- Airbag inflators from Chinese firm DTN were banned in the US earlier this year.
- A 2018 Chevrolet Equinox driver was killed during a crash in Dallas on August 27.
- Owners of used vehicles with replaced airbags need to have their cars inspected.
An eleventh person in the United States has been killed by a defective replacement airbag inflator from China, months after the airbags were banned due to a spate of deaths and injuries in a dozen crashes across the country.
The latest fatality occurred on August 27 in Dallas in a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. This marks the first time a death has been reported in a vehicle other than a Chevrolet Malibu or Hyundai Sonata that has been equipped with one of these defective airbag inflators.
Read: 10 Deaths Later, The US Finally Moves To Ban Illegal Chinese Airbag Inflators
The airbag inflators in question were manufactured by Chinese firm Jilin Province Detiannuo Safety Technology Co (DTN). Previous NHTSA reports have described how the airbag inflators can expel shrapnel into a driver’s chest, neck, eyes, and face.
DTN said there’s no proof that the fatal accidents were caused by defective inflators and has also previously said that the improper installation or defects in other safety components may have contributed to the deadly crashes. The company added that the faulty airbags are likely counterfeit items that have used its branding.
The NHTSA is urging owners of used vehicles that were previously involved in a crash that triggered an airbag deployment since 2020 to have their vehicles inspected to see if they have one of these airbags, identifiable by a DTN60DB marker.
When announcing the ban on these airbag inflators in April, US Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said, “banning these illegal Chinese airbag parts responsible for 10 deaths is necessary to ensure the safety of Americans on our roads.” Duffy added that “anyone caught importing or selling these defective, deadly inflators will be held accountable as we work with our law enforcement partners to restore safety on our roads.”
