FCA to Stop Using Recalled Takata Airbag Inflator Design

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV says it will stop installing certain airbag inflators made by Takata Corp. that will be subject to a recall in 2019.

Several carmakers have continued to use the inflators, even though they must be replaced in the U.S. three years from now under a Takata settlement with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The companies have been urged to tell consumers which vehicles will be affected by the future callbacks.

FCA uses the flawed inflators, whose propellants lack a drying agent, only in its Jeep Wrangler SUV. The company says it will stop installing them in North American vehicles next week and in Wranglers sold elsewhere in mid-September.

So far 17 carmakers are recalling some 100 million Takata inflators that could explode when triggered in a crash. The devices contain ammonium nitrate propellant that can deteriorate after long exposure to high heat and humidity.

Takata began adding a desiccant to the propellant a few years ago to help prevent deterioration. NHTSA’s recalls are focused on Takata’s earlier inflators, which lack a drying agent.