Over 40,000 Daimler Vans Will Need New Airbags
Daimler AG made 40,061 vans from 2005 to 2008 with airbags that must be replaced, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said, reported by Bloomberg Business. The affected vehicles, the 2007-2008 Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 and the 2007-2008 Dodge Sprinter 2500 and 3500, were manufactured from July 1, 2005, to July 31, 2008, and ... Read More »
Daimler AG made 40,061 vans from 2005 to 2008 with airbags that must be replaced, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said, reported by Bloomberg Business.
The affected vehicles, the 2007-2008 Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 and the 2007-2008 Dodge Sprinter 2500 and 3500, were manufactured from July 1, 2005, to July 31, 2008, and “are equipped with a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture upon its deployment,” the NHTSA said in a report posted Saturday.
Daimler Vans USA will notify Freightliner owners and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV will alert customers who bought the Dodge model, according to the NHTSA. Dealers have been instructed to replace the airbags free of charge. No schedule has been announced for the swaps.
A seventh death tied to faulty airbags was confirmed Friday by the U.S. agency. A 22-year-old woman died two days after an April 5 crash. Takata Corp., which produced the air-bag inflator that ruptured and injured the woman, agreed on May 19 to expand its recall effort to cover about 34 million units — the largest product-safety recall ever in the U.S.
More Industry

Penske Auto Group Deal a Record
The deal to take the dealership and transportation services company private sets a new pace for industry buy-sell transactions.
Read More →
War Toll a Damper on Used Auto Prices
Cox Automotive found wholesale depreciation to be elevated in September amid high fuel prices and this year's unusual hurricane season.
Read More →
Bridge the Maintenance Gap
With many drivers missing recommended maintenance, service departments offering transparency and efficiency have a better chance of reaching financially strained consumers.
Read More →
California Store Has New Owner
The longtime dealership in the northern part of the state is known for robust fleet sales and has served the state capital for 115 years.
Read More →
BMW Plant Pursues Cleaner Energy
BMW Group Plant Leipzig has utilized hydrogen to help power its production since 2013, but a new pipeline is planned to take it to another level.
Read More →
Auto Affordability Inches Up
The latest Cox Automotive and Moody’s Analytics index shows a slight increase in new-vehicle affordability despite high prices.
Read More →
Ohio Auto Group Under New Ownership
After 79 years with the Schluter family, Mansfield Auto Group has been acquired by Missouri-based Clement Auto Group.
Read More →
RV Group Expands Carolina Footprint
Blue Compass RV Columbia Northeast is the 13th RV dealership owned by Blue Compass in the Carolinas.
Read More →
Agent Acumen
An Agent Summit panel of people who’ve been supporting auto dealers for years gave both timely and timeless advice for those starting out or mulling the prospect.
Read More →
Missed Maintenance Creates Opportunity
As families get back on the road and into daily school routines, service drives have an opportunity to capture customers who are behind on recommended vehicle maintenance.
Read More →