There are still millions of cars fitted with potentially deadly airbags roaming America’s roads
After years spent uncovering deadly Takata airbags that need removing and replacing, and another explosive airbag recall risking more than 50 million American motorists, you could be forgiven for thinking that we’d found all the faulty airbags out there. But now, it turns out there are still millions of cars fitted with potentially deadly airbags roaming America’s roads.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a warning that faulty aftermarket airbags may have been fitted to millions of cars in America to replace already faulty ones, risking severe injury or even death if they go off during a crash, reports Automotive News:
Nearly 2 million vehicles on U.S. roads could be at risk of having cheap, substandard replacement airbag inflators that can cause serious injury or death in a crash, according to Carfax data.
NHTSA urged used-car buyers in a July 10 statement to be aware of these defective airbags. After accidents, vehicles could be fitted with foreign airbag parts made by companies “with little to no reputation of quality manufacturing or experience,” and sold at prices far below the cost of genuine equipment, NHTSA said.
These airbags are ordered online and installed at reputable repair shops or manufacturer dealerships. The 2 million vehicles involved in an accident with airbag deployment in the past two years present “an opportunity for a scammer to install a counterfeit airbag as a replacement,” Carfax said.
The aftermarket inflators pose a risk as when they go off, they can fail and send metal fragments into the car, where they are often aimed directly at the occupant’s chest, neck, eyes and face—similar to the Takata airbags.
So far, three people have reportedly been killed as a result of crashes involving these defective airbags, reports Automotive News. Two people have also suffered “life-altering injuries” as a result of the aftermarket airbag inflators going off.
Anyone who suspect that their car has been fitted with a substandard airbag inflator is being urged to take their car into an approved service center to check. Additionally, anyone buying a used car should take a few key steps to ensure they aren’t buying a car with one already fitted. These measures include obtaining a vehicle history report, working with manufacturer-approved dealers and asking for the brand name of parts that are being fitted to the car while servicing.
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