Counterfeit Air Bags Pose Danger

10/12/2012 (Updated 11:21:38 PM)

If you've been in an accident and had your car repaired, can you be sure that your air bags still work?
   
Air bag deployment that's what your air bags are supposed to do, but if your car is equipped with a counterfeit air bag your safety will most likely be compromised.

The Automotive Recyclers Association with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is warning consumers about the dangers of using counterfeit air bags, as well as omitting air bags altogether in repairs.

"The Automotive Recyclers Association feels very strongly that people should be very careful dealing with after marketer or counterfeit airbags because of the fact that you don't know how they're going to perform.  They haven't been tested to extent that the OEM ones have," said part owner of Don's Automotive Greg Beagell.

According to the Federal Regulators, over the past five years 18-percent of the crashed vehicles were missing air bags following deployment in a previous crash.

Reselling of used air bags is illegal in New York State.


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