Global Automakers Applauds Connecticut Governor's Stance Against Counterfeit Airbags

WASHINGTON--July 16, 2013: The Association of Global Automakers (Global Automakers) praised Connecticut Governor Daniel Malloy for signing into law a bill that will make it a crime to knowingly sell or install a counterfeit or nonfunctional airbag in a vehicle.

"This is a public safety issue that automakers take seriously, and we are pleased that Connecticut took the lead," said David Bauer, Global Automakers' manager of State Relations. "We hope that people will now think twice before knowingly and intentionally manufacturing, selling, or installing fake airbags."

Going into effect on October 1, the new law will make it a felony offense for anyone to install, manufacture, import, reinstall, or sell counterfeit airbags in the state of Connecticut. The law also prohibits installing a device to alter the vehicle's diagnostic system to make a counterfeit airbag appear to be functional. Global Automakers worked closely with the original bill sponsors, Representative Antonio Guerrera and Senator Andrew Maynard, in drafting this important legislation.

Last fall, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a consumer alert regarding certain counterfeit airbags in the marketplace that posed a risk of serious injury to the public. While these air bags look nearly identical to certified, original equipment parts, NHTSA testing showed consistent malfunctioning ranging from non-deployment of the air bag to the expulsion of metal shrapnel during deployment. The Association is working with NHTSA and state legislatures across the country to bring attention to this dangerous consumer issue.