US Highway Agency Issues Advisory Over Faulty Air Bag Replacements in Some Cars

A federal agency overseeing transportation safety warned drivers Wednesday about “cheap, substandard replacement air bag inflators” in used cars after reports of multiple deaths and injuries in connection to the problem over the past several months. In a statement, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that two people suffered severe injuries and three died in the past year due to “faulty aftermarket replacement” air bag inflators. The agency said that the vehicles involved in the five cases were previously involved in a crash, while the original manufacturer equipment air bags were replaced with the defective ones. In the majority of the cases, according to the NTHSA, the products were “confirmed to have been manufactured overseas,” although the agency did not name the countries where they are produced....