WASHINGTON, D.C. -

Dealer associations and other industry entities reinforced their positions on the issue Wednesday as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed a consumer safety advisory to alert vehicle owners and repair professionals to the dangers of counterfeit air bags.

NHTSA said it has become aware of a problem involving the sale of counterfeit air bags for use as replacement parts in vehicles that have been involved in a crash.

While these air bags look nearly identical to certified, original equipment parts — including bearing the insignia and branding of major automakers — NHTSA testing showed consistent malfunctioning ranging from non-deployment of the air bag to the expulsion of metal shrapnel during deployment.

NHTSA is not aware of any deaths or injuries connected to counterfeit air bags.

While the full scope and scale of the problem of counterfeit air bags is uncertain from currently available data, NHTSA identified certain vehicle makes and models for which these air bags may be available and believes this issue affects less than 0.1 percent of the U.S. vehicle fleet.

Federal officials emphasized that only vehicles which have had an air bag replaced within the past three years by a repair shop that is not part of a franchised dealership may be at risk.

“The federal government’s extensive investigation of counterfeit replacement airbags is ongoing. However, dealers and consumers should keep in mind that the vast majority of vehicles on the road are safe as only 0.1 percent are affected by NHTSA’s safety advisory,” said Cody Lusk president of the American International Automobile Dealers Association.

“At AIADA, our priority is ensuring our dealer members have the most up to date information in order to help their customers,” Lusk continued.” We encourage dealers to take advantage of their manufacturer hotlines and other resources as they become available.”

As the investigation continues, both AIADA and the National Automobile Dealers Association pointed out that franchised stores should expect to receive inquiries from customers

For a list of questions to help identify potential vehicles that will need further inspection, click here.

“Dealers should expect to receive communications directly from the OEMs they represent, addressing how to detect and manage counterfeit air bags,” NADA officials added.

“Unlike a safety recall campaign, customers should expect to pay to have their air bags diagnosed, and if necessary, replaced,” they continued.

Questions on this matter may be directed to NADA Regulatory Affairs at regulatoryaffairs@nada.org or (703) 821-7040. 

More Government and Industry Reaction

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was among the top federal officials who made Wednesday’s announcement regarding air bags.

“Anytime equipment that is critical to protecting drivers and passengers fails to operate properly, it is a serious safety concern,” LaHood stated. “We want consumers to be immediately aware of this problem and to review our safety information to see if their vehicle could be in need of inspection.”

NHTSA Administrator David Strickland added, “We expect all motor vehicle equipment to meet federal safety standards — and air bags in particular play a central role in keeping drivers and passengers safe in the event of a crash.

“That’s why it’s critical that vehicle owners work with their automotive dealers and repair professionals to ensure they use the appropriate, original equipment parts in the event they need to replace their air bag,” Strickland went on to say.

NHTSA indicated that it has been working with a number of government agencies — including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Department of Justice — to better understand the issue of counterfeit air bags and how to prevent them from being purchased and installed in vehicles.

“Organized criminals are selling dangerous counterfeit and substandard airbags to consumers and suppliers with little to no regard to hazardous health and safety consequences,” said ICE director John Morton.

“We will continue to aggressively investigate criminal supply chains with our law enforcement and private industry partners and bring these criminals to justice,” Morton pledged.

NHTSA is currently gathering information from automakers about their systems for verifying the authenticity of replacement parts and is working with the industry to make the driving public aware of the potential safety risk posed by counterfeit air bags.

Moving forward, the agency will continue to monitor consumer complaints, police accident reports and other sources for additional information.

“This announcement underscores the importance of checking the history of used cars,” said Larry Gamache, communications director at Carfax.

“Airbags are one of most crucial parts of a car’s safety system,” Gamache continued. “We have created a free service to check for prior airbag deployments reported to Carfax at www.carfax.com/airbag.

