Federal estimate: 25,000 counterfeit air bags on the road
Following up on last weeks WANADA Special Bulletin on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations consumer advisory on counterfeit air bags, federal officials estimate there may be 25,000 counterfeit bags, according to the Detroit News. NHTSA had previously said it believes that less than 0.1 percent of the U.S. fleet is affected.
NHTSA posted a list of nearly 100 models that could have the counterfeit safety devices. In safety tests, the bags failed to deploy or threw off metal shrapnel during deployment, potentially causing more injuries. The counterfeit bags have been mostly found on the drivers side.
Counterfeit bags typically appear very much like genuine OEM parts and rarely trigger a trouble light or diagnostic code and are hard to detect without a full physical inspection, says an NADA advisory, which can be accessed here. The counterfeit bags, many of them made in China, have the insignia and branding of major automakers.
Only air bags that have been replaced in the past three (3) years with non-OEM replacement parts are of concern. If: (1) the air bag was replaced at an independent dealership; (2) the consumer bought a replacement bag online or from another noncertified source, especially if the price was unusually low (less than $400), or (3) the vehicle was bought used, then the vehicle should be inspected at a franchised dealership. The consumer/vehicle owner must pay for the inspection.
The NHTSA advisory, which lists all the models that could have the counterfeit devices, can be found here. To read NHTSAs Recommended Dealer Guidance for Managing Counterfeit Air Bags, click here.
If consumers have questions about counterfeit air bags, they should be directed to NHTSAs consumer website: http://www.safercar.gov/Air+Bags.
Download Bulletin PDF