If a vehicle on your lot has ever been in a crash that triggered its airbags, it’s worth a second look under the hood. Federal regulators say defective airbag inflators imported from China have now been linked to the deaths of at least 11 Americans, with thousands more potentially still installed in used vehicles nationwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In April 2026, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued its first equipment ban in more than two decades, prohibiting the sale and import of airbag inflators marked “DTN60DB,” made by Jilin Province Detiannuo Safety Technology Co. of China. The inflators can rupture instead of deploying properly, sending metal fragments into the vehicle’s cabin. Most deaths involved Chevrolet Malibu and Hyundai Sonata models, but an August crash involving a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox in Dallas marked the first fatality in a different model, suggesting the parts may be more widespread than first believed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NHTSA estimates roughly 10,000 of the defective inflators, which can cost as little as $100 versus $1,000-plus for genuine parts, remain in use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Retailer reaction to the development was swift. eBay recently announced that, effective September 24, 2026, it will prohibit the sale of airbags, airbag inflators, and steering wheel airbag covers on its platform. The company is giving merchants 30 days to comply before it begins unilaterally removing prohibited listings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The move follows similar restrictions announced by Amazon, Facebook Marketplace and Alibaba. eBay\u2019s decision, however, could have the greatest impact on the legitimate used parts market. Automotive recyclers and salvage yards routinely rely on eBay to market parts recovered from salvage vehicles. Consumers and repair shops looking for an affordable OEM airbag module for an older vehicle, for example, may turn to eBay as a source for a replacement part that might otherwise be difficult or expensive to find.<\/p>\n
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