Now, our special report concerning your car's air bag.
The federal government is warning us about millions of replacement air bags that are counterfeits.
Our investigation found that not only is the government warning going practically unnoticed by the public and the auto repair industry, but the cost of making sure your car doesn't have a counterfeit replacement air bag is too high for most people to afford.
The defective replacement air bags could blow up in your face instead of protecting you in a collision.
Video shows how an airbag saves a life. More video shows how an airbag takes a life.
The very system designed to save your life, exploding in a deadly wave of shrapnel and flames.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency has confiscated thousands of counterfeit airbags entering the country from China.
"These supposedly real airbags pose a significant threat to the public," stated a member of ICE.
All have tested as deadly by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.
The federal government's warning encompasses nearly all makes and models on the road in the U.S. You could be driving one.
Jerry Leahey of Leahey's Dye-It-Rite Body Shop replaces airbags everyday and he has never seen a counterfeit. Leahey can't imagine how someone would install something so crucial to your safety, unless it was authentic.
But, the internet has changed the game when it comes to counterfeiting and your safety is not the counterfeiter's concern.
The cost of an original equipment airbag is big, from $500 to a $1,000. A counterfeit can go for as a little as 40 bucks.
And that's what the federal government wants you to watch for. If it sounds too cheap to be authentic, it's a fake.
"These air bags don't work and they don't belong in your car, period,” explained the ICE officer.
So how do you know what's in your car? Well, you don't. Even the repair shop is in the dark.
The federal government says you should have your car checked, or better yet, replace any airbag that didn't come from a dealer. But at your own cost that's not cheap.
The government cannot issue a recall because the airbags are not made in the U.S. All it can do is issue the warning that your airbag could blow up in your face and it's up to you to find out if your car has a phony replacement.
You are not at risk of having a counterfeit replacement airbag if:
- You drive a new car with the original air bag.
- You've not had the air bag replaced.
- Or if it's been replaced by a franchised dealer.
We want to stress this affects a very small percentage of all vehicles on the road.
The list of cars is long and we've put it all under another story, which is in the related links category.
The federal government is warning us about millions of replacement air bags that are counterfeits.
Our investigation found that not only is the government warning going practically unnoticed by the public and the auto repair industry, but the cost of making sure your car doesn't have a counterfeit replacement air bag is too high for most people to afford.
The defective replacement air bags could blow up in your face instead of protecting you in a collision.
Video shows how an airbag saves a life. More video shows how an airbag takes a life.
The very system designed to save your life, exploding in a deadly wave of shrapnel and flames.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency has confiscated thousands of counterfeit airbags entering the country from China.
"These supposedly real airbags pose a significant threat to the public," stated a member of ICE.
All have tested as deadly by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.
The federal government's warning encompasses nearly all makes and models on the road in the U.S. You could be driving one.
Jerry Leahey of Leahey's Dye-It-Rite Body Shop replaces airbags everyday and he has never seen a counterfeit. Leahey can't imagine how someone would install something so crucial to your safety, unless it was authentic.
But, the internet has changed the game when it comes to counterfeiting and your safety is not the counterfeiter's concern.
The cost of an original equipment airbag is big, from $500 to a $1,000. A counterfeit can go for as a little as 40 bucks.
And that's what the federal government wants you to watch for. If it sounds too cheap to be authentic, it's a fake.
"These air bags don't work and they don't belong in your car, period,” explained the ICE officer.
So how do you know what's in your car? Well, you don't. Even the repair shop is in the dark.
The federal government says you should have your car checked, or better yet, replace any airbag that didn't come from a dealer. But at your own cost that's not cheap.
The government cannot issue a recall because the airbags are not made in the U.S. All it can do is issue the warning that your airbag could blow up in your face and it's up to you to find out if your car has a phony replacement.
You are not at risk of having a counterfeit replacement airbag if:
- You drive a new car with the original air bag.
- You've not had the air bag replaced.
- Or if it's been replaced by a franchised dealer.
We want to stress this affects a very small percentage of all vehicles on the road.
The list of cars is long and we've put it all under another story, which is in the related links category.