Owners of Fiat 124 Spiders should pay special attention, due to a defect in the cars’ airbags, which could also put the health of those inside at risk. Stellantis, in fact, has launched a major recall for more than 15,000 cars due to a software problem. This could cause a malfunction that would cause airbags to explode completely uncontrollably in the event of a collision.
Major recall for many Spider 124s
The Stellantis FCA US, LLC automotive group has made public a recall affecting the Fiat 124 Spider model, specifically those produced between 2017 and 2020. The problem currently appears to lie in a specific component, namely the airbag control module. It, at the moment seems to have a serious software problem. This defect could cause the airbags in the front of the vehicle to malfunction in the event of an accident, causing them to literally explode with significantly excessive force, losing its restorative effect. ) Recalling four Mopar Sophisticated Airbag Sensor modules with parts number is 68332579AA .
Indeed, too violent an explosion instead of a completely normal one could pose serious health risks to those inside the vehicle. The problem would be that it would increase the risk of injury to passengers by too much. Practically, the opposite effect would be that instead of protecting passengers in the event of a crash, the airbag would go on to inflict further damage.
Airbag at risk of abnormal explosion
The problem we are talking about was found as a result of a thorough analysis of vehicle data and records. Thanks to this, it was discovered that an error in the software of the airbag control module, could cause the front airbags to deploy completely abnormally. In fact, the blast force would be too strong instead of moderate to cushion the impact. The behavior obviously does not comply with current safety regulations at all, as well as posing a very serious danger to all passengers in the vehicle.
The issue in question was presented to Stellantis by Mazda, which worked closely with the automotive group to identify which vehicles were in danger. Then, following a very careful analysis, the decision was made to initiate a global-scale recall campaign to replace the control modules of all defective airbags.
A warning is coming to owners of affected Spider 124s
Now, owners of cars affected by the problem will receive an official notice that will be sent directly from Stellantis. It remains of paramount importance to literally follow the instructions that will be given in the recall letter, contacting customer service to schedule the repair of the vehicle in a timely manner. Of course, this is a completely free repair, which will be performed at authorized repair shops.
Getting behind the wheel of a car with a defective airbag, as in this case, could put your own safety, as well as that of everyone inside while driving, at serious risk. Therefore, you are strongly advised not to ignore the letter, and to have your vehicle repaired as soon as possible. This issue reflects the great importance of safety in the car industry, which must always remain a top priority for all those involved in car construction.