The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States announced on Thursday, September 3rd, that the banned Chinese-made safety airbag components have caused the deaths of 11 people in the U.S.
According to NHTSA, another death incident resulting from a defective Chinese-made safety airbag component rupturing has occurred. This is the first death case related to a Chevrolet Equinox vehicle. The previous 10 fatal accidents and 3 serious injury accidents occurred in Chevrolet Malibu and Hyundai Sonata vehicles.
NHTSA stated that the safety airbag inflators in these vehicles, originally from China, were replaced with defective and likely illegally imported components. The latest fatal accident happened on August 27th in Dallas involving a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. Like the previous accidents, this incident could have been avoidable.
The substandard safety airbag inflators were manufactured by DeTennor Safety Technology Co., Ltd. in Jilin Province, China. These devices are strictly prohibited from being sold in the U.S., yet they have been found installed in some American vehicles. NHTSA’s final determination concluded that these safety airbag devices pose a serious risk of causing severe injury or death to drivers and passengers. In collision accidents, instead of providing cushioning, these inflators explode, sending metal fragments into the driver’s chest, neck, eyes, and face.
NHTSA urges second-hand car buyers and owners to understand their vehicle’s history and ensure the use of original manufacturer-approved safety airbag inflators. If a vehicle is found to be equipped with DeTennor inflators, it should not be driven until replaced with authentic OEM parts. If a vehicle has been involved in an accident since 2020 where the airbags were deployed and was not repaired by the manufacturer’s authorized dealer, it should be inspected.
Vehicle owners are advised by NHTSA to contact the local Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) or Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) field office to report vehicles with suspicious inflators, or file an online complaint with the National Intellectual Property Coordination Center (NIPCC). Car owners can also contact NHTSA through their website or by calling the vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236.