Tennessee company refuses US request to recall 67 million potentially dangerous air bag inflators

TOM KRISHER

,

AP Auto Writer

May 12, 2023

DETROIT (AP), A Tennessee-based company faces a legal fight with U.S. regulators for refusing to recall millions of airbag inflators that could be dangerous.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Friday that ARC Automotive Inc., of Knoxville, should recall 67,000,000 inflators because they can explode and hurl shards. The agency reported that at least two people were killed and six injured in the U.S., Canada and other countries as a direct result of defective ARC airbag inflators.

About one-quarter the number of vehicles currently on U.S. roads would be covered by this recall.

In a letter sent to ARC on Friday, it stated that after eight years of investigation the agency has come to a tentative conclusion that ARC's front inflators for driver and passenger have a defect.

ARC has responded by saying that there is no defect in the inflators and any issues are isolated manufacturing problems.

NHTSA will then schedule a public meeting. The agency could take the company to court in order to force a recall.