Chrysler recall affects 50,200 Canadian minivans

Chrysler Group LLC announced its second recall in as many days Wednesday when it recalled 367,350 2008 Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans in the U.S. and Canada after reports that leaks from the air conditioning system accidentally deployed passenge-side airbags.

The recall affects 50,200 minivans in Canada. The 2008 model year minivans were assembled at Chrysler’s plants in St. Louis and Windsor.

Chrysler said it would inspect and replace as necessary heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) drain hose grommets.

"Some vehicles may have an improperly installed HVAC hose grommet that could cause moisture to collect on the floor and damage the air bag deployment module," Chrysler said in a statement.

The Auburn Hills, Mich., automaker was not aware of any accidents or fatalities resulting from this issue, although the accidental deployment of airbags caused five minor injuries, said spokesman Vince Mungia.

Chrysler said it would inspect all potentially affected vehicles and replace the affected component as necessary. "This will be completed at no cost to the consumer," Muniga said.

Muniga said the automaker received 15 reports of the problem over 30 months. However, the number of complaints "spiked" this summer to a total of 30.

Chrysler believes three per cent of the vehicles being recalled may have the problem, said Mungia. He said the problem lies with an improperly assembled part but could not say whether it originated with the supplier or the assembly plant.

Chrysler will begin notifying owners in February and replace the drain part. The recalled vehicles were built between February 2007 and August 2008, said Mungia

On Tuesday, Chrysler announced it was recalling more than 76,000 diesel Dodge Ram pickups in the U.S. and Canada over potentially defective parts that could affect braking.