U.S. auto safety regulators say they stand by a conclusion that more than 50 million air bag inflators are dangerous and should not be in use, taking another step toward a massive recall.
The decision Wednesday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration involves inflators made by ARC Automotive Inc. in Tennessee and another parts manufacturer. It comes despite opposition from automakers.
The inflators in about 49 million vehicles from 13 manufacturers can explode and hurl shrapnel into drivers and passengers.
The agency has said the inflators are responsible for at least seven injuries and two deaths in the United States and Canada since 2009.
That airbag was the least of my worries. The left half of the tilt hinge point on the tilt steering column was broken for a few years. The ignition lock to ignition switch linkage wasn’t lined up right as a result, and I couldn’t remove the key, plus it also wouldn’t start via the key.
So I had to crank it by jamming a screwdriver in the right side tilt hinge to hit the linkage rod directly. You think I wanted to chance that airbag popping in my face just because I had to crank it in a weird way?
Yes eventually I replaced the steering column once I found a replacement at a junkyard, but still, that car was a beater, and would ever so rarely even be used to push other smaller broke down vehicles home for neighbors. Don’t want the airbag going off from a friendly push home either.