ARC Automotive Inc. is under scrutiny and possibly heading towards a dispute with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The company has denied a recall request for millions of its airbag inflators, despite NHTSA’s concerns about their potential danger.
NHTSA has demanded ARC Automotive recall approximately 67 million airbag inflators within the United States, citing the risk of explosion and injury from projected shrapnel. The agency has linked defective ARC inflators to deaths and injuries in both the U.S. and Canada. NHTSA identified the events it was aware of:
- On January 29, 2009, a driver side air bag inflator ruptured in a (MY) 2002 Chrysler Town and Country minivan in Ohio. The air bag module was produced by Key Safety Systems and used a dual stage ARC inflator. The inflator was manufactured in Knoxville. The driver was severely injured during the incident.
- On April 8, 2014, a driver side air bag inflator ruptured in a MY 2004 Kia Optima in New Mexico. The air bag module was manufactured by Delphi and had a single stage ARC inflator. The inflator was manufactured in Knoxville. The driver sustained injuries to her face and legs.
- On September 22, 2017, a driver side air bag inflator ruptured in a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu in Pennsylvania. The air bag module was produced by ZF-TRW and used a dual stage ARC inflator. The inflator was manufactured in Xian, China. The driver sustained facial and head injuries.
- On August 15, 2021, a driver side air bag inflator in a 2015 Chevrolet Traverse ruptured in Michigan. The air bag module was produced by Toyoda Gosei and used a dual stage ARC inflator. The inflator was manufactured in Reynosa, Mexico. The air bag module was a replacement module. The vehicle had been in a prior frontal collision and the original air bag module deployed with no issue. The original air bag module was, also, produced by Toyoda Gosei and used a dual stage ARC inflator. The driver sustained fatal injuries.
- On October 20, 2021, a driver side air bag inflator in a 2015 Chevrolet Traverse ruptured in Kentucky. The air bag module was produced by Toyoda Gosei and used a dual stage ARC inflator. The inflator was manufactured in Reynosa, Mexico. The driver sustained facial injuries.
- On December 18, 2021, a passenger side air bag inflator ruptured in a 2016 Audi A3 eTron in California. The air bag module was produced by Joyson Safety Systems and used a dual stage ARC inflator. The inflator was manufactured in Reynosa, Mexico. The driver and passenger were injured.
- On March 22, 2023, a driver side air bag inflator in a 2017 Chevrolet Traverse ruptured in Michigan. The air bag module was produced by Toyoda Gosei and used a dual stage ARC inflator. The inflator was manufactured in Reynosa, Mexico. The driver sustained facial injuries.
The recall would affect a significant number of the 284 million vehicles currently on U.S. roads, making it a pressing issue for vehicle owners across the country. Determining the exact percentage of vehicles equipped with ARC inflators is challenging because the inflators can be installed for both the driver and front passenger.
Following an eight-year investigation, NHTSA has tentatively concluded that ARC front driver and passenger inflators constitute a safety defect. Stephen Ridella, director of NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation, emphasized in a letter to ARC that airbag inflators posing a risk of metal fragments being projected into vehicle occupants are unacceptably dangerous.
Despite the evidence and findings of NHTSA, ARC insists no defect exists within their inflators, attributing any problems to isolated manufacturing issues. This disagreement sets the stage for a potential public hearing, and if necessary, court proceedings to enforce NHTSA’s recommended recall.
Meanwhile, General Motors (GM) has initiated a recall of nearly one million vehicles equipped with ARC inflators. Affected vehicles include specific 2014-2017 models of the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia SUVs. In line with ARC’s denial, the automaker asserts that an inflator explosion could result in sharp metal fragments causing serious injury or death. GM plans to start notifying owners by letter from June 25, 2023, although a solution is not yet available.
Manufacturers including Volkswagen, Ford, BMW, and GM may have these potentially faulty inflators in their vehicles, according to NHTSA. The agency argues that welding debris from the manufacturing process can block the release of gas meant to inflate the airbag in a crash. This blockage could cause the inflator to rupture.
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The experienced and aggressive attorneys at Spagnoletti Law Firm can help you understand your rights if you or a loved one was a victim of an accident due to a defect in your vehicle. There are strict and short time limits on making claims related to such injuries, so please contact us online or call 713-804-9306 or 877-678-5864 to learn more about your rights.