The problem affects 2005-2006 Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Caravan and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans. 259,437 of these vehicles are registered in the U.S. and 72,035 of them are registered in in Canada.
Chrysler claims that the campaign is not a recall, as the affected vehicles would still meet U.S. safety standards even if the malfunction appeared. The company discovered that one of the front airbag crash sensors’ casing could be sensitive to certain environmental conditions, thus failing to maintain its waterproofness. This could cause the sensor to become ineffective, making the airbag useless.
As we reported, the safety recall notice has been posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) official website a few days ago, but then it only regarded U.S. vehicles.
In an effort to avoid an image degradation, the carmaker calls this a “safety improvement campaign”, stressing the fact that it has started at its initiative. The automotive producer also stated that no complaints, injuries or damage resulting from this issue have been reported by users.
Chrysler has responded promptly to this problem and has wrapped the whole action in a non-threatening aura in what seems to be an effort to avoid being compared to Toyota. The latter has received heavy criticism from authorities, public and media for its irresponsible attitude to multiple safety issues.
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