Owners of 2012 Chrysler 300s describe a troubling pattern with the airbag system. Many complain that the airbag warning light stays on permanently after a Takata recall repair (campaign 16V352000 or 13V118000), with dealerships either refusing to fix it further or demanding a diagnostic fee that should fall under recall coverage. The light sometimes flickers intermittently for weeks before staying solid.
Wiring faults under the driver's or passenger seat are a frequent culprit. Owners report the light going off and coming back on, sometimes triggered by how someone sits on the seat. Multiple owners had the same harness replaced two or three times because the problem kept recurring—a red flag for a systemic design issue rather than an isolated bad part.
More alarming are reports of complete airbag non-deployment during actual collisions. Owners describe frontal, side, and rollover crashes where no airbags deployed at all, resulting in head, neck, and shoulder injuries that required hospital care. Some vehicles had no prior warning light; others had warning lights that dealerships either ignored or couldn't clear.
The Takata recall itself stalled for many owners. Recall parts sat on back order for months or years, with dealers receiving only one remedy kit per week and unable to provide an estimated delivery date. Some owners were placed on waiting lists that never materialized into service appointments.
Failure modes owners describe
Airbag warning light persistent after Takata recall repair
Airbag indicator light remains illuminated on the dashboard after dealership completes Takata recall (campaign 16V352000 or 13V118000) work. Owners report dealerships either refuse further diagnosis without a paid diagnostic fee or cannot explain the persistent light.
When: Post-recall repair, various mileages from 35,000 to 85,107 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Dashboard airbag warning light stays on permanently after recall repair; Light sometimes flickers intermittently then becomes permanent; Dealership reports light cannot be cleared post-recall
Codes mentioned: Airbag system warning indicator (no specific DTC cited)
Repairs/costs cited: One owner quoted $550 for wiring harness replacement; another charged $120 diagnostic fee; others report dealerships refuse service and claim no warranty coverage post-recall
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Takata recall 16V352000 and 13V118000; dealerships state persistent light not covered under recall; some owners charged for diagnostics beyond recall scope
Intermittent airbag warning light with wiring harness faults
Airbag warning light illuminates intermittently while driving or sitting stationary, often traced to faulty wiring under the driver's or passenger seat. Light may go off momentarily then return, sometimes requiring multiple repairs of the same harness.
When: Various mileages starting at 16,000 miles; recurring across multiple service visits
Symptoms owners cite: Airbag light comes on intermittently while driving and at rest; Light goes off then comes back on after minutes or weeks; Light triggered by passenger movement on seat or weight distribution
Codes mentioned: Wiring harness fault under front seats (no specific DTC provided)
Repairs/costs cited: Dealerships replace seat belt pretensioners, driver-seat back wiring harness, or front-seat wiring; repairs are temporary with light returning within months
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Covered under extended warranty in at least one case with deductible charged per repair; most cases show no recall coverage for harness-related faults
Airbag non-deployment in accident despite no warning light
During frontal, side, or rear-end collisions, driver-side, passenger-side, or all airbags fail to deploy even under impact conditions that should trigger deployment. Vehicles show no prior airbag warning indicator. Owners sustain injuries from head, neck, shoulder, or spinal trauma.
When: At time of accident; failure mileage varies from 5,000 to 195,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: No airbag deployment in frontal collision at 20–35 mph; No airbag deployment in side-impact crash; No airbag deployment in rollover (flipped 3 times); No airbag deployment in rear-end collision; Driver-side airbags did not fully deploy in T-bone crash
Codes mentioned: Airbag deployment failure (no specific DTC recorded; vehicles often not diagnosed post-crash)
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicles either condemned total loss or not repaired; one owner paid for CT scan and hospitalization
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer declined accountability in at least one case, citing insufficient injury severity; manufacturer not notified in most crash cases
Recall parts unavailability and indefinite delays (Takata 16V352000)
Owners receive Takata recall notice 16V352000 (also 15V352000) but inflator replacement parts remain unavailable for months to years. Dealers cannot schedule repair and provide no estimated delivery date. One owner waited 3+ years with no resolution.
When: Recall notification issued 2015–2016; parts unavailable as of complaint filing in multiple years
Symptoms owners cite: Recall parts on back order indefinitely; Dealers receive only 1 remedy kit per week, insufficient to clear backlog; No estimated date given for part availability; Owner placed on waiting list with no follow-up
Repairs/costs cited: No repair completed; vehicle held at dealership but returned unrepaired; owner remains unprotected by recall
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Takata recall 16V352000 and 15V352000; manufacturer exceeded reasonable repair timeframe per NHTSA; manufacturer unable to provide estimated availability date; VIN tool confirms parts unavailable
Airbag light return after prior repair or recall
Airbag warning light illuminates again weeks or months after a previous recall repair or professional service. In some cases, the vehicle was repaired under extended warranty for the same failure multiple times, suggesting chronic defect in replacement parts or underlying circuit.
When: Recurrence after prior repair; one case shows 3 separate airbag system failures over vehicle lifetime
Symptoms owners cite: Airbag light comes on after recall repair completed; Intermittent light that returns permanently after weeks; Same failure diagnosed and repaired multiple times (up to 3 times reported)
Codes mentioned: Airbag system faults (no specific DTC details provided; dealership found 'no codes' in one case despite light being on)
Repairs/costs cited: Replacement parts are same as recall items per dealership but vehicle not covered by original recall; owner paid deductible for each repair under extended warranty
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Extended warranty coverage with per-repair deductible; dealership claims replacement parts identical to recall items yet vehicle VIN not in recall database
Synthesized from 55 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer
allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.