Chevrolet Volt, Honda Accord Among Vehicles That May Have ...

Just the Facts:

• The 2011-'12 Chevrolet Volt and the 2003-'12 Honda Accord are among the dozens of car models that could have counterfeit airbags that may not inflate properly in an accident, according to a consumer safety advisory posted on Wednesday by NHTSA.
• NHTSA says its tests showed "consistent malfunctioning ranging from non-deployment of the airbag to the expulsion of metal shrapnel during deployment."
• The counterfeit airbags may be in vehicles repaired after crashes in the U.S. with many of the replacement parts coming from China.

WASHINGTON ? The 2011-'12 Chevrolet Volt and the 2003-'12 Honda Accord are among the dozens of car models that could have counterfeit airbags that may not inflate properly in an accident, according to a consumer safety advisory posted on Wednesday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

NHTSA says its tests showed "consistent malfunctioning ranging from non-deployment of the airbag to the expulsion of metal shrapnel during deployment." But the federal vehicle safety agency is not aware of any deaths or injuries connected to counterfeit airbags.

The counterfeit airbags may be in vehicles repaired after crashes in the U.S. with many of the replacement parts coming from China.

"While the full scope and scale of the problem of counterfeit airbags is uncertain from currently available data, NHTSA has identified certain vehicle makes and models for which these airbags may be available and believes this issue affects less than 0.1 percent of the U.S. vehicle fleet," said NHTSA in a posting on its Web site. "Only vehicles which have had an airbag replaced within the past three years by a repair shop that is not part of a new car dealership may be at risk."

The complete list of vehicles is available on NHTSA's Web site.

The long list of vehicles for which counterfeit airbags may be available includes many popular models. They include the 2012 Range Rover Evoque, 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, 2011-'12 BMW X3, 2006-'11 Honda Civic, 2007-'11 Hyundai Elantra, 2010-'12 Mazda 3 and 2012 Toyota Camry.

NHTSA said that the counterfeit airbags "look nearly identical to certified, original equipment parts."

Consumers whose vehicles have been in a crash and had their airbags replaced by a repair shop that is not part of a new car dealership within the past three years or those who have purchased a replacement airbag online should contact the call center set up by the automaker to have their vehicle inspected and the airbag replaced if necessary. A list of call centers can be found at SaferCar.gov.

NHTSA says consumers who may be at risk include those who bought replacement airbags from eBay or other "non-certified sources, especially if they were purchased at unusually low prices ? less than $400."

Edmunds says: The bad news for consumers is that unlike a safety recall, owners must pay to get their airbags inspected. It likely will cost $100 or more, experts say.

Source: http://www.insideline.com/chevrolet/volt/chevrolet-volt-honda-accord-among-vehicles-that-may-have-counterfeit-airbags.html

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