Millions of vehicles from Stellantis and other auto-makers may contain defective ARC airbag inflators that can explode and shoot out deadly pieces of metal.
Need a Texas Stellantis Airbag Lawyer? Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged. If you were injured or a loved one died when an airbag exploded or failed to deploy, you should contact our lawyers immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit.
What is the Problem?
About 52 million vehicles were equipped with potentially defective airbag inflators that were made between the year 2000 and 2018. These airbag inflators can rupture and shoot out metal shrapnel, according to U.S. safety officials who are seeking a major recall.
Does My Vehicle Contain an ARC Airbag Inflator?
Defective airbag inflators were installed in vehicles sold by Stellantis and 11 other auto-makers, but there is not yet a complete list of vehicles because only limited recalls have been issued so far.
Who Made These Exploding Airbags?
The airbags were manufactured by two companies in Tennessee: ARC Automotive, which has been owned by a Chinese real estate investor since 2016, and a licensee called Delphi Automotive Systems.
ARC Automotive Refuses to Recall Airbag Inflators
The manufacturers, ARC Automotive and Delphi Automotive Systems, refused to recall the airbag inflators after the U.S. government requested a voluntary recall in April 2023. Instead, ARC blamed any issues on “isolated” manufacturing failures.
U.S. Government Moves to Force Recall for 52 Million Airbags
Even so, safety officials with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are moving to force a recall for these airbag inflators, warning that they can explode when the airbag deploys.
At least 2 deaths and 7 injuries have been reported in the U.S. and Canada since 2009, including people who died in minor fender-benders that would have normally been survivable.
What Causes These Airbags to Explode?
The airbags inflate with gases that are produced by chemicals inside a metal canister, called the “airbag inflator.” When this part was being welded together at the manufacturing facility owned by ARC Automotive, the welding process sometimes left behind extra metal debris called “weld slag” or “weld flash.”
This debris, if big enough, could potentially block an exit hole in the canister that was designed to allow gases to escape from the inflator and fill up the airbag.
With nowhere to go, the gases pressurize the metal canister and blow it apart. This explosion can shoot out deadly pieces of sharp metal through the airbag and directly into a driver or passenger’s face, neck, head, chest, or body, resulting in severe bleeding and death.
What is Stellantis?
Stellantis is an international auto company that was formed out of a merger between the French PSA Group (Peugeot S.A.) and the Italian-American auto-maker Fiat Chrysler Automotive (FCA).
Brands of Vehicles Owned by Stellantis
Stellantis owns more than a dozen automotive brand-names, including:
- Abarth
- Alfa Romeo
- Chrysler
- Citroen
- Dodge
- DS
- Fiat
- Fiat Professional
- Jeep
- Lancia
- Maserati
- Mopar
- Opel
- Peugeot
- Ram
- Vauxhall
Need a Stellantis Airbag Lawyer in Texas?
Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged.
Collen’s amazing success in the courtroom and well known dedication to his clients has earned him the recognition of his peers as one of The Top Trial Lawyers in Texas.”
The Clark Firm has assembled a team of trial lawyers with more than 100 years of experience, participation in over 600 jury trials, and $260 million in verdicts and/or settlements. Please use the form below to contact our law firm for a free case review.
To contact us for a free review of your potential case, please fill out the form below or call us toll free 24 hrs/day by dialing: