The 1997 Dodge Viper has 3 recalls, the most serious being an airbag that can deploy unexpectedly when the ignition is shut off, potentially injuring anyone seated in front of the bags.
Two additional recalls affect vehicles that have seen heavy track or aggressive driving use. Under those conditions, the welds on the rear differential mounting bracket can crack and eventually allow the differential to break free from the frame, which can cause a sudden and complete loss of rear-wheel drive and destabilize the vehicle. The steering rack mounting brackets are subject to the same kind of weld cracking under hard use, and if the rack separates from the frame, the driver will feel sudden looseness or a lag in steering response that makes the car difficult to control.
At a glance
What can fail
The steering rack mounting brackets can crack on vehicles used in track racing with aggressive driving.
What the fix does
Lower frame rail reinforcement gussets and a reinforcement bracket will be installed to strengthen the mounting.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
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At a glance
What can fail
Vehicles used in track racing under aggressive driving conditions can develop cracks at the welds where the rear differential mounting bracket connects to the frame.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect your vehicle and reinforce the frame to repair the mounting bracket welds.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
A flaw in the electrical circuit design can cause the airbag to deploy unintentionally when you turn off the engine ignition.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the airbag electronic control module with an updated version that fixes the electrical circuit issue.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
