Americans Are Losing Their Lives Due to Airbags That Should Never Have Been Imported to the US | Carscoops

      A hazardous counterfeit airbag crisis is developing as US investigators reveal illegal components resulting in fatalities across the nation.

      NHTSA is looking into fake Chinese airbags linked to six driver deaths. Officials indicate that the bogus DTN airbag inflators may have entered the US unlawfully. DTN refutes claims of selling products in the US, stating that its items are banned from import.

      Shortly after alarming reports indicated that counterfeit airbags from China had infiltrated vehicles throughout the United States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation initiated a formal inquiry.

      This action follows a number of concerning incidents. The government agency reports eight cases in which a driver's airbag deployed in a catastrophic manner, resulting in either death or serious injury to the driver.

      Investigation Findings

      The official engineering assessment revealed that six drivers died and two sustained serious injuries. All eight airbags were replacements installed after prior accidents, sourced from the same Chinese manufacturer, Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., also known as DTN.

      The NHTSA's preliminary analysis indicates these inflators may have been smuggled into the country. As reported last month, it's believed that numerous repair shops and assemblers have been importing these airbag inflators from abroad, often unaware that DTN products are fakes resembling genuine items. Their cost can be as low as one-tenth of a standard inflator.

      Tracing the Deaths

      In June 2023, the NHTSA received a Vehicle Owner Questionnaire regarding a driver’s death in a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. Investigators later discovered that a counterfeit DTN airbag inflator had been installed during a prior repair and exploded upon deployment, resulting in the driver's death.

      Over the following year, four more ruptures involving Chevrolet Malibus were uncovered, although investigators initially had difficulty identifying the manufacturer of the faulty components.

      The issue escalated in March when the driver of a 2017 Hyundai Sonata died due to an airbag rupture. Another fatal incident occurred in August with a 2019 Sonata, and earlier this month, a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu driver lost their life under similar circumstances.

      Photographic evidence of the retrieved parts confirmed that all three recent cases involved DTN inflators. Images from earlier, unspecified incidents have also shown a matching source.

      Last month, DTN issued a statement asserting that it does not operate in the United States and that its products are banned from sale there.