Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released findings that suggest substandard Chinese air bag inflators, likely illegally imported into the United States, are to blame for 10 fatalities and two serious injuries in a dozen crashes over the past three years, NAAA stated in a release April 14. All 12 crashes involved Chinese frontal driver air bag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Safety Technology Co., Ltd. (DTN) that ruptured during a crash.
Instead of inflating the air bag to protect the driver, these inflators exploded, sending large metal fragments into drivers’ chests, necks, eyes and faces.
NHTSA opened an investigation into these DTN inflators in October 2025. The initial decision concludes that the inflators contain a safety-related defect and includes a summary of NHTSA’s work on the investigation, as well as additional details on the 12 crashes.
NAAA stated it wanted to make its members aware of this and provide links to resources should they be interested in learning more information. To access that information, visit the Members-Only Section of the NAAA website and click on the document titled “NHTSA Weighs Permanent Ban on U.S. Sale of Chinese Air Bag Inflators Involved in Fatal Crashes.”
