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NHTSA urged a manufacturer to recall 67 million air bag inflators. The company refused.

Saleen Martin, USA TODAY
·4 min read

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ordered a Tennessee air bag manufacturer to recall 67 million products, but the company has refused to comply, according to a letter the government agency published online.

The NHTSA, which oversees programs relating to the safety performance of motor vehicles and other equipment, said air bag inflators made by Knoxville-based manufacturer ARC Automotive, Inc. were involved in at least two fatal incidents in which the air bag inflators ruptured.

According to the NHTSA, once the air bag inflators rupture during frontal air bag deployment, metal fragments can be propelled into the vehicle.

"Based on currently available information, NHTSA has tentatively concluded that a defect related to motor vehicle safety exists in the subject frontal driver and passenger air bag inflators and demands that ARC issue a Part 573 Recall Report addressing that safety defect," the NHTSA said.

67 million air bag inflators supplied to various manufacturers

Until January 2018, 67 million of the frontal air bag inflators were supplied to air bag system manufacturers, the NHTSA wrote in its letter. At least 12 vehicle manufacturers have used the inflators in question to make air bag modules for vehicles sold or leased in the United States.

ARC pushes back on NHTSA assessment

"ARC strongly disagrees with the agency’s 'tentative conclusion' that a safety defect exists in the 67 million toroidal driver and passenger inflators produced during the 18-year period prior to January 2018," Steve Gold, vice president of product integrity for ARC Automotive, Inc., wrote in a response on Thursday.

In a statement to the Associated Press, the company said "extensive field testing has found no inherent defect."

Car recall roundup: Check latest vehicle recalls here

Air bag recall: GM recalls nearly 1 million Buick, Chevrolet and GMC SUVs over faulty air bag inflators

Air bag inflators have led to injuries and at least two deaths, NHTSA says

The NHTSA, which started its investigation in 2015, said air bag inflator ruptures have led to two deaths: one in Canada in 2016 involving a 2009 Hyundai Elantra and the other in Michigan in 2021 involving a 2015 Chevrolet Traverse, the agency said.

In the Michigan incident, a mother of 10 was killed when a metal inflator fragment hit her neck.

The NHTSA also listed several instances where drivers were injured due to the inflators, including an incident on October 20, 2021 when a driver's side air bag inflator in a 2015 Chevrolet Traverse ruptured in Kentucky. The driver suffered facial injuries, the NHTSA said.

And on March 22, 2023, a driver's side air bag inflator in a 2017 Chevrolet Traverse ruptured in Michigan, causing facial injuries to the driver.

2018 field test showed no ruptures

In response to the recall, ARC cited a field test that found no inherent defect with the air bag inflators.

In April 2018, according to the NHTSA, a field recovery test program for frontal driver air bag inflators manufactured by ARC was done and test samples for model year 2001 to 2006 vehicles using ARC inflators were collected from salvage yards. Investigators found none of the tested inflators ruptured, the NHTSA said in its letter.

Recalls associated with air bag ruptures

General Motors issued a recall this month for nearly 1 million Buick, Chevrolet and GMC SUVs over ruptured air bag inflators. The following vehicles were recalled:

  • 2014-2017 Buick Enclave – 244,304 SUVs

  • 2014-2017 Chevrolet Traverse – 457,316 SUVs

  • 2014-2017 GMC Acadia – 293,143 SUVs

Each had a front-driver air bag module with an ARC inflator installed as original equipment.

According to the NHTSA, previous recalls involving ARC air bag inflators between March 2017 and July 2022 include BMW, Ford, General Motors and Volkswagen vehicles:

  • 2015 Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse – 2,687 vehicles

  • Various 2016 Audi and Volkswagen – 1,216 vehicles

  • 2010-2011 Chevrolet Malibu – 1,145 vehicles

  • 2017 Ford Mustang and F-150 Pickup – 650 vehicles

  • 2008-2017 Buick Enclave and 2013-2017 Chevrolet Traverse – 555 vehicles

  • General Motors (driver air bag service replacement parts) – 74 vehicles

  • 2017 BMW X5 sDrive35i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 xDrive50i, X5 xDrive35d and X5 xDrive40e – 36 vehicles

Contributing: The Associated Press and Mike Snider

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHTSA orders ARC air bag inflator recall; manufacturer refuses