Counterfeit airbags: Warning issued to consumers about spike in dangerous, fraudulent car parts
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Drivers beware! A federal agency is warning that counterfeit airbags are being found at an alarming rate.
The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it has seized more than 211,000 counterfeit automotive parts so far this year; that's almost double that of last year.
CBP said it seized more than 490 counterfeit airbags in 2024, more than 10 times the number of counterfeit airbags seized in 2023.
"The danger for consumers is those airbags can do one of two things. One, they will do nothing and so you're in a crash, and instead of being hit with an airbag to cushion the blow, you don't have that and so people are badly injured or worse," Patrick Olsen with CARFAX said the second issue that can happen with counterfeit airbags is it's so badly constructed it explodes with far greater force.
CARFAX data shows that during the past two years, nearly 2 million cars were back on the roads after a crash that caused their airbag to deploy.
Olsen said each one of those cases is a chance for scammers to install counterfeit airbags.
"The value to them is they can either put in something that doesn't work at all -- or is shoddily assembled. It'll cost them $200 or $300 a pop. They will charge consumers $1,000 or more for that replacement, and they'll pocket the difference," Olsen explained.
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A big question is how do you protect yourself from counterfeit airbags and auto parts? Experts said to make sure you go to a reputable mechanic and retail shops.
Investigators said fakes often end up for sale on online marketplaces. If the price is too good to be true, that's often a red flag. Authorities said many times the counterfeit parts come in through US ports, so CBP is keeping a close eye on shipments.
