Recall Coming for ARC Airbag Inflators

With about 233 million drivers across the United States, the need for airbags in vehicles continues to be of utmost importance. This is especially relevant for the nearly 17,000 car accidents that occur daily across the country, as airbags provide life-saving safety cushions for passengers in a car wreck. However, there may be a recall coming for airbag inflators that have ruptured during deployment in a crash. Here is everything you need to know about the recall of ARC airbag inflators.

ARC vs. NHTSA

In April 2023, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed a recall of at least 52 million of ARC Automotive Inc.’s airbag inflators. Renowned as a worldwide supplier specializing in airbag services, ARC is being accused of installing defective inflators which could injure vehicle occupants if they explode. As ARC’s propellants include phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN), the explosion of airbags and inhalation of the chemicals have allegedly resulted in at least two deaths and several injuries.

Many Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) may be affected by the recall, including BMW North America, Fiat Chrysler U.S., Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Hyundai Motor America, Kia America, Maserati North America, Mercedes-Benz USA, Porsche Cars North America, Tesla, Toyota Motor North America, and Volkswagen Group of America.

Commenting on their quality of airbags, several OEMs have spoken about the recall. Porsche disagreed with the NHTSA’s rupture incident rate (15%) and stated that there has been no evidence of inflator rupture in any Porsche vehicles. Ford claimed that the ARC’s testing of inflators in 2018, supervised by the NHTSA, resulted in a near 100% reliability and confidence that airbags would emerge without ruptures. BMW found it unfair to conclude that ruptures are present within their vehicles and suggested a deeper analysis on the issue rather than generalizing on conclusions.

Talk to Our Team if You Were Injured by a Recalled ARC Airbag

Were you involved in an incident with ruptured or defective airbags that caused injury? We can help you! It may be possible to file suit against the manufacturer when the airbag deploys incorrectly, at the wrong time, or not at all. At Jan Dils, if we do not recover for you, then you do not owe us anything. Contact us today and connect with one of our experienced product liability lawyers on how we can help you on your airbag injury incident case.