So what's the group consensus for those driving '07/'08 recalled vehicles? I drove mine today during lunch, and all I could think about was the airbag.
Looks like the only choices are; 1) park it, 2) drive it and risk a deployment, or 3) disable the airbag.
I've got to believe there's already been some '07 & '08's involved in accidents where the airbag deployed with no reports of shrapnel.
I've got a 5 day/1000 mile road rally coming up in June and am considering the disable option.

 

I'll take mine out for short drives a couple of time per week. Nothing major; just short trips to stretch the XFire's legs. I'll wait for airbag module repair before I consider any extended driving.

Of course, buy taking short drives around neighborhood and within town, I'm probably exposing myself to highest likelihood of having an accident. Just making sure wife isn't in the car with me when I take these short drives.

Later,

 

To Harbor:
That seems an astute observation to me too. I will look for the disperse pattern of this shrapnel. I wonder if the worst of it is if the steering wheel is telescoped/extended all the way?

I am driving xf. I am old, I drove cars before they had seat belts, never mind air bags. I ride my Triumph America all over the place, and it has no seat belts or air bags either.

 

Consumer report writes:
I could not find disperse patterns. The article above does mention that not only must there be a deployment but also that the 'inflator housing' must be ruptured. I am not sure what that is.

10 deaths and 100+ injuries since 2002? It has me wondering if this is not a ploy to get people in to the dealers showrooms while making takata the scape goat! I'm just sayin'.

 

What dealers ? Chrysler still does not have parts. Wonder what the law says about timeliness of recall repairs.

 

It would be great for us 2007 & 2008 XFire owners if Fiat-Chrysler (a.k.a. Mercedes-Benz) would replace our driver-side airbag modules with replacements sourced from TRW. It is my understanding that TRW was the supplier during 2004 thru 2006 model years. And those airbag modules are not part of this recall. Parts should be nearly identical since this design didn't change from one model year to the other. This would work & possibly expedite our repairs. Takata would stilll have to incur the costs for the repairs. But this process also requires Fiat-Chrysler to bill Takata for airbag modules and I doubt the Feds consider this an equitable solution since it would eliminate Takata from overall responsibility.

But one can dream & hope!

I'm just fearful that Takata will go under with the additional 38 million recalls announced recently before we get our cars repaired.

 

The airbag failure/rupture rate for Chrysler vehicles is estimated to be around 0.07%, much lower than Honda or other recalled vehicles. Michigan is not considered a "humid conditions" state. Accordingly, I'm going to keep driving mine with the airbag intact.

Obviously, no deaths or injuries due to faulty airbags are acceptable, and I think NHTSA is just doing their job as the industry safety watchdog.

 

Almost 2 months since I got my (pre) recall notice, and am getting a serious runaround with FCA about the whole mess. Am in zone 1, NHTSA says ( Zone A covers states with high temperature cycling and humidity. Time until unsafe propellant degradation may occur is projected at between six and nine years. ). Am 8yrs 9 months into that since born date. NHTSA has a .pdf in their website ( By March 31, 2016, the Coordinated Remedy Order required that all affected vehicle manufacturers have a sufficient supply of remedy parts to begin remedying vehicles in Priority Group 1. Vehicles in that Group are at greatest risk of experiencing an inflator rupture. ).


Am going to file a NHTSA complaint on 10 June if they have not gotten the part and scheduled an install, based on the information posted on the NHTSA website for the Takata airbag recalls.




.

 

Nothing new and now I am concerned about the other three airbags (two knee and passenger side) on my '07.


Lady at CC said my case would be escalated since cannot be in a much higher risk area (Florida), is a black coupe (high heat absorption), and car is now over nine years old. No contact since call.

 

NHTSA website states the following regarding overall status of Airbag Module Repairs:

• 938,836 (22.6%) Driver-side Air Bags Repaired
• 71,349 (10.4%) Passenger-side Air Bags Repaired
• 1,010,185 (20.9%) Total Air Bags Repaired

Results ae for overall manufacturer and not listed model specific.

 

Attached are a couple of PDF files that were posted on the NHTSA website in MAY, 2016. Gives detailed background on the airbag inflator rupture analysis and most recent recall expansion.

Later,

 

According to Dr. Bloomquist, the geographic pattern of risk of Airbag Inflator Rupture from date of manufacture and delivery date (not sure which date is reference point) is the following:

• Zone "A" (6-9 years) - high absolute humidity region
• Zone "B" (10-15 years) - moderate absolute humidity region
• Zone "C" (15-25 years) - low absolute humidity region

So, based on the above, depending on where you and your 2007/2008 Crossfire reside, it could take 15+ years for FCA to get around to replacing the airbag module! After all, the "bean counters" will insist that the corporation deal with the recalls as a risk versus consequence exposure.


Unlike other recalls, this particular one is time-dependent on exposure to elevated humidity climates with significant swings in temperature.


Think I'll start driving mine a little more.

 

Now this is interesting: (from NHTSA Action Number: EA15001 Air Bag Inflator Rupture )


" Takata's initial test results on passenger inflators from remedied vehicles indicated a much higher than anticipated rupture frequency for inflators returned from Florida"


hoo boy and Chrysler is still just issuing paper but this is really confusing:


"Takata testing of returned driver inflators indicates a lower rupture frequency as compared to passenger inflator testing"


and the recall is just for the driver's airbag ? Think I need to turn off the passenger side.

 

Just supply OSHA approved safety glasses or face masks to your passengers and they will be OK.
Another four million vehicles added to the list the other day, no company can take this hit and still make bags for free. Do you want some free Tanaka stock to paper the family room walls, or to use in the outhouse.

 

There's a bunch of '04 - '05 airbags out there on ebay in the $200 range. Since FCA won't be getting replacements soon, I wonder if this would be a viable stop-gap measure for the recalled vehicles?

 

I had suggested that to another member since Chrysler was "cross your fingers" attitude.. You could always swap the original back in if and when you got notified to bring it in.. and then put the ebay one back on ebay..


Still haven't seen anything on my cars.. but that last wave of "added" cars had me wondering..

 

Since my recall notice shows only '07 & '08's involved, one could replace the Takata airbag with a TRW made '04-'06 airbag following the instructions in post #30 of this thread (by ala_xfire) and call it a day, other than having the airbag light reset by a dealer.
Is anyone aware of any airbag fitment issues from the various years, i.e., will an '05 airbag just plug & play into a '07/'08 model?

 

Glad to see this post! I haven't been intensely following this.. and didn't realize we had a different MFG for the earlier models. Now I feel good about having a frontal crash..

 

As ala_xfire says in his post, only connecting the battery at the wrong time will force you to visit your Crossfire friendly stealership.

 

Well sorta: "and 2006-2007 Chrysler Crossfire vehicles" See here. Of course NHTSA may be rong.