On August 1, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo approved the Counterfeit Airbag Prevention Act (S. 5037-B/A.6378-B), which will make it a crime in New York to knowingly import, install, reinstall or sell a counterfeit or nonfunctional airbag. The law, which will go into effect in November, is similar to a law approved in July 2013 by Connecticut Governor Daniel Malloy.
In 2010, U.S. customs seized over 300 counterfeit airbags manufactured by Guangzhou Auto Parts and distributed via internet to Chattanooga, Tennessee. This incident, and others, contributed to rising awareness about the potential dangers of counterfeit airbags, of which federal authorities seized approximately 2,500 in 2012. In October 2012, the United Stated National Highway Transportation Safety Administration issued a consumer safety advisory urging vehicle owners and repair professionals to use only certified, original equipment replacement parts. The advisory identified a particular problem involving the sale of counterfeit air bags for use as replacement parts, which "showed consistent malfunctioning ranging from non-deployment . . . to the expulsion of metal shrapnel during deployment."
Independent research firm Frost and Sullivan estimate that automobile suppliers lost $45 billion on account of airbag counterfeiting in 2011. State representatives are confident that the new laws will decrease such counterfeiting and help to ensure that one's airbags will correctly deploy and protect in the event of an accident. The passage of the Counterfeit Airbag Prevention act and similar laws underscores the enormous cost and potential danger of counterfeit products.
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