U.S. auto safety regulators are holding firm on their stance that over 50 million airbag inflators are hazardous and should be recalled, pushing toward an unprecedented safety action. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) made this determination on Wednesday concerning inflators produced by ARC Automotive Inc. of Tennessee and another parts manufacturer, despite resistance from automakers.
These flawed inflators, found in approximately 49 million vehicles spanning 13 different manufacturers, pose a dire risk as they can explode and project shrapnel toward occupants. At least seven injuries and two deaths have been attributed to these defects in the U.S. and Canada since 2009.
NHTSA’s investigation revealed that seven of these inflators have ruptured on U.S. roads, showing signs of inadequate welds or excessive pressure within the canisters meant to inflate airbags during collisions. Furthermore, 23 inflators have burst during testing under similar conditions that led to real-world failures. Internationally, four inflators have also blown apart, resulting in at least one fatality.
Although the agency asserts that most inflators may not fail during deployment, they warn that all units linked to the problematic friction welding process share an inherent risk. Automakers, however, contend that years of scrutiny by NHTSA haven’t confirmed a pervasive design flaw. Several manufacturers argued that none of their millions of inflators have ruptured due to the reasons identified by NHTSA.
The NHTSA counters that the defective nature of these inflators can only be confirmed upon deployment in an actual crash, a risk that federal regulations cannot overlook. After another 30-day public commentary period, NHTSA will decide on the massive recall. Should they conclude the inflators are defective, they will compel ARC and the automakers to initiate a recall and could potentially resort to legal action to enforce it.
A call for comment from ARC, now part of the China-based Yinyi Group, went unanswered. Earlier this year, NHTSA had already requested ARC to recall the inflators, but the company refused, foreshadowing a possible legal confrontation.
During an October public hearing, it became apparent that NHTSA was leaning toward a recall due to a manufacturing flaw where welding byproducts could obstruct canister vents, causing dangerous pressure buildups. This malfunctioning poses a significant risk of severe injury or death, as starkly illustrated in gruesome shrapnel injuries reported by the agency.
Despite this, ARC and multiple automakers argue that the defect’s rarity does not meet the threshold for a safety defect as defined by NHTSA, given the financial burden of recalling 50 million vehicles.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, part of Stellantis, cited no ruptures attributable to NHTSA’s stated cause in their vehicles, despite having 4.9 million models equipped with ARC inflators still in operation. They highlighted an isolated 2009 incident in a Chrysler Town and Country minivan, which ARC found to be uniquely caused, without subsequent occurrences.
Vehicles from BMW, Stellantis, Ford, General Motors, Hyundai, Jaguar-Land Rover, Kia, Maserati, Mercedes, Porsche, Tesla, Toyota, and Volkswagen all potentially feature ARC or Delphi-manufactured inflators. However, a comprehensive list of impacted vehicles remains undisclosed. While automakers have issued smaller ARC inflator recalls before, the NHTSA’s investigation demonstrated the widespread and cross-temporal nature of the issue.
Since 2017, ARC has implemented enhanced inspection protocols to mitigate such flaws. NHTSA acknowledges no new ruptures among inflators inspected under this improved system, though the recall would target units predating these advancements.
ARC defended in documentation that complete elimination of sporadic failures is unattainable, emphasizing that federal safety standards don’t necessitate zero field failures. Yet, the tragic death of Marlene Beaudoin in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in 2021, underscores the stakes. Following a minor crash in her 2015 Chevrolet Traverse, Beaudoin, a mother of 10, succumbed to injuries from metal fragments, though her sons, also in the vehicle, emerged unscathed.