Trump’s Transportation Department Weighs Permanent Ban on U.S. Sale of Chinese Air Bag Inflators Involved in Fatal CrashesNHTSA is investigating air bags illegally imported[...]

The initial decision NHTSA released today includes a summary of NHTSA's work on the investigation, as well as additional details on the 12 crashes.

NHTSA is accepting public comments on this initial decision until April 17. Comments can be submitted at regulations.gov, Docket No. NHTSA-2026-0793.

Additional Information on DTN Inflators:

Although all known crashes have occurred in Chevrolet Malibu and Hyundai Sonata vehicles, NHTSA does not have information to confirm the risk is limited to these makes and models.

NHTSA urges used vehicle owners and buyers to learn their vehicle's history and ensure the vehicle has genuine air bag inflators. Owners or buyers not familiar with their vehicle's history should obtain a history report. A vehicle should be inspected if it was in a previous crash with an air bag deployment since 2020 and was not repaired by one of the manufacturer's dealerships. If a vehicle has been in a previous crash where the air bag deployed, it should be inspected by a reputable mechanic immediately to ensure the air bag is a legitimate replacement equivalent to the original.

If a vehicle is found to have one of these DTN inflators, it should not be driven until the inflator is replaced with genuine parts.

If an owner has a vehicle with one of these suspect inflators, they should contact their local Homeland Security Investigations office or FBI field office to report it or submit an online complaint to the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center.

Owners may also contact NHTSA online or by calling the agency's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time.