor? Big deal...nothing earth shattering.
Reply
DriftPunch 4:31PM (5/11/2007)
Replacing brass with steel to fix corrosion issues? Is this the Bizzaro world?
Reply
fireblade 4:39PM (5/11/2007)
Crappy chrysler products. I can see why
the sour krauts are getting rid of this
sh*t product. LOL!
Reply
Brad 5:04PM (5/11/2007)
Dude,
I don't own a minivan and I have no kids.
Reply
James 5:33PM (5/11/2007)
#9 BC:
Ha apparently Toyota is also in on gene pool beautification.
Time to lose some weight!
Reply
whofan 7:31PM (5/11/2007)
"Who cares? I thought this was an "enthusiast" blog. Minivan shminivan."
If this were an enthusiast site we wouldn`t be talking about Toyota either.
Nothing wrong with Chrysler minivans. Mine has been the best vehicle I`ve owned, with a few mechanical clitches, but nothing any other vehicle doesn`t have along the way.
Reply
Frank 8:38PM (5/11/2007)
10. my 2003 caravan was the biggest pc of crap...
Posted at 4:04PM on May 11th 2007 by felipe
I'm sorry that you have not had a good experience with your Caravan. Most people do. One of the things we forget is that when someone says "yea such and such a car is crap" or "that car has problems with its AC/ball joints/heated seats etc. etc.", that they are talking about a minority percentage of the vehicles. Cars are so reliable today but when it's yours that goes bad you think it's all of them. Remember when Chrysler first intoduced the "Ultradrive" transmission? It was the first electronically controlled 4 speed auto which adapted to the drivers driving habits. It's introduction was a disaster with many failures and bad press including Consumer Reports. If you read the media coverage you would think that EVERY one of them was going belly up. Do you know what the failure rate was? Less than 20% (17 or 18% is the figure I remember but I'm not 100% sure). Now that is way too high, but think about that for a moment. On avg, you could have 10 cars in a neighborhood equipped with these tranny's and statistically only 2 of them would fail. I run into people today who still think that Chrysler transmissions fail all the time (they fixed the problem years ago and today their failure rate is no better or worse than most other makers). So the fact that your Chysler Ford, GM, or Toyota was bad doesn't mean all of them were. If you had a bad Dodge...well...you're not the only ones, there are plenty of lemons made by all the automakers. That's why you can't base a a statistic on a sample sizes of one. No statistic can be used with n=1.
Here's an interesting quote from Allpar.com:
http://www.allpar.com/cr.html
"Your info about Consumer Reports inconsistent ratings is on the mark. My father treats the CU ratings as gospel, so when we bought a new 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan, he almost fell over. He showed me all the poor CU ratings for the Mopar minivans then sat back and waited for all the big repairs we were supposedly in for. Never happened. We owned that van for 8 years and with two boys, used it hard. It got an oil change every 3-4k miles and my wife kept up with the in and out appearance. We only sold it because we needed a small SUV for the 4wd and so my wife could pull our son's dirt bikes if needed. Ironically we ended up getting an Isuzu Trooper, a vehicle CU declared unacceptable. It's been a year and this vehicle has been equally as outstanding. If I understand correctly, all SUVs are at risk of tipping but CU went after Isuzu with a vengence- which is probably why Isuzu is all but out of the passenger vehicle business. I have a hard time believing these ratings are impartial, when for over 20 years this magazine insisted we should all be driving a Toyota or Honda."
11. Doesn't surprise me.... I drive an 05' Caravan whose airbag light has been on for weeks now. I'm also an engineer for DCX and nothing shocks me about this outfit.
Posted at 4:07PM on May 11th 2007 by DW
If you're really a DCX engineer with an '05, why haven't you got this fixed yet? I'm glad your area of specialty is not safety, because you sure take chances with yourself.
Reply
whofan 9:52PM (5/11/2007)
" Remember when Chrysler first intoduced the "Ultradrive" transmission? It was the first electronically controlled 4 speed auto which adapted to the drivers driving habits. It's introduction was a disaster with many failures and bad press including Consumer Reports. If you read the media coverage you would think that EVERY one of them was going belly up."
Many of Chrysler`s transmission problems were due to the old school mechanic who used good ole GM Dextron II for anything and everything. If you have a Chrysler auto transmission only use ATF+3 or the updated ATF+4.
Reply