Stellantis, the parent company of Dodge and Chrysler, has issued a "stop driving" order for the owners of four vehicle models that have proven to be deadly.
The company says Dodge Magnums, Dodge Challengers, Dodge Chargers and Chrysler 300s manufactured between 2005 and 2010 are equipped with faulty Takata airbags.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the defective airbags have been responsible for three deaths over the past seven months.
All three deaths occurred in warm-weather U.S. states. Two people were killed in separate crashes involving 2010 Dodge Chargers, while a third death is suspected to have been caused by a ruptured Takata inflator in an unspecified 2010 Dodge, according to the Associated Press.
The fatalities bring the death toll from exploding Takata air bags to at least 32 worldwide, including 23 in the U.S., the AP reported.
Although Stellantis previously sent more than 210 million recall notices to owners, a statement from automaker says at least 276,000 of the dangerous vehicles are still on the road.
"The longer these particular vehicles remain unrepaired, the greater the risk of an airbag rupture," the automaker warned. "Many owners say they don't have time to obtain the remedy. However, the repair procedure takes well under one hour."
The company has made replacement driver-side air bags available for free since 2015. The service to repair the vehicles is also free.
Stellantis added that it has continued to engage and encourage vehicle owners affected by Takata recalls to obtain service by sending first-class letters, courier deliveries, e-mails and text messages, while also making phone calls and home visits.
"[Those] who have not yet addressed Takata driver-side air-bag recalls [should] immediately stop driving their vehicles," the automaker said.
Customers who are unaware of their vehicles' recall status are urged to call 833-585-0144 or check their Vehicle Identification Numbers at mopar.com/recalls, checktoprotect.org or nhtsa.gov/recalls.
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