NHTSA Delays Massive Airbag Recall Investigation

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will not immediately recall 50 million airbag inflators in U.S. vehicles from 13 automakers, opting for further investigation due to safety concerns. A prior investigation linked the inflators to one death and multiple injuries, leading to a debate on safety risks and manufacturing processes.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has decided not to proceed with an immediate recall of airbag inflators found in around 50 million U.S. vehicles from 13 different automakers. This comes after concerns arose in July regarding potential safety risks associated with these inflators, which were linked to a fatality and seven injuries following an extensive government investigation.

NHTSA is aiming to collect further technical and engineering data on the inflators and their installation across various manufacturers. Discrepancies in the production processes at different factories have prompted a deeper inquiry. In October, NHTSA contended that inflators produced by ARC Automotive and Delphi Automotive should be recalled after incidents of ruptures causing metal fragments to be projected dangerously.

Despite objections from major automakers such as GM, Toyota, and Volkswagen, the NHTSA continues to investigate after automakers contested the recall decision in December. The implicated inflators were used in vehicles made from 2000 to early 2018, with GM recalling 1 million parts last year following an injury incident.

(With inputs from agencies.)