This Banned Chinese Air Bag Inflator Just Killed An 11th Person In The US

NHTSA says DTN60DB inflators can turn routine crashes deadly, a serious concern for Chevrolet Malibu, Equinox, and Hyundai Sonata owners.

Air bag module DTN inflator serial number

Photo by: NHTSA

Brian Potter

By: Brian Potter

Sep 9, at 2:37am ET

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NHTSA links DTN60DB inflators to 14 crashes, including 11 deaths and three severe injuries.
The 11th fatality occurred in a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox in Dallas.
NHTSA urges any vehicle with air bag deployment since 2020 to get inspected immediately by a reputable mechanic.

A ruptured air bag inflator has killed an 11th person in the United States, and the crash that did it looked survivable right up until the part failed. NHTSA confirmed the death on September 3, and it involved a component the agency banned outright earlier this year.

The inflator is marked DTN60DB, built by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co Ltd, and NHTSA says it is likely illegally imported. If your car had a driver's air bag replaced after a 2020 or later crash, this is worth ten minutes of your time.

NHTSA: Banned DTN60DB Inflators Now Linked To 11 Deaths

The 11th fatality happened on August 27, 2026, in a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox in Dallas. NHTSA says the crash itself was one the driver should have walked away from, before the inflator turned the air bag into shrapnel.

NHTSA now counts 14 crashes tied to DTN60DB units, including 11 deaths and three severe injuries. The agency's finding is blunt as these inflators pose a risk of serious injury or death to drivers and passengers.

3. 2018 Chevrolet Equinox Diesel

2018 Chevrolet Equinox

The failure mode is mechanical and consistent across cases. On impact, the DTN60DB inflator explodes rather than deploys, and it drives metal fragments into the driver's chest, neck, eyes, and face.

NHTSA's import and sale ban on the part, issued earlier in 2026, was its first prohibition of this kind in more than two decades. That is the regulatory weight behind this warning, not a routine parts recall like the one covering Honda's faulty air bag sensor recall.

Chevrolet Malibu, Equinox And Hyundai Sonata Among Affected Models

Every prior death and injury on NHTSA's list before Dallas occurred in Chevrolet Malibu or Hyundai Sonata models. The Equinox case is the first outside those two nameplates.

That wider pattern is a concern if you are a used car shopper. A Malibu, Equinox, or Sonata with body damage history is exactly the kind of vehicle where a shop, insurer, or prior owner may have sourced a cheap aftermarket inflator instead of a factory part.

NHTSA is urging owners of any vehicle that had a crash with air bag deployment since 2020 to get it inspected immediately by a reputable mechanic before driving it again. A qualified shop can confirm whether the replacement air bag is a legitimate part or a DTN60DB unit.

Owners with questions can call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236, staffed weekdays from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM Eastern.

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Motor1's Take: Get a reputable shop to check the replacement part before driving if your car had air bag work after 2020. Confirm the inflator's model and insist on OEM replacements if needed.

Watch NHTSA for enforcement updates and repair guidance. If a seller or shop resists inspection or documentation, treat that as a red flag.

Other Important Safety Recalls:

BMW Recalls 189,130 3, 5 And 7 Series Over Starter Relay Fire Risk

1.16 Million Vehicles Now Under Probe For GM Brake Failure

3.2 Million US Car Owners Told To Park Outside Over Fire Risk

Ram 1500 Owners, Check Your Seatbelts: 1.5 Million Trucks Recalled

Source: NHTSA

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