NHTSA: Beware of counterfeit airbags

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is advising consumers whose vehicles have been in a crash in the past three years to have them inspected for fake parts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a consumer safety advisory regarding counterfeit airbags. These airbags, which the NHTSA says are installed at third party repair shops, can malfunction and jeopardize the lives of vehicle occupants in a crash.

According to the NHTSA, car owners who have been in a crash may have had their airbags replaced with counterfeits. The counterfeit parts look like original equipment, right down to fake manufacturer logos.

However, the counterfeit airbags are not made to the same standards as genuine parts, and have consistently malfunctioned in tests. In a crash, these fake airbags may not deploy, or they may expel metal shrapnel if they do. In one test, an airbag separated from its mounting point, showering the vehicle occupants with sparks from the bag’s pyrotechnics.

While it does not know the full scope of the problem, at the moment the NHTSA estimates that a very small number (0.1 percent) of American vehicles have counterfeit airbags. The NHTSA is not aware of any deaths or injuries due to counterfeit airbags.

The NHTSA is urging consumers whose vehicle has been in a crash within the last three years, and who have had the airbags replaced by a shop that is not part of a new car dealership, to call the manufacturer and have the replacement parts inspected. The safety advisory also applies to anyone who bought a replacement airbag online.

If the manufacturer finds a counterfeit airbag, vehicle owners will need to have it replaced at their own expense.

Consumers who purchased their cars new and have not been in a crash, and people who own a used car that has not had its airbags replaced in the last three years, shouldn’t have anything to worry about.

So far, the NHTSA is aware of counterfeit airbags being made for the following makes and models:

Acura: 2009-2011 TSX

Audi: 2006-2009 A3, A4, A6, A8, Q5, Q7

BMW: 2004-2011 5 Series; 2007-2011 3 Series, X5; 2011-2012 X3

Buick: 2010-2011 Lacrosse

Chevrolet: 2011-2012 Cruze, Volt; 2006-2010 Aveo; 2012 Camaro

Ford: 2012 Focus; 2005-2009 Mustang

Honda: 2003-2012 Accord; 2006-2011 Civic; 2002-2011 CRV; 2007-2011 Fit; 2009-2011 Pilot, Insight; 2010-2011 Crosstour; 2011 Odyssey

Hyundai: 2007-2011 Elantra; (not listed) Genesis, Sonata

Infiniti: 2007-2011 G35/37, EX35

Kia: 2010-2011 Soul, Forte; 2004-2009 Spectra

Land Rover: 2012 Range Rover Evoque

Lexus: 2006-2011 IS; 2003-2008 GX470; 2007-2009 RX350; (not listed) ES350

 Mazda: 2004, 2010-2012 Mazda3

Mercedes: 2009-2011 C-Class, GLK; 2010-2011 E-Class; 2007-2008 S550; 2006-2010 ML; 2009-2010 GL

Mitsubishi: (not listed) Outlander

Nissan: 1992-2002, Quest; 2010-2011 Quest; 2009-2011 Cube; 2007-2011 Versa; 2009-2010 Murano; (not listed) Altima

Subaru: 2008-2009 Forester, Impreza, Outback; 2010-2011 Legacy

Suzuki: 2007-2010 SX4

Toyota: 2002-2006, 2012 Camry; 2009-2011 Corolla, Matrix; 2007-2011 Yaris, Tundra; 2004-2011 Highlander, Sienna, Tacoma; 2010-2012 Prius; 2003-2006 Tundra, Sequoia; 2003-2010 Land Cruiser; 2004-2010 Highlander; 2004-2009 4Runner; 2007-2009 Solara; 2005-2011 RAV4

Volkswagen: 2006-2010 Jetta

Volvo: (not listed) XC60, XC70, V70, S60, S80

The NHTSA is advising all consumers, even ones whose cars do not appear on this list, to have their vehicles inspected if their airbags have been replaced in the last three years. In addition, a vehicle may not have counterfeit airbags just because it is on this list, it just means the NHTSA has found counterfeits made for that model. A full list of manufacturer call centers is available at the NHTSA’s website.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Can’t drive 55? No problem: New Texas highway will have an 85 mph speed limit

When it opens in November, a stretch of toll road between Austin and Seguin, Texas will be the fastest highway in the United States, but not by much.

Texas will soon have the fastest highway in the United States. A stretch of road between Austin and Seguin has been gifted with an 85 mph speed limit, according to the Associated Press.

The Texas Transportation Commission approved the new limit for this 35-mile stretch of toll road, which runs east of the crowded Interstate 35 corridor favored by commuters, after the state’s legislature approved raising speed limits on new roads last year. The Austin-Seguin road opens in November.

For years, American speed freaks have had to watch Germans have all the fun on their autobahns, and this could be an excellent opportunity to really drop the hammer on U.S. soil. It could also help reduce travel times between two of the biggest cities, and potentially others, in the biggest state in the contiguous United States.

However, the decision isn’t as radical as it seems. Texas already has an 80 mph maximum speed limit, so drivers on the new toll road will only be going five mph faster than their fellow Texans.

The 85 mph speed limit also includes an economic incentive for the state government. The state’s contract with the toll operator allows it to collect a $67 million up-front cash payment, or a certain percentage of the toll profits, if the speed limit is 80 mph or lower. If the speed limit is above 80 mph, the state gets $100 million or a higher percentage of the profits.

“We must continue to look for innovative ways to generate revenue and be good stewards of taxpayer dollars,” Texas Department of Transportation Spokeswoman Veronica Byer told the Associated Press.

Sound economic reasoning aside, there are obvious concerns over drivers cruising 10-20 mph faster than nearly every other American.

“The research is clear that when speed limits go up, fatalities go up,” Russ Rader, a spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said. He said higher speed limits will get people from place to place faster, but they would cause more crashes and, ultimately, deaths.

Texas officials believe that, despite the connection between speed and highway danger, the 85 mph limit is within the envelope of safety.

“Safety is our top priority and tests have shown the designated speed is a safe one,” Beyer said. Speed limits on Texas highways are reportedly set by the 85th percentile method, where the speed limit reflects the maximum speed 85 percent of drivers are willing to drive at or below.

On most highways, speeds are restricted to 65 or 75 mph. Certain stretches of road in Texas and Utah have 80 mph limits. Montana was the last state to have no speed limits, but that practice ended in 1999.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com