270,000 Chrysler Minivans Recalled

As many as 270,958 2005-model-year Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Caravan minivans are being recalled to fix airbags that may fail to deploy. The recall affects minivans built from April 24, 2003, to February 2, 2005.

The problem stems from corroded sensors in states that use large quantities of road salt. We’re not sure if that means those in southern or warm-weather states won’t be included in the recall. We’ll update this post as soon as we hear more specifics.

Report: Chrysler Recalls 270,000 Minivans for Air Bag Fix (The Detroit News)

Comments

I'm surprised that, even up to this day, a simple issue like this is still ignored by the manufacturers when the vehicles were 1st built. Now, corrosion issues happened to both domestics and imports, but at least imports have an excuse (this is a joke, so dont take it seriously): our US factories are in the south, so we don't know much about this snow + salt situation :)

But for domestics (including, once again, Chrysler, as it's not gonnabe Dalmer v. soon), man, they are in Michigan, a state famous with salt & snow, and they have been building cars for oh so many years. How can this be ignored? They must have R&D on this.but this is most likely the result of using cheap parts.

(The same can be said to the imports as well.)

BTW, there must be some better way than to use salt; it's not only damaging to the vehicles, but to the roads as well.

"If you can find a better car, then buy it!" - Lee Iacoca circa 1980's.

...and we did.

Amuro-

Sometimes sand is used on roads as well to improve traction instead of just trying to melt the snow. However, often both salt and sand are used. And salt only works above something like 10 or 20 degrees fahrenheit anyway. It also is terrible for the grass and other plants near the roadway, so you're right in that it's not the best solution.

However, this sort of issue with cars should disappear in the near future. Winter doesn't really exist up north all that often anymore. It's to the point where fall almost goes right into spring. Give it a few more decades, and there won't be any snow that needs salting anymore. Maybe that's what the automakers are banking on? :)

The salt they are using more of in NH lately is a liquid brine.They spread it with tanker trucks and it starts melting ice immediately plus it covers a bigger area.A better idea,but too late for 50+ years of cars that rusted away thanks to rock salt.However,until cars are made totally of plastic or fiberglass,rust in the "rust belt" will never cease totally.

I live in the midwest and I recall having a whole lot of snow, plus it was quite cold. My van even had the doors freeze shut. As a matter of fact, the late cold even got us to a late start on our landscaping. Yep, winter is on its way out.