Federal auto safety regulators are warning that counterfeit replacement airbags linked to at least 10 deaths since 2023 remain in vehicles across the United States, but officials say tracing and recalling the dangerous parts may be impossible because they entered the country through an underground supply chain.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been working to identify aftermarket airbag inflators marked with part numbers associated with Chinese manufacturer Jilin Province Detiannuo Safety Technology, also known as DTN Airbag, reports The Wall Street Journal on Thursday.
Regulators say the inflators were likely imported illegally and installed in replacement airbags sold online for use in used vehicles.
In April, NHTSA banned the sale and import of inflators bearing DTN part numbers and ordered manufacturers and importers to recall them. But unlike a typical vehicle recall, officials say they often have no way to determine where the counterfeit parts originated or which vehicles contain them.
"This is a really unusual situation," said NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison.
Morrison said investigators have found evidence that some inflators were smuggled into the United States concealed inside consumer goods, including toys and dollhouses. Without reliable import or distribution records, regulators have struggled to identify affected vehicles, leaving many owners with only one option: paying a mechanic to inspect their airbags.
The danger became apparent after a series of crashes in which replacement airbags ruptured and sent metal fragments into vehicle occupants.
One of those victims, Eui Seok Kang of Texas, lost much of his lower jaw when the replacement airbag in his used Chevrolet Malibu exploded during a crash in October 2023. He underwent multiple surgeries after metal fragments struck his face.
The airbag had been purchased through eBay and installed by the dealership that sold Kang the vehicle.
According to federal safety officials, the counterfeit inflators have been linked to at least 10 fatalities and three serious injuries in the U.S. since 2023.
DTN told NHTSA in April that it does not do business in the United States and believes the inflators bearing its serial numbers are counterfeit products manufactured by another company.
The agency said it has been unable to estimate how many counterfeit inflators remain in vehicles. In a January email reviewed by the Journal, an NHTSA investigator wrote that predicting future ruptures would amount to "close to a wild guess" because so many variables remain unknown. Morrison called the situation "unprecedented."
Counterfeit replacement airbags have long been a concern because they can cost a fraction of genuine manufacturer parts and are widely sold online.
Authentic replacement airbags can cost around 10 times as much as counterfeit versions, according to court records and government officials.
Amazon said it bars the sale of airbags and airbag components, while eBay said it prohibits counterfeit products and is cooperating with the federal investigation. Facebook said its policies prohibit the sale of airbags.
NHTSA first warned consumers about counterfeit airbags in 2012. Officials say the latest cases underscore the continuing risks posed by counterfeit safety equipment entering the marketplace through illicit distribution networks.