“In addition, the airbag systems of any used car, especially those with prior damage, should be inspected by a qualified mechanic, body shop or airbag specialist to ensure they are working properly,” he added.

“The lives of consumers everywhere are at risk because of scams like faulty airbags,” Gamache went on to say. “Carfax Reports can include information on reported airbag deployments and other details about prior damage that help used car buyers and sellers avoid this potentially fatal fraud.”

NHTSA believes owners who might be most at risk include:

—Consumers who have had air bags replaced within the past three years at a repair shop that is not part of a franchised dealership.

—Consumers who have purchased a used vehicle that may have sustained an air bag deployment before their purchase.

—Consumers who own a car with a title branded salvage, rebuilt, or reconstructed.

—Consumers who have purchased replacement air bags from non-certified sources — especially if they were purchased at unusually low prices such as less than $400.

The Association of Global Automakers also urged consumers to make sure that only original equipment replacement airbags are used when having a vehicle repaired after a collision.

“Counterfeit replacement airbags are a serious safety problem,” said Mike Stanton, president and chief executive officer of Global Automakers. “Only original equipment replacement airbags should be used in a repair to ensure that the vehicle performs as designed in the event of a crash.

“We want to make sure vehicles on the road are as safe as possible,” Stanton emphasized. “That is why we are fully cooperating with NHTSA to help get this message out. While NHTSA thinks this is limited to a small number of vehicles, it is important that consumers verify that their vehicles have original equipment replacement airbags.”

Vehicles for Which Counterfeit Air Bags May Be Available

As of Wednday, NHTSA is aware of counterfeit air bags available for the following vehicle makes and models:

Acura
2009-11 TSX

Audi
2006-09 A3, A4, A6, A8, Q5, Q7

BMW
2007-11 X5, E70, E60, E61
2008-10 5-Series, 528i, 535i
2004-07 5-Series, 525i, 530, 535, E60, E61
2007-11 E90, E91
E92, E93 (unspecified years)
2007-11 X5, E70
2004-07 525i, 530, 535
2011-12 X3

Buick
2010-11 Lacrosse

Chevrolet
2011-12 Cruze
2006-10 Aveo
2011-12 Volt
2012 Camaro

Ford
2012 Focus
2005-09 Mustang

Honda
2003-12 Accord
2006-11 Civic
2002-11 CRV
2007-11 Fit
2009-11 Pilot
2009-11 Insight
2009-11 Crosstour
2011 Odyssey

Hyundai
2007-11 Elantra
Genesis (unspecified years)
Sonata (unspecified years)

Infiniti
2007-11 G35, EX35

Kia
2010-11 Soul/Forte
2004-09 Spectra

Land Rover
2012 Range Rover Evoque

Lexus
2006-11IS250, IS350, IS-F
2003-08 GX470
2007-09 RX350
ES350 (unspecified years)

Mazda
2004 Mazda 3
2010-12 Mazda 3

Mercedes-Benz
2009-11 C, GLK
2010-11 E350, E550
2007-08 S550
2006-09 ML
2009-10 GL, ML

Mitsubishi
Outlander (unspecified years)

Nissan
1992-2002 Quest
2010-11 Quest
2009-11 Cube
2007-11 Versa
2009-10 Murano
Altima (unspecified years)

Subaru
2008-09 Forester
2008-09 Impreza
2008-09 Outback
2010-11 Legacy

Suzuki
2007-10 SX4

Toyota
2002-06 Camry
2012 Camry
2009-11 Corolla, Matrix
2007-11 Yaris
2004-11 Highlander
2004-11 Sienna
2004-11 Tacoma
2010-12 Prius
2003-11 Tundra
2003-06 Sequoia
2003-10 Land Cruiser
2004-10 Highlander
2004-09 4Runner
2007-09 Solara
2005-11 RAV4

Volkswagen
2006-10 Jetta

Volvo
XC60, XC70 (unspecified years)
V70, S60, S80 (unspecified years)