A faulty aftermarket airbag inflator has been linked to the death of a Dallas-area motorist last month, raising renewed concerns about supplemental restraint system safety. The inflator ruptured during a crash involving a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox, sending dangerous projectile shrapnel into the vehicle.
The death is the 11th attributed to the aftermarket inflator, which was manufactured by a company in Jilin Province, China. The part had already been banned from importation and sale in the United States by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in April.
Defective Inflator Was Banned in April
According to reporting by Automotive News, the Dallas-area crash was otherwise survivable but resulted in the first fatality since NHTSA banned the specific inflator manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Company, also known as DTN.
NHTSA alleges that DTN does not manufacture the parts to the standard required by the government. Ten other deaths have previously been attributed to the company’s inflator.
In all 11 documented fatalities, the defective DTN inflator ruptured when activated. The resulting metal shrapnel pierced the airbag material and entered the passenger cabin, striking drivers “into drivers’ chests, necks, and faces,” according to NHTSA.
NHTSA Warns Used-Car Buyers About Replacement Airbags
Each of the faulty inflators was a replacement part, likely installed after an airbag theft or a repairable crash in which the original airbags deployed.
NHTSA is urging people shopping for used vehicles to have prospective purchases inspected before buying. The agency wants buyers to confirm that the vehicle manufacturer’s original airbag remains intact.
The warning is especially important when a vehicle history report shows a previous collision or other damage. Such repairs may have resulted in an original-equipment inflator being replaced with an inferior counterfeit unit.
Counterfeit Airbag Inflators Are Increasing
Automotive News reported that United States Customs and Border Protection seized at least 490 counterfeit airbag inflators being imported into the country in 2024. That was 10 times the number seized in 2023.
NHTSA has warned consumers about the risks of inferior replacement airbag parts for years, issuing warnings as far back as 2013 about the dangers of using non-OE components.
Counterfeit airbags are often cheaper, potentially encouraging vehicle owners and repair shops to reduce repair costs by choosing lower-priced replacement parts.
How the DTN Inflator Problem Compares With Takata
The latest fatalities echo the larger safety crisis involving Takata, whose airbag inflators also ruptured during collisions.
The Takata airbag scandal remains the largest recall in automotive history and was responsible for at least 35 deaths and 400 injuries in the United States as of 2024. The Japanese parts supplier ultimately recalled more than 67 million vehicles from 12 different manufacturers worldwide.
The latest case involving the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox marks the 11th documented death attributed to the DTN aftermarket inflator, despite the specific part having been banned by NHTSA since April.
