Panelists analyze Alphabet’s AI momentum-driven stock rise and weigh Google’s Waymo against Tesla in the race for autonomous driving on ‘Barron’s Roundtable’.
Federal auto regulators are warning buyers and owners of used cars to beware of “substandard and dangerous” Chinese replacement airbag inflators that are likely to be imported illegally after two more drivers died in a crash last month.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it has opened an investigation into inflators made in China by Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co. Ltd. from Jilin province, which “suffered failures in crashes, sending large metal fragments into drivers’ chests, necks, eyes and faces.”
Regulators said the products have already been involved in 10 accidents, with eight deaths and two serious injuries caused by faulty replacement airbag inflators. The motoring regulator said the crashes that killed the eight drivers were considered ‘survivable’.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it has opened an investigation into inflators made in China by Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co. Ltd. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)
FORD NAMED NO. 1 MOST ICONIC AMERICAN COMPANY IN NATIONAL SURVEY: ‘MAKING PEOPLE’S LIVES BETTER’
All vehicles involved in the accidents had their original airbags replaced with lower quality airbags after a previous crash.
The known crashes involved Chevrolet Malibu and Hyundai Sonata vehicles, most of which had salvage or rebuilt titles, but NHTSA said it cannot confirm the risk is limited to these makes and models.
FORD CEO MIKE ROWE WARNS AMERICA’S PRODUCTION CRISIS IS AT A BREAKING POINT AS CHINA RISES FORWARD
The regulator urges the auto repair industry to “be aware of these dangerous inflators and immediately notify NHTSA of any additional information they have regarding these substandard inflators.”
All vehicles involved in the accidents had their original airbags replaced with lower quality airbags after a previous crash. (Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)
The manufacturer has acknowledged on its website that sales of the inflators are prohibited in the US
“Whoever brings them into the country and installs them is putting American families at risk,” NHTSA said.
Department of Transportation proposes to eliminate automatic traffic cameras in DC
The agency also urges car owners and buyers to learn their vehicle’s history and ensure the vehicle has genuine air bag inflators.
If a driver has been involved in a recent accident in which the airbag deployed, they should immediately return their car to secure a “replacement equivalent to the original,” according to NHTSA.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
NHTSA urges vehicle owners and buyers to learn the history of their vehicle and ensure that the vehicle has original air bag inflators. (Reuters/Kamil Krzaczynski/File Photo)
If a car has a salvage or rebuild title, meaning it has been badly damaged in the past and later repaired, it is “particularly urgent” that it be inspected. Any vehicle with one of these infaltors should not be driven until it is replaced, NHTSA said.
Owners can also contact NHTSA online or by calling the agency’s Vehicle Safety Hotline, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.
