First Published June 12, 2025
A Room That Stinks
You walk in and sense it: the sour whiff of neglect that clings like grease to your overalls. That’s Stellantis today – a once-vaunted auto giant now riddled with systemic failures. Years of cutting corners have compiled a long wrap sheet. The rot seeps through airbags, electronics, powertrains and boardrooms. And it’s spreading fast.
Airbags: Lethal Time Bombs
In July 2023 a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500’s Takata airbag ruptured, killing the passenger. NHTSA then issued an urgent “Do Not Drive” warning and estimated roughly 84,000 unrepaired trucks still on the road, each at grave risk of shrapnel injuries or worse (carpro.com). A “Do Not Drive” notice isn’t a routine recall- it’s a confession: we dropped the ball so badly lives were lost.
Owners pleaded for fixes; Stellantis repeated free replacements. But when ageing inflators can explode or detonate unpredictably, “fix” feels like too little, too late. The recall outreach has spanned years, yet tens of thousands remain unrepaired (reuters.com). That many trucks still exposed to a known killer speaks volumes about priorities.
Airbag Control Unit Failures: Sleeping on the Job
Beyond Takata, a class action alleges ZF‑TRW airbag control units (ACUs) in many Ram 1500s (circa 2009–2012) may not deploy airbags in a crash, effectively leaving occupants unprotected (lieffcabraser.com) (carcomplaints.com). The lawsuit claims electrical overstress in the ACU’s ASIC can render the “brain” of the restraint system inert. Millions of vehicles play Russian roulette every time they hit the road.
ZF‑TRW and vehicle makers knew of issues for years before public action (classaction.org) (carcomplaints.com). Yet warnings and recalls lagged—and even now many owners remain unaware. When the system meant to save you stays asleep at the wheel, that’s not an accident; it’s a pattern of negligence.
Door Panels and Interiors: Signs of Shoddy Buil
Owners report door panels detaching mid-drive on Charger and Challenger models, as documented in numerous NHTSA complaints and forum posts, though specifics vary; check nhtsa.gov complaint database for details (autosafety.org). Warping interiors and loose fittings aren’t mere annoyances – they threaten safety if airbags or wiring are compromised.
You see peeling panels, rattles and trim falling off. It shouts: quality control lost its edge. When your cabin betrays you, trust in the brand evaporates.
Transmission Nightmares: Stranded on the Fast Lane
Grand Caravan drivers recount sudden transmission failures on highways – echoed in class-action filings over ZF 9HP transmissions and extended-warranty settlements (topclassactions.com). Reports describe rough, erratic shifting, sudden loss of propulsion or harsh engagement – potentially fatal at speed.
FCA settled prior class actions acknowledging the hazard, yet issues persist in used fleets. For owners, the fear isn’t hypothetical: you cruise along, then the gearbox quits with zero warning. No smooth ride when trust in the drivetrain is shattered.
Safety Recalls & “Fixes”: Papering Over Cracks
Stellantis issues stop-drive or “Do Not Drive” notices for Takata and other defects. They offer free repairs and software updates. But repeated campaigns across models show failures aren’t isolated. When one recall ends, another emerges. Each fix feels like a band-aid on a wound that never heals.
Net-zero pledges and glossy ESG reports can’t mask airbag fatalities or powertrain breakdowns. A company that preaches innovation but ships lethal defects betrays its customers.
Leadership Turmoil: Captain Abandons Ship
Carlos Tavares quit abruptly as Stellantis CEO on 1 Dec 2024 amid faltering US Jeep/Ram sales and board clashes over strategy; shares plunged on the news as investors panicked (reuters.com). An interim committee under John Elkann scrambles to contain fallout even as reputational wounds deepen (reuters.com).
When your head chef bails mid-service, you know the kitchen’s on fire. Frequent leadership shake-ups signal misaligned priorities: cost cuts over quality, short-term margins over long-term safety.
Culture of Shrugging at Disaster
How do airbags explode? How do ACUs stay silent in crashes? How do door panels detach, transmissions die? These aren’t freak events—they reflect a culture that tolerates risk, delays transparency and buries problems until forced into the open. Each class action or NHTSA warning is not a one-off mistake; it’s proof of systemic tolerance for failure.
Forums blaze with angry owners. Fleets tally downtime and repair bills. Investors fret over liability and brand erosion. Yet Stellantis churns out PR puff pieces about “community” and “innovation,” hoping the gloss distracts from the wreckage.
Cummins & the Company They Keep
If Cummins thinks cosying up to Stellantis boosts credibility, think again. Birds of a feather flock into the same stink. Partnering with a slow-rotting empire risks reputational bleed for suppliers, fleets and investors. When your engine tech sits alongside lethal airbags and flaky transmissions, trust in the entire supply chain erodes. When you cosy up to a company with this record, your own scandal feels like it was inevitable.
Lee Thompson – Founder, The Cummins Accountability Project
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Dig In Yourself:
- Recalls & Warnings: Visit nhtsa.gov/recalls for open recalls, “Do Not Drive” alerts and campaign histories nhtsa.gov.
- ACU Litigation: Search public court dockets for ZF‑TRW ACU lawsuits (e.g. Baldwin v. ZF‑TRW filings) lieffcabraser.com.
- Class Actions: Review filings on legal sites for transmission and restraint-defect suits topclassactions.com.
- Owner Complaints: Browse NHTSA complaint database and enthusiast forums for first-hand reports on interior, drivetrain and electronics issues autosafety.org.
- Leadership Moves: Read Reuters coverage of Tavares’ departure and interim governance under Elkann (reuters.com)
- ESG vs Reality: Contrast Stellantis sustainability reports with safety recall histories.
Key Citations
NHTSA complaint database reference: (nhtsa.gov)
Takata airbag fatality & “Do Not Drive” warning, ~84,000 unrepaired 2003 Ram 1500s: (carpro.com) (reuters.com)
ZF‑TRW ACU defect class action affecting Ram 1500 (2009–2012) and other models: (lieffcabraser.com) (carcomplaints.com
Door-panel detachments on Charger/Challenger (owner reports / NHTSA complaints): autosafety.org
Grand Caravan transmission failures & ZF 9HP class actions/settlements: (topclassactions.com) (topclassactions.com)
Carlos Tavares abrupt resignation, interim committee under Elkann: (reuters.com) (reuters.com) (reuters.com)