Fake Chinese airbags;

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) confirmed it is investigating seven crashes, including five deaths, tied to aftermarket airbags that violently ruptured during deployment—the Wall Street Journal reports. The culprit is Jilin Province Detiannuo Safety Technology, also known as DTN Airbag, a Chinese manufacturer being accused of producing inflators that contain volatile chemicals.

Remember the Takata saga—the faulty inflaters caused the largest automotive recall in history, and accounted for 28 U.S. deaths.

Like Takata’s defective inflators, DTN’s counterfeits are alleged to explode with grenade-like force, spraying shrapnel into vehicle cabins during otherwise survivable crashes.[…]

It’s impossible to know how many cars are fitted with counterfeit DTN inflators—the fake airbags are often sold online, sometimes for as little as $100, a fraction of the price compared to $1,000 or more for genuine, manufacturer-certified parts. The construction and packaging mimic genuine OEM components closely enough that even repair shops can be fooled. Although you would think that a degree of scepticism would creep in when you’re literally paying a mere fraction of the price.