Deadly Danger: Faulty Air Bag Inflators Cause Multiple Fatalities

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) warned that three people have died and two others have been severely injured in the past nine months due to low-cost, faulty replacement air bag inflators. These substandard inflators, often sourced from less reputable foreign manufacturers, can pose serious risks in the event of a crash.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported on Wednesday that low-cost, faulty replacement air bag inflators have resulted in the deaths of three people and serious injury to two others over the last nine months. The agency urged caution among used car buyers and owners to avoid substandard imported inflators that can cause fatal or severe injuries during crashes.

The defective inflators, which were replacements after prior collisions, failed in subsequent accidents by ejecting large metal fragments into drivers. The NHTSA highlighted that these replacement parts are often produced by foreign companies with negligible quality standards, sold inexpensively online, and installed by non-reputable repair shops.

The NHTSA advised consumers to get a vehicle-history report before buying a used car and to have the air bag inspected by an independent mechanic if the car had been involved in a previous crash. Since 2009, faulty Takata air bag inflators have caused more than 30 deaths worldwide and led to the recall of over 67 million inflators in the U.S., making it the largest auto safety recall in history.

(With inputs from agencies.)